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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
— Heath Bray, Paul Tofflemire and Steve Justice
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JULIUS HOLT
Years at Arizona: 1981-82
Position: Linebacker
Holt was an inspirational leader for the Arizona Wildcats after transferring to the UA as a junior college player in 1981. He helped the Wildcats enjoy success early in their Pac-10 existence, playing a key role in Arizona’s upset of No. 1 USC in Los Angeles in 1981 and Arizona’s start of “The Streak” against ASU in 1982. The winning tradition in the Holt household is carrying over to his son Justin, who is part of Salpointe Catholic High School’s winning program and an Arizona recruiting target.
RELATED LINK INVOLVING HOLT’S SON, JUSTIN, OF SALPOINTE CATHOLIC: Arizona Wildcats recruiting target helps family in overturned vehicle
BRANT BOYER, linebacker
“The way our team came together and played in Tempe my senior year (in 1993). We had just lost at Cal so we couldn’t go to the Rose Bowl. A lot of teams would have shut it down, but we stuck together and gave Sparky a beating in his own house the next week that put us in the Fiesta Bowl versus Miami.”
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“It was called the ’82 Sweet Streak’. I remember a very over-confident ASU team coming into the U of A stadium with roses painted on their faces. I also remember hearing our coach (Larry Smith) remind us that this was our house and this is our bowl game and to make it count tonight. He said, ‘Leave nothing to be questioned but much to be remembered’, and I think we did that. I remember the pressure we were able to put on ASU by forcing them to pass because the run game was not working, and our defense was bringing the heat and our offense was making their jailhouse defense pay every time they tried to blitz us. This was a game of fortitude, passion, intensity, commitment and determination for destruction on a very over-confident and disrespectful group of players who thought we were going to roll over. No, not in our house and we let it be known the roses they brought to our stadium were left in our stadium after we beat them. If I’m not mistaken we still lead in the all-time series against ASU in football (47-39-1).”
— Julius Holt
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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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