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ASU Best Teams: No. 2 2008 Softball vs. No. 3 1986-87 Football

The circle or the gridiron

Photos by Sun Devil Athletics and Rick Stewart / Allsport

We continue our best teams from ASU ever this summer with our next matchup. No. 1 1996-97 Football beat No. 5 1962-63 MBB in our last matchup. Now it’s No. 2 2008 Softball vs. No. 3 1986-87 Football.

Here’s the current bracket:

No. 2 2008 Softball

Record: 66-5, Pac-10 Champions, Women’s College World Series Champions

Head coach: Clint Myers

Notable players: Kaitlyn Cochran, Katie Burkhart, Krista Donnenwirth, Lesley Rogers, Jackie Vasquez

The rundown: Led by legendary head coach Clint Myers, the 2008 team is perhaps the greatest softball team Tempe has ever seen. With players like Katie Burkhart and Kaitlyn Cochran the team was nearly unstoppable. Pac-10 champions with an 18-3 conference record, the team rode a #6 national seed all the way to glory. An 11-0 WCWS clinching game victory was one of the largest deficits in women’s college World Series history. The most wins ever in a season for ASU, this squad earned the first national championship in school history. Five Sun Devils made the all-tournament, Burkhart took home the honor as the Most Outstanding Player.

No. 3 1986-87 Football

Record: 10-1-1, Rose Bowl Champions

Head coach: John Cooper

Notable players: Eric Allen, Darryl Harris, Jeff Van Raaphorst

The rundown: A prolific offense and defense, Arizona State ranked ninth in terms of points per game on both sides of the ball. After starting the season unranked, the team went undefeated (with a tie with Washington State) in the first 10 weeks of the season without allowing more than 21 points. Their single loss came in Tucson in a 34-17 loss, but ASU rebounded with its lone Rose Bowl win over Michigan.

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