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These are quotes from interviews I’ve had with former Arizona players about the ASU-Arizona rivalry. This site will run a series of the interviews through Friday, when the Wildcats and Sun Devils play each other in Tucson.
PREVIOUS UA-ASU MEMORIES:
— Vincent Smith and David Adams
— Lamont Lovett and Doug Penner
— Mani Ott, Doug Pfaff and George Mihalopolous
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HEATH BRAY
Years at Arizona: 1989-92
Position: Defensive back/Quarterback
Heath Bray was a defensive back during the development of Arizona’s Desert Swarm defense in the early 1990s. He also helped Dick Tomey’s offense as a quarterback. He has an appreciation of the Arizona-ASU rivalry having played in it and for living in the Phoenix-area among a majority of Sun Devil fans. He is as ardent of UA follower as anyone, calling the Sun Devils the “Mustard and Rust”.
STEVE JUSTICE, long snapper
“Being a part of all those kicks Max (Zendejas) made is memorable. Also being a part of that punt in 1985 that Byron Evans forced the fumble and Don Be’Ans recovered in the end zone for the TD!”
PAUL TOFFLEMIRE, center
“My greatest experience would have to be the ’89 season. The game was up in Tempe. The nose guard was All-Pac-10 (Dan Saleaumua) and he was bragging about how he & the D-line would change the outcome of the game. The O-line just kicked their asses. It was the biggest crowd in Sun Devil Stadium at the time and they wore their yellow uniforms & looked like a bunch of bananas running around!!!”
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“Derek Hill’s touchdown in ’88. Bobby Roland’s interception in ’90. But No. 1 has to be the ’89 game. They were playing really good, looking for a bowl, and we came to Tempe for my first trip there. They were talking a lot of trash, but we were ready to go to the stadium, and we had our last meeting with the team in the hotel. Coach (Dick) Tomey goes through the prep script and nothing different than any other game. As we are about to leave, he stops and says, “Hold on, I have something to show you”. Then we all sit back down and the lights go out. On the big screen comes an interview with their center that he did the night before. He invites us to play smash mouth football, and calls out a couple of guys, Chris and Kevin Singleton, and Zeno Alexander, and then at the end, says something to the effect of “Bring it On” to the camera. Well, needless to say, the quite tense meeting went crazy. Everyone was on their feet screaming and jumping and Coach Tomey just yells out ‘Lets go!’, and the rest is “Screaming Banana” history. God it’s easy to hate the Mustard and Rust.”
— Heath Bray
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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