PHOTO TIMELINE: ASU BOWL GAME VICTORIES With clips from the State Press Archives

30 years after the team’s first bowl game, the Sun Devils traveled to Atlanta, Georgia under Head Coach Frank Kush and secured their first bowl game victory against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

State Press sports editor Barney Hutchinson wrote, “A lot of people thought a win for ASU in the third annual Peach Bowl was about as realistic as a, well, a . . . Georgia snow storm. And those people were right. As sure as great big feathery snow flakes fell on the natural grass of Grant Field, Arizona State ended the perfect season with the perfect win over North Carolina 48-26.”

Dec. 27, 1971 Fiesta Bowl

51,098 fans packed Sun Devil Stadium for the very first Fiesta Bowl in 1971. ASU did not disappoint the crowd, clinching a win over Florida State after the game tied at the start of the fourth quarter, for a final score of 45-38. “The guys from that team are as close today as we were back then,” former ASU and Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Danny White told the State Press in 2021. “It’s really been incredible.”

Dec. 23, 1972 Fiesta Bowl

The second Fiesta Bowl once again featured the Sun Devils, this time facing the Missouri Tigers. Prior to the bowl, Kush said, “These bowl games are not that enjoyable to the kids. There’s too much pressure put on them to win, and of course they want to do well for national tv.” Despite the pressure, the Sun Devils won 49-35 in front of 51,318 fans. The ASU offense was a star of the show, setting the Fiesta Bowl record for most offensive yards with 718.

Dec. 21, 1973 Fiesta Bowl

Kush’s Sun Devils continued their Fiesta Bowl streak when they met the Pittsburgh Panthers on the field in Tempe. The first quarter was close, as the Panthers pushed the Sun Devil defense, tying the teams 7-7. But ASU recovered, and in the last bowl game for the legendary duo of quarterback Danny White and running back Woody Green, the team won 28-7.

Dec. 26, 1975 Fiesta Bowl

After scrambling to catch up to Nebraska for most of the game, ASU found itself tied in the fourth quarter 14-14. Danny Kush, Frank Kush’s son, saved the day with a 29-yard field goal, securing a 17-14 victory. ASU finished the game 12-0 with a No. 2 national ranking. “The Cornhuskers brought 15,000 red-coated fans to Tempe to show ASU how the big boys play football,” The State Press reported after the game. “They learned something in the process: never underestimate the power of desire.”

Dec. 16, 1978 Garden State Bowl

Coming off their first season in the Pac-10, the Sun Devils traveled to New Jersey to play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their home state. ASU brought the heat to Giants Stadium for their debut Garden State Bowl, beating Rutgers 28-10 on an unexpectedly warm day where temperatures stayed around 40 degrees.

Jan. 1, 1983 Fiesta Bowl

The Sun Devils met the Oklahoma Sooners in sunny Tempe for the 12th annual Fiesta Bowl. The game came after a season of doubt kicked off when ASU lost its starting quarterback in the first game of the year. State Press Sports reporter Ken Sain wrote, “Once upon a time, long, long ago (like September), there was no way that your average fortune teller could convince me of the impending bright future of the ASU foot­ball team.” In the end, the team won the bowl 32-21 and finished the season ranked No. 6.

Jan. 1, 1987 Rose Bowl

The Sun Devils traveled to Pasadena for their first Rose Bowl after an almost undefeated season, having lost to UA. Under second-year coach John Cooper, the team beat Michigan 22-15. ASU would not return to the Rose Bowl until Jan. 1, 1997, where it would lose to Ohio State.

Dec. 30, 1987 Freedom Bowl

The Sun Devils traveled to Aneheim, California for the 1987 Freedom Bowl against Air Force. In a tight game, the Sun Devils prevailed 33-28, marking the team’s last Bowl Game victory until 10 years later.

Dec. 31 1997 Sun Bowl

The 1997 Sun Devils had Fiesta Bowl aspirations, but after a loss to the UA Wildcats, they dropped to No. 17 and received an invitation to El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl instead. State Press Sports reporter Matt Paulson reported that the UA loss cost the school $7.5 million. Still, ASU rose to the occasion in Texas, beating the Iowa Hawkeyes 17-7. All-American linebacker Pat Tillman, who played in that year's bowl, would be inducted as a member of the Legends of the Sun Bowl in 2004.

Dec. 31, 2004 Sun Bowl

Back in El Paso on New Years Eve of 2004, the Sun Devils were put in a tough spot with their starting quarterback injured as they prepared to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Then-sophomore quarterback Sam Keller made his first ever start and led the team to victory in a close match that ended 27-24.

Dec. 27, 2005 Insight Bowl

The Sun Devils didn’t have to make much of a journey for their 2005 bowl game, meeting the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Chase Field in Phoenix for what would be another close bowl game keeping fans on the edges of their seats. ASU beat Rutgers 45-40, in the last Insight Bowl held in the baseball stadium before it made the move to Tempe.

Dec. 29, 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

ASU’s matchup with Navy in San Francisco, California marked the first bowl game win for Head Coach Todd Graham. The Sun Devil offense, led by quarterback Taylor Kelly, overwhelmed the Midshipmen in the first quarter with 21 points and kept the momentum, resulting in an outstanding 62-28 victory. The game propelled ASU toward a 10-win season in 2013 and was a defining moment in the coach’s six season ASU career.

Dec. 27, 2014 Sun Bowl

In a dramatic game at Sun Bowl Stadium, ASU beat Duke 36-31. “Before the first quarter Saturday, no true freshman had rushed for a touchdown in a bowl game for ASU since 1987,” State Press sports reporter Logan Newsman wrote. “Freshman running back Demario Richard not only crushed this stat today, but he rushed for two touchdowns and caught two more.”

Dec. 31, 2019 Sun Bowl