(white noise)
- Arizona State has long been one
of America's most explosive offensive machines
and this season, the swing is back to firepower.
- You know, we were excited.
We had a good senior team.
You know, a lot of seniors, especially the defense.
- Got the Vernon Maxwells and Jim Jeffcoats
and with that type of defense and those team players
it was pretty, pretty impressive.
- We really were looking forward
to one game at a time.
- The Sun Devils opened the 1982 campaign
against Oregon at Eugene.
ASU starting quarterback, Sandy Osiecki,
who had waited two years for his big chance,
suffered torn knee ligaments
only 15 minutes into the game, and was lost for the season.
- You're the one that's at every practice,
at every lifting, everything you do.
So you know you have any quarterback
or any running back or any kicker could step up
and do the job that you need to do.
- Coach told me to grab my helmet, and I grabbed my helmet
and was thrown in there kind of quick.
- You're gonna have injuries, you're gonna have adversity.
It's how you deal with it and how do you overcome it.
- Todd Hons rose to the challenge
by completing 13 of 19 passes
and directing the Devil offense to 24 points.
- At that point, we knew that we might really be something.
(crowd cheering)
- ASU breezed to a 34-3 victory
- To win in their stadium really set the stage
for the rest of the season.
It was a great starting point.
- To the half mark,
handing it off to Vincent White, nowhere.
(whistles blow)
Vernon Maxwell says hello.
He's in trouble, he's (announcer's voice fades)
- We had size, we had speed.
I mean, I had to go against them in spring ball
and we couldn't do anything.
Vernon Maxwell would run right by me and slap me on the head
and said, "I got ya."
Before I was just getting ready to throw the ball.
They had everything in that defense.
- The Stanford game, that was one of those games
where when you have a stadium that has 70,000 fans and,
and everybody screaming and yelling
and it's just the greatest feeling in the world.
- All the focus was on John Elway
and how badly John Elway was going to beat us.
- John was as good as everybody said,
but we had a very strong defense.
- 31, watch number 31,
he's out of your screen now.
There he is.
(crowd cheers)
And up.
White.
Touchdown.
(audience cheering)
Touchdown Sun Devils.
- An extra point that you make or miss
at the beginning of the game could be very crucial.
- Attempting the point after,
and this is important,
the kick is up and it is good.
This is the one last play they have.
Elway fumbling, will be brought down
and the Suns Devils win.
Arizona State has defeated Stanford,
in a magnificent comeback.
(calm music)
- We were all going to win together
or lose together.
That was actually one of the times
that I started feeling what a family football team was like.
- Our guards and centers coach
C.T. Hewgley always used to preach to us about being part
of a team or part of a unit that's, that's bigger than you
individually.
- We were a team that believed
in each other and we played for each other.
I think that was important.
- The game against Washington, you know
was still a, a bad memory.
It just seemed like nothing really went our way.
- If I remember correctly,
the game against Washington,
I think if we won that game,
it'd have put us in the Rose Bowl.
It was a heartbreaker because, I think,
at that point we just kind of took Washington too light.
We ended up losing that game.
- And the Huskies have taken a momentous step
to go to the Rose Bowl.
- The team rebounded from disappointing losses
to Washington
and Arizona before a national television audience
in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1st.
(upbeat music)
- All of the pressure was off us because nobody was
expecting us to do well against Oklahoma.
Nobody really gave us any chance whatsoever
(crowd cheering)
- Now you see Vernon Maxwell.
(crowd cheering)
- The energy was unbelievable
and playing a team like Oklahoma even made it better.
- Hons to throw. Chased out of the bracket
He's got room to run to the 15, he's in 20, the 25,
out of bounds.
- Remember Oklahoma had that top running back, Marcus Dupree
and so he ran a lot of yards
and gained a lot of yards, but did not score a touchdown.
- Dupree opposite side, breaks it
to the 40,
30,
10,
stopped at the 5 yard line.
- If you can slow down such a great player like that,
you know you're scoring points, and they're slowing down,
you have a chance to win.
- First down.
Hons again with pressure- Throws!
This time it's complete.
This is the speedster Ron Brown.
- That field goal that Luis got a 50-something yarder right
before half and that gave us a little spark.
- 54 yards out.
He's got it!
(crowd cheers)
- The fact that I just hit a record field goal,
it was amazing for me going in there.
- We knew we still had another 30 minutes
of football, but the mood was good.
- Here we go, second half of the Fiesta Bowl.
(crowd cheering)
You're looking at a couple of yards
and that will be all as Mike Richardson the free safety.
Now the Sooners going against
the number one defensive team in the nation.
Wide open Alvin Moore!
30,
40,
30.
He's down by Scott Case.
- Our speed matched Oklahoma speed.
So it was pretty much who wanted it more
and we wanted it more.
- Arizona State on the attack.
Hons goes deep.
(crowd cheering)
He has got it.
Touchdown!
Ron Brown, world class sprinter,
takes his bow in the end zone.
(rock music)
Pass is completed, the lateral is fumbled,
and Arizona State has the recovery.
And they celebrate.
- ASU was in command at the finish,
beating Oklahoma 32-21.
So a memorable season ended in triumph
(marching band playing)
A No. 6 national ranking, A 10 and 2 record.
A major Bowl victory over a national power.
The ASU Cup overflows.
(sentimental music)
- Being part of this team, overall,
brings back great memories.
- We were a team that believed
in each other and we played for each other.
I think that was important.
- I think no matter what level that we went and played
to whether we played in the league, NFL or whatever
it always comes back here to Arizona State.
- As a team, we became such a tight family.
People ask me, you know
if you were to change something, what would you change?
And I always say nothing.
- Everybody contributed.
Everybody was an important cog.
Everybody made a difference.
And I can proudly say, you know, I was part of this team.
- Right here,
I have a big photo album of all the things
and all the people that I played with at Arizona State.
I keep that because that's special.
That's, that's going to be something
that'll last me a lifetime.
(sentimental music)