From: mbs@zycor.lgc.com (Matt Shostak)
Subject:  Best of the eighties (BOWL BOUND)
Organization: Landmark/Zycor   Austin, Texas
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 19:10:23 GMT


ARIZONA STATE (1986) STUNS BAMA (1979)


In what may be the biggest upset of the "Best of the Eighties (BOWL BOUND)"
tournament so far, the Arizona State Sun Devils shocked Bear Bryant and
his Crimson Tide, 9 - 7.  They did it with the help of some offensive
miscues by the Alabama offense, some timely penalties against the Tide
defense, and a ball control attack of their own.

Alabama's running game repeatedly got them into Sun Devil territory, only
to have drives stall by penalty, fumble, or lost yardage, and they could
never quite get within field goal range.  The tone was set on their 
first possession, when they moved the ball to midfield on four plays and
promptly fumbled.  Both teams traded punts for several possessions, until
ASU finally started in good field position again at the Bama 47.  Five
plays and a penalty moved the ball to the Tide 18, where ASU missed a
field goal.  Their next possession began at the Tide 41 due to a 27-yard
punt, and this time they capitalized, with the help of a late hit out
of bounds.  The Sun Devil's 31-yard field goal accounted for all the 
scoring in the first half, as Bama's quarterback Steadman Shealy was
intercepted trying to run the two-minute offense.

In the second half ASU ran the ball eight straight times to move from
their 40 to the Bama 15, where they upped their lead to 6 - 0.  The next
three Alabama possessions resulted in punts, as they struggled with
starting field positions of their own 15-, 20-, and 1-yard lines.  Then,
starting at their own 11, the Tide got a quick first down to the 28.
Two plays later, however, they fumbled the ball back to ASU, and the
opportunistic Sun Devils capitalized with a 37-yard field goal to up
their lead to 9 - 0.  

The ensuing kickoff, however, gave Alabama possession at the ASU 34,
and Major Ogilvie needed just one play to cut the deficit to 9 - 7.
Time, however, was running out, and ASU had played an error-free game.
Their first and only turnover came with less than 2 minutes remaining
at the Alabama 30.  The Tide defense had already expended two timeouts.
Shealy moved the offense to near midfield, where with 20 seconds left,
the ASU defense held Bama on downs.

Bear Bryant was visibly upset after the game, both about the turnovers
and a couple of questionable late hit calls that kept ASU drives alive.
John Cooper gave credit to the Tide's defense, and his quarterback.
"Their defense is very hard to score against, and they played well enough
to win.  We were fortunate to get some breaks, and I credit (quarterback)
Jeff (Van Raaphorst) with keeping the offense under control and not
committing any costly turnovers.  We're just happy to get out of here
with a win."

Score by quarters:

                1   2   3   4        Final
               --- --- --- ---       -----
Arizona St.     0   3   3   3          9
Alabama         0   0   0   7          7

 
                      Alabama                Arizona St.
First downs   :         12                      13
Rushing       :       47-240                  57-129
Passing       :       8-13-37, 1 INT          9-14-69
Fumbles - lost:         4-2                     1-1
FGM - FGA     :         0-0                     3-4
Penalties     :         5-60                    2-10
Sacks allowed :         0-0                     0-0
Return yards  :         81                      96
Possession    :        28:00                   32:00




-- 
Matthew B. Shostak              Landmark/Zycor
mbs@zycor.lgc.com               (512) 282-6699
"Gentlemen! You can't fight in here! This is the war room!"
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