Legends Luncheon to honor 1982–83 Sun Devil football team

Nov. 18 celebration to commemorate 40th anniversary of Fiesta Bowl win

ASU quarterback Todd Hons getting ready to make a play on the field.

Quarterback Todd Hons, who finished No. 4 in passing yards in the 1982-83 season, led the Sun Devils in a six-play march to victory in the fourth quarter of the 1983 Fiesta Bowl. The Sun Devils rallied from a third-quarter deficit to beat Oklahoma 32-21 and win the team's fifth Fiesta Bowl.

By Laurie Merrill |
September 30, 2022

On a sunny New Year’s Day in 1983, the Arizona State University Sun Devil football team overcame a third-quarter deficit to overwhelm the Oklahoma Sooners 32-21 and win the Fiesta Bowl.

This year, during Homecoming weekend, the ASU Alumni Association in partnership with the Sun Devil Club, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1982–83 Sun Devil football team at the annual Legends Luncheon.

The Legends Luncheon honors the legacy of ASU football and allows alumni and fans to relive the excitement of football glory from the remarkable season that ended with the Sun Devils ranked sixth in the AP and Coaches polls.

Celebrate the 1982–83 champion team, led by head coach Darryl Rogers, by purchasing a ticket or table at the event scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 18, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. Join teammates on a trip down victory lane as they tell memorable stories, highlight significant plays and share recollections of their Fiesta Bowl championship.

On Jan. 1, 1983, more than 70,000 fans gathered inside Sun Devil Stadium for the 12th annual Fiesta Bowl. They were treated to a battle marked by record-breaking highlights and feats of athletic prowess. Just before halftime, with Oklahoma ahead 13-8, Sun Devil kicker Luis Zendejas completed a 54-yard field goal — a Fiesta Bowl record — to cut the lead to 13-11.

The Sun Devils were down 21-18 at the end of the third quarter, and in the fourth, ASU quarterback Todd Hons, who finished No. 4 in passing yards that season in the league that included John Elway at Stanford, led a drive to victory. A six-play march culminated in a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ron Brown, and ASU won its fifth Fiesta Bowl.

ASU defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, who was called the heart and soul of the Sun Devil defense and was a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1983, was named defensive player of the game.

No. 7, punter Peter Michael Black, contiributed to ASU football's historic Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma in 1983. He was a 1983 seventh-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions, where he played five seasons.

Photo courtesy Charles Conley
Sun Devil quarterback Todd Hons completed nine of 13 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in the second half of the team's victorious 1983 Fiesta Bowl.

Photo courtesy Charles Conley
Wide receiver Jerome Witherspoon making a catch during the 1983 Fiesta Bowl.

Photo courtesy Charles Conley
ASU football defenders celebrating during the game. On the right, No. 93 is Jim Jeffcoat, called the heart of the defense, who was named defensive player of the game. No. 98 is nose guard Mike Langston.

Photo courtesy Charles Conley
With his elite speed, running back Darryl Clack notched 2,737 rushing yards, 532 carries and 21 touchdowns at ASU. He was as popular as he was skilled, with vendors hawking noisemakers known as "Darryl Clackers." He was a 1986 second-round Dallas Cowboys draft pick. His 15-yard second half touchdown run was critical in ASU's 32-21 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma.

Photo courtesy Charles Conley

Despite leaving the game three times with injuries, Oklahoma freshman running back Marcus Dupree was named offensive player of the game for rushing 239 yards in 17 carries, another Fiesta Bowl record.

Launched during Homecoming 2008, the Legends Luncheon has grown steadily in significance each year. The luncheon is now the ASU Alumni Association’s fall signature event.