Five Landmark ASU Wins: Where does the UCLA Upset Rank?

There’s little doubt Arizona State’s overtime upset of UCLA Saturday was one of those landmark moments that signals a program’s arrival on the next level. Where does it rank on this list of five recent Sun Devil victories that put ASU programs on the map.

5. ASU 70, Notre Dame 61 (women’s hoops, 2005) … Kylan Loney scored eight of her 20 points in the final 1:29 as the Sun Devils rallied from a 13-point deficit to upset the 11th-ranked Irish and advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1983. ASU’s been to the tourney every year since.

4. ASU 9, Cal State Fullerton 8 (baseball, 2005) … The underdog Sun Devils exorcised their Fullerton demons — and got a huge monkey off Pat Murphy’s back — by rallying from a five-run deficit against the defending national champs to win the deciding game of the Fullerton Super Regional. The win sent ASU to the College World Series for the first time since 1998.

3. ASU 61, UCLA 58 (men’s hoops, 2009) … Facing a Bruins squad that had advanced to three straight Final Fours, the Sun Devils held their opponents without a field goal for 12 minutes as they ground their way back from an 11-point second-half deficit. It was ASU’s first road win over a top 10 team since 1998. (Read our weekend recap.)

2. ASU 9, Arizona 8 (softball, 2007) … Kristen Miller’s two-run single in the bottom of the sixth led the Sun Devils to their first sweep of the Wildcats in 20 years. The win over the two-time defending national champs spurred the Sun Devils to the Pac-10 crown and their first national title ever.

1. ASU 19, Nebraska 0 (football, 1996) … The top-ranked Cornhuskers had won 26 straight games and back-to-back national championships before they were ambushed by Derrick Rodgers and the Sun Devil defense. The win propelled ASU to an undefeated regular season, a Pac-10 championship and one of two Rose Bowls in program history.

What’s Your Take, Sun Devils?
Did we leave a landmark win off the list? Where does Saturday’s upset of UCLA rank? Let us know in the comments!

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