1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University
in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.
in Tempe, ending Nebraska's 26-game win streak. ASU quarterback Jake Plummer
led the Sun Devils, propelling Arizona State into the Rose Bowl
against the Ohio State Buckeyes
. Had the Sun Devils won, they would have had a claim to at least a share of the national championship as the only undefeated team in the nation to have played a legitimate schedule. The Sun Devils held a slim 17–14 lead with 1:47 left in the fourth quarter, but surrendered a late touchdown to Ohio State, falling by a final score of 20-17.
.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.
Regular season
In 1996, the Sun Devils went a surprising 11-1, highlighted by a 19–0 shutout of the number-one-ranked, two-time defending national champion, Nebraska Cornhuskers1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
in Tempe, ending Nebraska's 26-game win streak. ASU quarterback Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
led the Sun Devils, propelling Arizona State into the Rose Bowl
1997 Rose Bowl
The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17...
against the Ohio State Buckeyes
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
. Had the Sun Devils won, they would have had a claim to at least a share of the national championship as the only undefeated team in the nation to have played a legitimate schedule. The Sun Devils held a slim 17–14 lead 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
The Sun Devils finished the season with a 11-1 record.| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Sun Devils points | Opponents | Record |
| 1 | Sept. 7 | Washington | Win | 45 | 42 | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | Sept. 14 | Win | 52 | 7 | 2-0-0 | |
| 3 | Sept. 21 | Nebraska 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... |
Win | 19 | 0 | 3-0-0 |
| 4 | Sept. 28 | Win | 48 | 27 | 4-0-0 | |
| 5 | Oct. 5 | Win | 56 | 7 | 5-0-0 | |
| 6 | Oct. 12 | @ | Win | 42 | 34 | 6-0-0 |
| 7 | Oct. 19 | USC | Win (2 OT) | 48 | 35 | 7-0-0 |
| 8 | Oct. 26 | @ | Win | 41 | 9 | 8-0-0 |
| 9 | Nov. 2 | @ | Win | 29 | 14 | 9-0-0 |
| 10 | Nov. 9 | Win | 35 | 7 | 10-0-0 | |
| 11 | Nov. 23 | @ | Win | 56 | 14 | 11-0-0 |
| 11 | Jan. 1 | vs. Ohio State 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and... |
Loss | 17 | 20 | 11-1-0 |
1996 Team Players in the NFL
The following players were claimed in the 1997 NFL Draft1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Juan Roque Juan Roque Juan Armando Roque is a former American football offensive tackle who played three years for the National Football League's Detroit Lions and played one season for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League... |
Tackle | 2 | 35 | Detroit Lions |
| Jake Plummer Jake Plummer Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.... |
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 |
Awards and honors
- Jake Plummer, Third in Heisman Trophy balloting
- Bruce SnyderBruce SnyderBruce Snyder was an American football player and coach. After playing for Oregon in the early 1960s as a fullback, Snyder embarked on a coaching career...
- Paul "Bear" Bryant Award