ASU's rugby team decimated Ohio State on Saturday with an explosive 59-0 shutout at the Rugby Bowl in Scottsdale Stadium.
The victory was two-fold for the Sun Devils, as it provided the football team with a long-awaited vindication.
In 1997, Ohio State faced undefeated ASU football team, coming off an 11-0 season and ranked No. 2 in the AP College Poll.
The Sun Devils held 1996 college football national champion Nebraska scoreless, and were looking to claim this national championship.
However, despite their skills and confidence, the Buckeyes dealt a heart-breaking loss to ASU, 20-17.
The loss was never forgotten, and ASU returned with vengeance.
As the Rugby Bowl started, the teams seemed nearly even, frequently changing possession.
A conversion kick from ASU’s Keenan Mayfield placed the game at 5-0, and despite the score being set early, it gave no indication of the teams being unevenly matched.
Shortly after ASU scored its first try, Ohio State looked to tie it up. However, ASU was penalized for attempting to pull down the lineout. This setback initiated an assault on the Buckeyes morale throughout the entire game.
With the Sun Devils' defensive strategy unwavering, and their ability to seize opportunity, ASU forward Eric Rygiel mowed Ohio State players down for his try bringing the score to 12-0.
Only a few minutes later, and nearing the end of the first half, ASU back Alex Sandstrom took possession of the ball as he barreled down the field bringing the score to 19-0, ASU.
As the second half started, the Buckeyes seemed to evaluate their strategy as the team buckled down on its defense in an attempt to keep any additional tries at bay. For a time it worked, as scoring slowed and scrums kept the momentum for ASU to a minimum. ASU then reorganized its strategy.
With constant movement of the ball passing to each team member, the defenders could no longer hold back the pace. Mayfield started off the second half quicker than the first with another long drive into the try zone followed by his own conversion kick to put ASU up 26-0.
"This is a dream way for me to go out and finish my ASU career off...," Mayfield said. "It's just magical really. I think this was our best team effort of the whole entire year.
As the second half continued, it seemed as if the Sun Devils would score a try in timed intervals, punctuating it even more in the final 20 minutes of the game.
ASU scored five tries in 15 minutes, and gave little ground to its opponent.
Ohio State head coach Ron Bowers respected ASU's tenacity on the field.
"I'm proud we never gave up, but great team in Arizona State," Bowers said. "Their back row was really really good. They played an outstanding game we just couldn't match what their six, seven and eight had going. They were all over the field."
After the game in celebration with trophy in hand, ASU coach Gary Lane was proud of his team’s performance, reminding them of the work it took to get them there.
“This is why we worked so hard,” Lane said. “Those 6 a.m. gym sessions, the nights we went further we went harder, it was for this moment.”
Reach the reporter at brandon.chiz@asu.edu or follow @brandonchiz on Twitter
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