Football faces fourth-ranked Arizona State

Friday, October 11, 1996

Football faces fourth-ranked Arizona StateFOOTBALL:

Devils toppled No. 1 Nebraska, now hope to capture a
championship of their ownBy Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The Bruins will have a large rooting contingent on Bourbon
Street this weekend.

The folks in charge of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans are seeing
their dreams of a national championship game potentially ruined by
the Devils. The Sun Devils, that is.

Arizona State (5-0, 2-0 Pacific 10) enters tomorrow’s contest
against the Bruins (2-2, 1-0) as the fourth-ranked team in the
nation and in the thick of the national title hunt. Since the
Pacific 10 is not a member of the Bowl Alliance, a top ranking by
the Sun Devils at season’s end could throw a wrench in the planned
meeting of the top two ranked teams in the Sugar Bowl.

The Sun Devils are near the end of the difficult portion of
their schedule ­ Having already defeated then-top-ranked
Nebraska, Washington, and Oregon. They host USC next weekend, but
will only play one ranked team the remainder of the season (No. 21
California, Nov. 9).

"We don’t want to look too far down the road," Sun Devil
quarterback Jake Plummer said. "We just have to take it week by
week and hope people don’t sneak up on us."

For a team synonymous with middle-division finishes over the
past decade, talk of a national title is new in Tempe.

"It’s tougher dealing with all of the attention that we are
receiving now, with the media and all," Plummer said. "But, we
realize that that’s the price to pay and we’re enjoying it."

The first five games on the schedule were all played in Sun
Devil Stadium, including the 19-0 defeat of Nebraska that got
everyone talking No. 1.

The Sun Devils will finally escape the hype and heat of Tempe
this weekend.

"I think we’re ready to leave town for a little bit," head coach
Bruce Snyder said. "A lot of kids are from Los Angeles and they’re
anxious to play there."

In fact, no fewer than 29 Sun Devils call the Southland
home.

Arizona State will come into Pasadena with the strongest team
they’ve had in years.

With a win tomorrow, the Sun Devils will equal their highest win
total and first bowl berth since 1987.

Arizona State features both the Pac 10’s best total defense and
top total offense.

The Bruins’ task will be shutting down the Sun Devil offense
that stands at fourth in the nation, averaging 44 points per
game.

The offense is led by Sun Devil career passing leader Plummer,
who has thrown for 1,176 yards and has completed 13 touchdown
passes compared to only two interceptions.

The conference’s top-ranked rushing team is lead by the 94.2
yards per game by Michael Martin and an offensive line led by 1995
All-Pacific 10 first-team lineman Juan Roque.

"They’ve got probably as good of passing game as Tennessee,
probably better running game," Bruin head coach Bob Toledo said.
"They’ve got probably as good of running game as Michigan and
better passing game."

After falling to both Tennessee and Michigan, the Sun Devils
will be the third top-10 team to face UCLA in five games.

"I love the big games," Toledo said. "Sometimes you don’t win
’em all and get bad records, but the point is knocking off highly
ranked teams can do a lot for your program ­ look what it did
for Arizona State to beat Nebraska."

A victory tomorrow could be one of the biggest victories UCLA
has seen in years.

UCLA has not defeated a top-5 ranked team since 1990 when they
knocked off No. 2 Washington in Seattle. The Bruins have won only
two of eight games against top-10 teams in the 1990’s.

UCLA and Arizona State are two of only three undefeated teams in
conference play. With a matchup against California, the other
Pac-10 team without a loss, approaching in only two weeks, the
Bruins could control their Rose Bowl and postseason
aspirations.

As for national championship hopes, "It’s not going to happen
this year," Toledo said.

Maybe not for the Bruins. But for the Sun Devils? They need to
get past tomorrow first.