ASU Best Teams: No. 7 1972-73 Football vs. No. 10 1976 Baseball

We continue our best teams from ASU ever this summer with our next matchup. No. 5 No. 5 1962-63 MBB beat No. 12 2018-19 WBB in our last matchup. Now it’s No. 7 1972-73 Football vs. No. 10 1976 Baseball.

Here’s the current bracket.

No. 7 1972-73 Football

Record: 10-2, Won Fiesta Bowl over Missouri 49-35, finished season ranked at No. 13

Head coach: Frank Kush

Notable players: Danny White, Woody Green, Steve Holden

The rundown: In legendary coach Frank Kush’s 15th season with ASU, the Sun Devils won their fourth consecutive conference championship (Western Athletic Conference). The team began the season ranked at No. 13 in the nation. After reaching double-digit wins and earning a Fiesta Bowl championship, thevSun Devils concluded their season at No. 13. ASU had the highest scoring average in the nation, as the potent run-first offense led by running back Woody Green tallied 46.8 points per game. During Green’s sophomore season with the Devils, the future Kansas City Chiefs’ tailback rushed for 1,363 yards on an impressive 6.5 yards per carry, scoring 15 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Danny White wasn’t stellar in his second year as the team’s signal-caller, but ended the season with a 143.6 quarterback rating as he threw 21 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

No. 10 1976 Baseball

Record: 65-10 (17-1 Western Athletic Conference), Lost in the College World Series Regional (third place)

Head coach: Jim Brock

Notable players: Ken Landreaux, Floyd Bannister, Ken Phelps

The rundown: In ASU’s 7th trip to the College World Series, the program fell short of its 4th national championship, bowing out to the eventual national champion and rival Arizona Wildcats. The Sun Devils’ 1976 roster would go on to send 13 players to the Major Leagues on a team that dominated in the regular season, losing just eight games before postseason play. ASU junior shortstop Ken Landreaux was named to the All-Tournament Team, after already being named to the All-American First Team during the ‘76 season. During his junior campaign, the middle infielder set four NCAA season hitting records and was the fifth player selected in the MLB draft by the California Angels. Landreaux became the first Sun Devil to hit 15 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, while finishing the season with a .406 batting average - the first player in program history to over .400 for a season.

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