Eyes of Arizona, Ohio on Pasadena

By MIKE DOWNEY

Jan. 1, 1997 12 AM PT

Share via
- Email
- Facebook
- X
- LinkedIn
- Threads
- Reddit
- WhatsApp

TIMES STAFF WRITER

From out of the desert sun, a team from Arizona State, undefeated and untied, rides into Pasadena today for college football’s 83rd Rose Bowl game, ranked second-best to Florida State but here to show everybody in the land, beyond a doubt, that cactus makes perfect.

Out of the frosty Midwest, with something to prove of its own, is Ohio State, likewise undefeated and untied until a loss in its 11th game, now angry over being ranked as low as fourth and hungry from not having won a Rose Bowl championship for 22 years.

With an expected 2 p.m. kickoff and a 50/50 chance of rain, nothing is certain but that State will win. Although they represent institutions founded in the 19th century, the Sun Devils and Buckeyes have met in football only once before, and never in this New Year’s Day classic.

“We still don’t believe there’s a better team than us,” linebacker Pat Tillman says, speaking for everyone at Arizona State.

“Anybody who thinks we’re dead,” counters Ohio State lineman Rob Murphy, “we’re here to prove them wrong.”

Arizona State (11-0) is here because it won a wild season opener with Washington on a kick with two seconds remaining, held Nebraska scoreless as few teams ever have, refused to lose a game that UCLA led by 21 points, survived another that USC took to double-overtime and made the most of a friendly schedule that included seven games in Tempe, and none east of Tucson.

Ohio State (10-1) is here because it won its first two contests by a staggering cumulative score of 142-7, defeated a strong Notre Dame team by 13 points and a very good Penn State by 31, then withstood upset bids by Wisconsin and Indiana with fourth-quarter comebacks, leaving only one last engagement in Ohio impeding a perfect season, a fateful date with Michigan.

A national championship--its first--is a possibility for Arizona State, though it appears to depend on Florida State’s inability to win a rematch with archrival Florida in the Sugar Bowl game to be played Thursday night in New Orleans. Separate polls that consult coaches and media have made the Seminoles the nation’s No. 1 team, an opinion that Arizonans hotly dispute.

A national championship for Ohio State is less plausible. Seemingly the fourth-ranked Buckeyes would have to defeat Arizona State with relative ease, then count on third-ranked Florida to somehow upset Florida State in a less impressive fashion, enabling them to leapfrog all three teams. Ohio State was unanimously voted national champion in 1942 and 1968, and in split decisions was co-champion in 1954 (with UCLA) and 1957 (with Auburn).

Realistically, a better goal for the Buckeyes would be simply to win a bowl game, inasmuch as they have lost six of their last seven. No matter how prominent the 27-time Big Ten champions have been, the fact remains that since Jan. 1, 1974, they have not won a single Rose Bowl game. During the last 10 years, Ohio State’s only postseason success came against Brigham Young in a 1993 Holiday Bowl.

Arizona State has no fear of the big, bad Big Ten. The Sun Devils have won nine of 11 games against that conference’s schools.

This was a school in not only a valley but a rut, once John Cooper left it to coach--of all programs--Ohio State. Under his leadership, Arizona State put together a 10-1-1 record with a 22-15 victory over Michigan in the 1987 Rose Bowl. But then came lean years, until Coach Bruce Snyder transformed the Sun Devils from a 3-8 team to 11-0 in a span of two years.

The Devils made him do it.

He began with a quarterback, Jake Plummer, so durable that he has started 39 consecutive games, so able that he has passed for nearly 9,000 yards. Operating out of split-back or I-formations, Plummer doesn’t hesitate to throw on any down, particularly to deep threat Keith Poole. He also benefits from having junior tailback Terry Battle, with his school-record 18 rushing touchdowns.

Making it all go is an earth-quaking offensive line, the left side of which has a distinct Southern California flavor. The tackle there is Juan Roque, the terror of Ontario, 6 feet 8, 319 pounds and a model for any lineman in the land. The guard is 6-4, 300-pound Kyle Murphy, from Huntington Beach, and the center 6-5, 305 Kirk Robertson from Simi Valley, both of whom help make Plummer the man he is today.

Put them alongside 308-pound right guard Pat Thompson, sophomore tackle Gary Ruegamer and tight end Steve Bush, and getting to Plummer is mission improbable. He usually has time to look for Poole or young wideout Lenzie Jackson, and gets blocking from a fullback, Jeff Paulk, so fierce that teammates call him by names like The Incredible Paulk, or even “Jurassic” Paulk.

Defensively, this is a curious bunch. Washington ran up 42 points in the opener. UCLA scored 34, USC 35. Yet this same defense played the game of a lifetime Sept. 21 against Nebraska, racking up three safeties. In particular, defensive end Derrick Rodgers and free safety Mitchell “Fright Night” Freedman were human highlight films that night.

Rodgers, the 25-year-old Air Force vet, lines up at left end and zeros in on quarterbacks, collecting 12 sacks. He is light (222 pounds), quick and feared by coaches such as Ohio State’s Cooper, who says, “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone, anywhere, give a better all-out effort on every play than this Rodgers does.”

Beside him on the Sun Devil line are 6-8, 275-pound end Brent Burnstein and tackles Shawn Swayda and Vince Amey. They are backed by linebackers Tillman, Derek Smith and the team leader in tackles, Scott Von der Ahe, in a 4-3 stacked defense that goes man-up at the corners, Marcus Soward manning one and Jason Simmons from Hawthorne the other. The safeties are Freedman, who personally forced three Nebraska fumbles, and the NFL-sized Damien Richardson.

Their assignment: Get to the Ohio State quarterback.

Their problem: Orlando Pace.

Flat-out called “college football’s best player” by the Buckeye publicity department, Pace might very well be just that. He is a snowman-shaped, 6-6, 330-pound junior, a husky from Sandusky whose reputation is such that, should he turn pro, might well be the first man chosen in the next NFL draft.

All five Buckeye offensive linemen are from Ohio. The one on Pace’s flank, left guard Rob Murphy, is the 19-year-old son of a former San Diego Charger player, Bob Murphy. At center is 295-pound co-captain Juan Porter, whose cousin, 295-pound Eric Gohlstein, starts at right tackle. In between is right guard LeShun Daniels, whose responsibilities besides run-blocking include a wife and son, LeShun Jr.

D.J. Jones is the tight end. He’s large, but a peanut next to his own backup, John Lumpkin, a 6-8 sophomore who reports from the Rose Bowl to Buckeye basketball.

Ohio State’s offense outscored opponents by an astounding margin, 435-114. Not bad for a team with rotating quarterbacks, Stanley Jackson and Joe Germaine, plus a freshman at split end, David Boston, who caught nearly as many passes in a game (13 against Indiana) as he did the rest of the year.

Passing is not what the Buckeyes do best. They pound you on the ground, Pepe Pearson carrying the ball typically 28 times per game. Pearson had nine 100-yard games, so monopolizing the play-calling that fullback Matt Calhoun was handed the ball six times all season.

What Ohio State likes to do with Calhoun is pass to him near the goal line. Otherwise, they go to flankers Dimitrious Stanley, Buster Tillman or Michael Wiley, who are fast, fast and faster.

Seven seniors occupy the Buckeyes’ “Silver Bullet” defense. They include two of the league’s best linemen, bookend ends Matt Finkes and Mike Vrabel. The secondary has two fifth-year seniors, Ty Howard and Rob Kelly, and nose guard Luke Fickell will be making his 50th and final start. Mix them with senior linebackers Greg Bellisari and Ryan Miller and the experience is obvious.

A freshman, though, Andy Katzenmoyer, took charge at middle linebacker, and a junior, cornerback Shawn Springs, was voted the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year. They, along with 305-pound junior Winfield Garnett at tackle and sophomore Damon Moore at strong safety, represent the future for Ohio State.

Their assignment: Get to Plummer.

“We’re going to try to make him make bad decisions,” Katzenmoyer says.

After the game, only one decision will remain.

Who has the best team in America?

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

ARIZONA STATE ROSTER

*--*

No Name Pos. Hgt Wgt Cl. 1 Traivon Johnson CB 6-0 196 Sr. 2 Creig Spann WR 6-0 175 Jr. 3 Keith Poole WR 6-2 193 Sr. 4 Marlon Farlow TB 5-10 197 So. 6 Stephen Trejo LB 6-2 235 Fr. 7 Isaiah Mustafa WR 6-4 206 Sr. 8 Terry Battle TB 5-11 194 Jr. 9 Thomas Simmons FS 5-11 181 Jr. 10 Jason Simmons CB 5-10 184 Jr. 11 Steve Campbell QB 6-8 229 So. 12 Lamont Morgan CB 6-0 194 So. 13 Mitchell Freedman FS 6-0 196 So. 14 Ryan Kealy QB 6-2 195 Fr. 15 Gus Farwell QB 6-2 210 Fr. 16 Jake Plummer QB 6-2 192 Sr. 17 Lance Anderson P 6-1 223 Sr. 18 Marcus Williams PK 6-1 219 Jr. 19 Chad Brown QB 6-2 185 Fr. 20 Andre Smith CB 5-10 170 Fr. 21 J.R. Redmond WR 6-0 197 Fr. 22 Raenaurd Turpin SS 6-2 203 Sr. 23 Courtney Jackson CB 6-1 182 Fr. 24 Ricky Boyer WR 5-8 153 So. 25 Phillip Brown CB 6-0 187 Fr. 28 B.J. Alford FS 6-0 187 Sr. 29 Michael Martin TB 6-1 215 Jr. 30 Larry Johnsonn LB 6-1 232 So. 31 Christon Rance DB 6-1 193 Fr. 32 Marcus Soward L CB 5-11 179 Sr. 34 Kareem Clark CB 5-10 178 Fr. 35 Darrin Ransom FB 5-11 210 Fr. 36 Derek Smith LB 6-2 235 Sr. 37 Paul Reynolds LB 6-1 220 Jr. 39 Damien Richardson SS 6-2 207 Jr. 41 Robert Nycz PK 5-11 189 Jr. 42 Pat Tillman LB 5-11 204 Jr. 44 Jeff Paulk FB 6-1 238 So. 45 Kevin Tommasini FB 6-0 215 So. 46 Hamilton Mee RE 6-3 244 Jr. 47 Chris Finn LB 6-4 230 Sr. 48 Jason Moore TE 6-5 233 Fr. 49 Mike Morales FB 5-11 220 Sr. 50 Scott Von der Ahe LB 6-0 245 Sr. 52 Jeff Boyer LB 5-8 153 So. 52 Bryan Ricci PK 5-8 186 Fr. 53 Ron McCook I LB 6-2 233 Sr. 54 Shane Shafer I LB 6-0 222 So. 55 Dave Baumgartner DE 6-3 240 Sr. 56 Kyle Murphy LG 6-4 300 Jr. 57 Craig Sweasy OL 6-4 266 Fr. 58 Derrick Ford DE 6-1 237 So. 59 Derrick Rodgers RE 6-2 222 Jr. 60 Brian Williams OL 6-4 274 So. 61 Kaleb Ramsay OL 6-2 290 Fr. 62 Ray Porter OL 6-2 270 Fr. 63 Korey Ramsay OL 6-2 284 Fr. 64 Randy Leaphart C 6-3 278 So. 65 Kirk Robertson C 6-5 284 Sr. 66 Dane Beem OL 6-5 262 Fr. 67 Pat Thompson RG 6-2 308 Sr. 68 Marvel Smith OL 6-5 297 Fr. 69 Ken Westerhaus OL 6-5 275 Fr. 70 Glen Gable RT 6-5 297 Jr. 72 Kevin Mastowski OL 6-0 300 So. 73 Thomas Schmidt OL 6-6 261 Fr. 74 Juan Roque LT 6-8 313 Sr. 75 Al Simpson DL 6-6 276 Jr. 76 Mike Barnes OG 6-2 264 So. 77 Jeff Johannesen OL 6-5 300 Fr. 78 Anthony Jones OT 6-6 305 Jr. 79 Troy Davis OT 6-5 252 So. 80 Jeff Hoffman WR 6-1 195 Jr. 81 Kenny Mitchell WR 6-3 200 So. 82 Steve Bush TE 6-3 256 Sr. 83 Lenzie Jackson WR 6-0 184 So. 84 Tariq McDonald WR 6-1 178 Fr. 85 Kendrick Bates TE 6-5 237 Fr. 86 Zack Romero TE 6-4 229 Jr. 87 Brian Jennings TE 6-4 224 Fr. 88 Devin Kendall TE 6-2 246 Sr. 88 Jason Brennan WR 6-0 180 So. 89 Victor Leyva DL 6-3 299 Fr. 91 Quincy Yancy RE 6-7 216 Fr. 91 Seanan Kelly TE 6-3 213 So. 92 Jeremy Staat DL 6-5 273 Jr. 93 Malchi Crawford DE 6-3 272 Sr. 94 Brent Burnstein DE 6-8 278 Sr. 95 Ryan Reilly DL 6-2 271 Fr. 97 Alberey Battle RT 6-3 285 So. 98 Vince Amey RT 6-3 281 Jr. 99 Shawn Swayda DT 6-5 276 Sr.

*--*

HEAD COACH: Bruce Snyder

GAME BY GAME

ARIZONA STATE (11-0)

*--*

45 Washington 42 52 North Texas 7 19 Nebraska 0 48 Oregon 27 56 Boise State 7 42 at UCLA 34 48 USC, 2OT 35 41 at Stanford 9 29 at Oregon State 14 35 California 7 56 at Arizona 14

*--*

OHIO STATE (10-1)*--*

70 Rice 7 72 Pittsburgh 0 29 at Notre Dame 16 38 Penn State 7 17 Wisconsin 14 42 at Purdue 14 38 at Iowa 26 45 Minnesota 0 48 at Illinois 0 27 at Indiana 17 9 Michigan 13

*--*

BOWL HISTORIES

ARIZONA STATE

1940 Sun Bowl--Arizona State 0, Catholic U 0

1941 Sun Bowl--Case Western 26, Arizona State 13

1950 Salad Bowl--Xavier 33, Arizona State 21

1951 Salad Bowl--Miami, Ohio 34, Arizona State 21

1970 Peach Bowl--Arizona State 48, North Carolina 26

1971 Fiesta Bowl--Arizona State 45, Florida State 38

1972 Fiesta Bowl--Arizona State 49, Missouri 35

1973 Fiesta Bowl--Arizona State 28, Pittsburgh 7

1975 Fiesta Bowl--Arizona State 17, Nebraska 14

1977 Fiesta Bowl--Penn State 42, Arizona State 30

1978 Garden State Bowl--Arizona State 34, Rutgers 18

1983 Fiesta Bowl--Arizona State 32, Oklahoma 21

1985 Holiday Bowl--Arkansas 18, Arizona State 17

1987 Rose Bowl--Arizona State 22, Michigan 15

1987 Freedom Bowl--Arizona State 33, Air Force 28

Totals: 9-5-1 overall, 1-0 in Rose Bowl

OHIO STATE

1921 Rose Bowl--California 28, Ohio State 0

1950 Rose Bowl--Ohio State 17, California 14

1955 Rose Bowl--Ohio State 20, USC 7

1958 Rose Bowl--Ohio State 10, Oregon 7

1969 Rose Bowl--Ohio State 27, USC 16

1971 Rose Bowl--Stanford 27, Ohio State 17

1973 Rose Bowl--USC 42, Ohio State 17

1974 Rose Bowl--Ohio State 42, USC 21

1975 Rose Bowl--USC 18, Ohio State 17

1976 Rose Bowl--UCLA 23, Ohio State 17

1977 Orange Bowl--Ohio State 27, Colorado 10

1978 Sugar Bowl--Alabama 35, Ohio State 6

1978 Gator Bowl--Clemson 17, Ohio State 15

1980 Rose Bowl--USC 17, Ohio State 16

1980 Fiesta Bowl--Penn State 31, Ohio State 19

1981 Liberty Bowl--Ohio State 31, Navy 28

1982 Holiday Bowl--Ohio State 47, Brigham Young 17

1984 Fiesta Bowl--Ohio State 28, Pittsburgh 23

1985 Rose Bowl--USC 20, Ohio State 17

1985 Citrus Bowl--Ohio State 10, Brigham Young 7

1987 Cotton Bowl--Ohio State 28, Texas A&M; 12

1990 Hall of Fame Bowl--Auburn 31, Ohio State 14

1990 Liberty Bowl--Air Force 23, Ohio State 11

1992 Hall of Fame Bowl--Syracuse 24, Ohio State 17

1993 Citrus Bowl--Georgia 21, Ohio State 14

1993 Holiday Bowl--Ohio State 28, Brigham Young 21

1995 Citrus Bowl--Alabama 24, Ohio State 17

1996 Citrus Bowl--Tennessee 20, Ohio State 14

Totals: 12-16-0 overall, 5-7 in Rose Bowl

OHIO STATE ROSTER

*--*

No Name Pos. Hgt Wgt Cl. 1 Gary Berry S 6-0 205 Fr. 2 Ty Howard CB 5-9 181 Sr. 3 Dimitrious Stanley FL 5-10 181 Sr. 4 Josh Jackson PK 5-11 175 Sr. 4 Garrett Shea DB 5-10 175 Fr. 5 Dan Colson FS 6-0 190 Sr. 5 Michael Wiley TB 6-0 180 Fr. 6 Jimmy Redmond FL 6-0 165 Fr. 7 Joe Germaine QB 6-2 196 So. 8 Stanley Jackson QB 6-1 203 Jr. 9 David Boston WR 6-3 205 Fr. 10 Tom Hoying QB 6-4 221 Jr. 11 Chad Pulliam WR 6-0 175 Sr. 11 Antoine Winfield CB 5-9 178 So. 12 Buster Tillman SE 6-2 192 Sr. 13 Damon Moore SS 5-11 200 So. 13 Steve Gehlert QB 6-2 209 Fr. 14 Heath Knisely FL 6-3 180 Sr. 14 Rolland Steele B 5-11 160 Fr. 15 Dee Miller SE 6-1 190 So. 16 Mark Garcia QB 6-4 215 Jr. 17 Percy King DB 6-4 200 Fr. 17 Andy Stamp K 6-1 180 So. 18 Che Bryant SS 6-1 200 So. 18 Tate Johnson QB 6-5 214 Fr. 19 Ahmed Plummer CB 6-1 190 Fr. 20 Chad Cacchio WR 5-10 166 Fr. 20 Central McClellion CB 5-11 180 So. 21 Charlie Sanders FB 5-9 215 Fr. 23 Matt Keller FB 6-0 220 Fr. 24 Carmie Elmore FB 6-2 208 Jr. 24 Shawn Springs CB 6-0 190 Jr. 25 Jermon Jackson TB 5-11 205 Jr. 26 Anthony Gwinn FS 6-0 200 Sr. 27 Jerry Westbrooks TB 6-2 210 Fr. 28 Mike Burden DB 6-1 205 Fr. 29 Pepe Pearson TB 5-10 206 Jr. 30 Greg Bellisari LB 6-1 230 Sr. 32 Na’il Diggs LB 6-4 225 Fr. 33 Joe Montgomery TB 5-11 225 Jr. 34 Rob Kelly FS 6-2 200 Sr. 35 Jerry Rudzinski LB 6-1 220 So. 36 Nick Goings RB 6-0 205 Fr. 38 Mike Malfatt K 6-3 205 Sr. 39 Matt Calhoun FB 6-0 247 Sr. 41 Brent Bartholomew P 6-2 198 So. 41 Keith Walker DB 5-11 180 Jr. 42 Kevin Griffin SE 5-10 183 So. 43 Ryan Miller LB 6-2 220 Sr. 44 Chris Kirk LB 6-3 235 Fr. 45 Andy Katzenmoyer LB 6-4 250 Fr. 46 Marc Willis LB 6-4 233 Sr. 47 Dan Stultz K 6-0 185 Fr. 48 Matt LaVrar LB 6-3 220 Fr. 50 Eric Gohlstin OT 6-4 295 Jr. 52 Kevin Johnson LB 6-2 220 Sr. 53 Sean Colosimo LB 5-11 225 Fr. 56 Rob Murphy OG 6-5 285 Fr. 57 LeShun Daniels OG 6-2 290 Sr. 59 William Pawlikowski OL 6-3 251 Fr. 60 Brent Johnson DE 6-4 250 Fr. 61 Kevin Loadman LS 6-1 245 Fr. 62 Shane Clark NG 6-2 270 Sr. 62 Jason Kozar OG 6-0 270 So. 63 Kurt Murphy L 6-4 275 Fr. 64 Ben Gilbert OL 6-5 295 Fr. 65 Juan Porter C 6-4 295 Sr. 67 Brooks Burris OT 6-6 295 Jr. 68 Winfield Garnet DT 6-6 305 Jr. 68 Nick Spiess OT 6-5 265 Fr. 71 John Bates OL 6-4 279 Fr. 72 Marcus Perez DE 6-3 260 Fr. 73 Joe Brown L 6-7 250 Fr. 75 Orlando Pace OT 6-6 330 Jr. 76 Jefferson Kelley L 6-6 305 Fr. 77 Tyson Walter L 6-5 290 Fr. 78 Drew Elford OG 6-4 277 Fr. 79 Larry Waldon OT 6-6 320 Jr. 80 Mike Gurr TE 6-7 250 Fr. 81 Darik Warnke WR 6-1 185 Fr. 82 Mike Furrey SE 6-0 170 Fr. 83 Vanness Provitt WR 6-3 190 Fr. 84 Steve Wisniewski TE 6-5 230 Fr. 85 John Lumpkin TE 6-8 270 So. 86 Mike Pulsfort K 5-11 170 Fr. 87 Kevin Houser TE 6-4 250 Fr. 88 Bob Houser TE 6-4 240 Sr. 89 D.J. Jones TE 6-4 260 Sr. 90 Clinton Wayne DE 6-4 240 Fr. 91 Jeff Wilson DE 6-3 250 So. 92 Matt Finkes DE 6-2 258 Sr. 93 Randy Homa NG 6-2 250 Fr. 94 Mike Vrabel DE 6-4 260 Sr. 95 Jim Bell DT 6-5 255 Jr. 96 Tony Eisenhard DE 6-7 220 Fr. 97 John Day DT 6-3 245 Jr. 98 Kevin Johnson DE 6-7 240 Fr. 99 Luke Fickell NG 6-4 270 Sr.

*--*

HEAD COACH: John Cooper

TEAM STATISTICS

RUSHING OFFENSE

*--*

Car Yds Yds PG Arizona State 538 2734 248.5 Ohio State 535 2606 236.9

*--*

PASSING OFFENSE

*--*

Att Com Yds Yds PG Arizona State 336 190 2683 243.9 Ohio State 287 156 2356 214.2

*--*

TOTAL OFFENSE