1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
American college football season
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The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University as a member of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth season under head coach Bruce Snyder, the Sun Devils compiled an overall record of 11–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the Pac-10 title. Arizona State earned a berth in the Rose Bowl, where they Sun Devils lost to Ohio State. The team played home games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
| 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football | |
|---|---|
Pac-10 champion | |
Rose Bowl, L 17–20 vs. Ohio State | |
| Conference | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 4 |
| AP | No. 4 |
| Record | 11–1 (8–0 Pac-10) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Dan Cozzetto (5th season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Phil Snow (2nd season) |
| Home stadium | Sun Devil Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Arizona State $ | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Washington | 7 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon State | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Arizona State's 1996 season highlighted by a 19–0 shutout, on September 21, of the top-ranked, two-time defending national champion, Nebraska Cornhuskers in Tempe, ending Nebraska's 26-game win streak. The upset win also gained a measure of revenge from the previous season, when Sun Devils went into Lincoln, Nebraska and were not only defeated by a 77–28 margin, but were enraged after the eventual national champions threw a long touchdown pass in the game's final minutes.
Led by quarterback Jake Plummer, who finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, Arizona State was undefeated heading into the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Had the Sun Devils won the game, they would have had a chance of capturing at least a share of the national championship, as they would have been the only undefeated major-college team in the nation. The Sun Devils led 17–14 with 1:47 left in the fourth quarter, but surrendered a late touchdown to Ohio State, falling by a final score of 20–17.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 7 | 7:00 pm | Washington | No. 20 | FSN | W 45–42 | 73,379 | |
| September 14 | 7:00 pm | North Texas* | No. 18 |
| W 52–7 | 46,173 | |
| September 21 | 7:15 pm | No. 1 Nebraska* | No. 17 |
| FSN | W 19–0 | 74,089 |
| September 28 | 3:30 pm | Oregon | No. 6 |
| FSN | W 48–27 | 54,618 |
| October 5 | 7:00 pm | Boise State* | No. 5 |
| W 56–7 | 49,018 | |
| October 12 | 12:30 pm | at UCLA | No. 4 | ABC | W 42–34 | 66,107 | |
| October 19 | 12:30 pm | USC | No. 4 |
| ABC | W 48–35 2OT | 74,947 |
| October 26 | 12:30 pm | at Stanford | No. 4 | ABC | W 41–9 | 32,550 | |
| November 2 | 2:00 pm | at Oregon State | No. 4 | W 29–14 | 21,946 | ||
| November 9 | 4:30 pm | California | No. 4 |
| FSN | W 35–7 | 74,963 |
| November 23 | 4:30 pm | at Arizona | No. 4 | FSN | W 56–14 | 59,920 | |
| January 1, 1997 | 1:30 pm | vs. No. 4 Ohio State* | No. 2 |
| ABC | L 17–20 | 100,635 |
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Rankings
| Week | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 6 (1) | 5 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (2) | 4 (2) | 3 (3) | 2 (5) | 2 (5) | 4 |
| Coaches Poll | — | — | — | 23 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 (3) | 2 (6) | 2 (5) | 4 |
Game summaries
Washington
Washington Huskies (0–0) at #20 Arizona State Sun Devils (0–0)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Arizona St | 7 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 45 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Date: September 21, 1996
- Game weather: 95 °F (35 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,379
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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North Texas
Nebraska
Nebraska at Arizona State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Cornhuskers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 17 Sun Devils | 9 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
- Date: September 21
- Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Game attendance: 74,089
| 1 | 11:38 | ASU | Keith Poole 22-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Robert Nycz kick) | ASU 7–0 |
| 1 | 10:38 | ASU | Safety, Ahman Green fumbled out of end zone | ASU 9–0 |
| 2 | 8:59 | ASU | Robert Nycz 27-yard field goal | ASU 12–0 |
| 2 | 2:19 | ASU | Safety, ball snapped out of end zone | ASU 14–0 |
| 2 | 0:30 | ASU | Robert Nycz 44-yard field goal | ASU 17–0 |
| 4 | 6:43 | ASU | Safety, Scott Frost tackled in end zone | ASU 19–0 |
Oregon
Boise State
At UCLA
Arizona State at UCLA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 4 Sun Devils | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Bruins | 21 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 34 |
- Date: October 12
- Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- Game attendance: 66,107
USC
At Stanford
At Oregon State
Arizona State at Oregon State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 4 Sun Devils | 6 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 29 |
| Beavers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Parker Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon
- Game attendance: 21,946
California
California at Arizona State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • No. 20 Sun Devils | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Game attendance: 74,963
At Arizona
#4 Arizona State Sun Devils (10–0) at Arizona Wildcats (5–5)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona St | 7 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 56 |
| Arizona | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona
- Date: November 23, 1996
- Game weather: Cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 59,920
- Recap/Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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- Bruce Snyder's 100th career win
- Terry Battle passes 1,000 yards rushing for the season (ASU – 450 rush yards)
Vs. Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
Ohio State vs. Arizona State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 4 Buckeyes | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| No. 2 Sun Devils | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
- Date: January 1
- Location: Rose Bowl
- Game attendance: 100,635
- Referee: Terry Monk
- TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger (Play-by-play), Dick Vermeil (Analyst), and Jack Arute (Sideline)
| 1 | 5:04 | OSU | David Boston 9-yard pass from Stanley Jackson (Josh Jackson kick) | OSU 7–0 |
| 2 | 10:04 | ASU | Ricky Boyer 25-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Robert Nycz kick) | Tied 7–7 |
| 3 | 9:12 | ASU | Robert Nycz 37-yard field goal | ASU 10–7 |
| 3 | 8:23 | OSU | Dimitrious Stanley 72-yard pass from Joe Germaine (J. Jackson kick) | OSU 14–10 |
| 4 | 1:40 | ASU | Plummer 11-yard run (Nycz kick) | ASU 17–14 |
| 4 | 0:19 | OSU | Boston 5-yard pass from Germaine (kick blocked) | OSU 20–17 |
Roster
| 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Awards and honors
- Jake Plummer: Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, Third in Heisman Trophy balloting
- Bruce Snyder: Paul "Bear" Bryant Award[14]
1996 team players in the NFL
The following players were claimed in the 1997 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Roque | Tackle | 2 | 35 | Detroit Lions |
| Jake Plummer | Quarterback | 2 | 42 | Arizona Cardinals |
| Derek M. Smith | Outside Linebacker | 3 | 80 | Washington Redskins |
| Derrick Rodgers | Outside Linebacker | 3 | 92 | Miami Dolphins |
| Keith Poole | Wide receiver | 4 | 116 | New Orleans Saints |
| Scott Von der Ahe | Linebacker | 6 | 182 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Shawn Swayda | Defensive tackle | 6 | 196 | Chicago Bears |
| Terry Battle | Running back | 7 | 206 | Detroit Lions |