More tributes for Moran
March 7th, 2008, 9:41 am · 1 Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Bob Moran
Praise for the late Bob Moran has come in from near (Paola Boivin and Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic and former Tribune writer Darren Urban, now at azcardinals.com), far (Paul Buker of The Oregonian) and his previous workplace (Ryan Finley of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson and Charles Durrenberger, formerly of the Star).
However, the best place for insight on the journalist and man that Bob was remains the Tribune’s online guest book, which as of this writing has ballooned to 12 pages and includes entries from several former Arizona State athletes and coaches.
In the last few days, I have received many inquiries about Bob’s columns in which Sparky Sun Devil and Wilbur Wildcat converse about the athletic happenings at their respective schools. Most of them exist as newsprint clips in a file cabinet in the Tribune’s library and would require time to re-type, but I found four that have survived online:
Sparky and Wilbur meet at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts — June 1, 2003
Football talk during a round of golf in Eloy — Aug. 10, 2003
Wilbur interrupted while watching “Law & Order” — Oct. 5, 2003
The mascots at a hotel bar after a baseball game — May 30, 2004
The Sparky-Wilbur columns comprise the writing that Moran is most known for. But to me, his all-time greatest hit was his coverage of the ASU football team’s signature regular-season victory, the upset of two-time defending national champion Nebraska in 1996. As a Tribune rookie on the copy desk that night, I edited his story and remarked to my fellow workers, “The Sun Devils weren’t the only guys that rose to the occasion.”
Without being over-written, Bob’s story deftly crafts the how and why behind ASU’s victory with the historical significance that few writers can provide. Enjoy:
By Bob Moran, Tribune
September 22, 1996
History born. History died.
It was 21 years ago that Arizona State made school history by defeating Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.
It was on the playing surface of Sun Devil Stadium that Nebraska became the first college team in 39 years to win consecutive undisputed national championships.
And Nebraska’s run for an unprecedented third title probably ended on Saturday night, when the 17th-ranked Sun Devils (3-0) shocked the college football world with a 19-0 victory over the nation’s No. 1 team before 74,089.
“I’m just so proud of the team and my staff,” said a happy ASU coach Bruce Snyder. “They did a great job playing of planning what we needed to do to win this game.”
Defensive coordinator Phil Snow and his aides had a brilliant game plan that allowed the players to pitch a goose egg as improbable as a no-hitter at Coors Field.
“It will definitely make other teams take notice of our defense,” said ASU senior tackle Shawn “Rock” Swayda. “We shut out the No. 1 team in America!”
On a night when fans celebrated the dedication of the playing surface in honor of legendary coach Frank Kush, the Devils administered one of those old-fashioned derriere whippings.
You’d have thought some of Kush’s former players — 230 of them returned for the weekend — had suited up.
But these ’96 Sun Devils have forever made names for themselves, no matter what happens the rest of the season.
There was Jake Plummer passing for 292 yards in becoming the school’s all-time leading passer, passing the immortal Danny White. He led a well-conceived offense that produced 401 yards.
There was the inspired defense, led by end Derrick Rodgers, linebacker Scott Von der Ahe, and free safety Mitchell Freedman showing just how much improvement they’ve made since Nebraska rolled to 686 yards in the 77-28 rout in Lincoln last season.
Nebraska was held to just 226 yards.
“The story of the game was they just whipped us,” Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said after the Cornhuskers’ 26-game winning streak came to a crashing halt.
What was amazing is how ASU’s defensive front dominated what is generally regarded as the best offensive line in college football.
“We watched film all week of Nebraska’s offensive line,” Rodgers said. “We played exactly the way we expected to play.”
Nebraska (1-1), a 12-time NCAA rushing champion, could manage only 120 yards. And to punctuate the effort, Rodgers dropped struggling Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost in the end zone for ASU’s third safety with 6½ minutes to play.
ASU offensive linemen Juan Roque (74) and Kyle Murphy try to keep Nebraska’s Jason Peter and Grant Wistrom out of the passing pocket.
In the trenches is usually where these games are won. That’s where it was won when Kush’s 1978 Sun Devils pulled off another shocker, handing UPI national champion USC — the most athletically gifted team ever to play here — a 20-7 loss. That Trojans team featured Anthony Munoz, Heisman Trophy winner Charles White, future Heisman winner Marcus Allen, Dennis Smith and Ronnie Lott.
The defense made a 17-0 halftime lead stand up in handing Nebraska its first shutout since Miami (Fla.) did it in the 1992 Orange Bowl. From giving up 77 to zero. Wow. Double wow.
“Last year, they embarrassed us real bad,” Swayda said. “Nobody gave us a chance to win this game. I think even the coaches had their doubts.”
You should have known, though, something was up when ASU won the toss and elected to take the ball.
The not-so-subtle message was, “We don’t care what everybody’s saying about your vaunted defense; you’re going to have to prove it to us.”
ASU then crisply marched 80 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead and quiet the 25,000 Big Red fans who came hoping to see a repeat of the Fiesta Bowl slaughter of Florida.
The big play was a 31-yard pass to freshman tailback J.R. Redmond, who was flanked out to the right as a wide receiver.
Four plays later, the Cornhuskers secondary blew a coverage, and Plummer found Keith Poole in the moonlight for a 25-yard score.
“The first TD was a big confidence boost for our offense,” Plummer said. “We told them that we’re not scared and that we were going to play with them.”
The Cornhuskers’ first series was a disaster. They vividly showed offensive rust and just how much a change at quarterback can mean for a program — even one as strong as Nebraska’s.
Nebraska, which lost three of six fumbles, had done what would have seemed impossible last year — hurt itself with penalties. The ’Huskers had two infractions on their first possession. To compound that, tailback Ahman Green mishandled an option pitch, and the ball was fumbled out of the end zone for a safety.
Just 4½ minutes into the game, the Devils led 9-0. That is all ASU would need.
Nebraska had only two scoring threats, fumbling away both, the last when Green lost it at the Sun Devil 3 with 1:39 remaining.
“We’re No. 1 now,” Freedman said.
“There’s no way you can come into our house (and win).”
March 7th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Working with Bob was an incredible honor!
I was a copy editor at the Tribune from 1996-98 and I always enjoyed the days when Bob would come into the office. No matter how hard you tried, you weren’t going to win an argument with Bob! Those were fun days!
I still remember when my good friend Brandon Faulkner was a big prep football star at Peoria High back in those days and reporters were waiting to find out where he planned to play college ball. Brandon happened to pull me aside at our church because he knew I was working at the Tribune and told me to tell Bob Moran that he had just decided to play at ASU! Boooooy, I almost broke my neck getting that story over to Bob! And Bob was extremely appreciative - he scooped everyone that day!
It’s a shame that we’ve lost both Brandon and Bob - but you both lived great lives! Rest In Peace!!