1940 Sun Bowl

Despite Arizona's State's troubles in 1939, they went undefeated in 1940 in Border Conference.[1] Wayne "Ripper" Pitts was the leading scorer in the Border Conference.[1] Pitts punted the ball 45 times during the season, and on 39 occasions the opposing team was not able to gain a single yard on the play.[7] Before the game Joe Hernandez was "said to be impossible to catch" and scored touchdowns off three opening kickoffs.[8]

The Bulldogs had two losses during the season, to Hardin–Simmons University and to the San Diego Marines.[9][10] Coach Dixie Howell was credited for bringing his team "out of the so-so class and right into the Sun Bowl game at El Paso."[11] Two years prior, when the "'miracle' coach" took the job, the team was "at the bottom of the conference heap."[12]

CUA had a "colorful outfit" with the Piro brothers, Carmen and Rocco, a "trio of flashy halfbacks" including a "full blooded Indian," and "a drop kicking tackle called—of all names—Casmir Ksycewski (pronounced "Sneeze.)"[13] Cardinals coach Dutch Bergman used a modified Notre Dame system by retaining the best features of the methods he learned from Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne and added some fancy ones of his own."[1] As a result, commentators said, the "Cardinal attack is much more deceptive than the customary Notre Dame attack."[1]

Had they gone undefeated, the Cardinals likely would have received invitations to the Orange Bowl, where they played in 1936, and to the Sugar Bowl, but they lost to Saint Anselm College at Fenway Park in Boston halfway through the season.[14][15] St. Anselm did not play the week before "because the Cards were 'the' team on its schedule" and they wanted two weeks to prepare for them.[16] After that loss, the Cards did "not lift a hand to get a bowl bid," and even after the reports that the team had accepted the invitation Bergman was not sure if they would.[15]

As early as October news reports were talking about the Cardinals returning to the Orange Bowl in Miami, where they won in 1936 and where the team was "tremendously popular."[13] A Washington Post sports reporter even went so far as to tell readers before Halloween that he would "see you all in Miami New Year's."[13]

Newspapers reported on December 2, 1939, that CUA accepted an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl, but as of that time no invitation had even reached Bergman.[15] It was finally received on December 7, and accepted the same day.[4] Previously, Georgetown University had been invited to play in the game, but they turned in down in hopes of a better offer.[17] The Hoyas did not play in any bowl game that year.

The Teachers College had been selected "some time before"[4] with the AP reporting they would play as early as November 29.[18] As Border Conference champions, they automatically got a bid,[19] and were officially invited at a banquet in Phoenix given in the team's honor.[20]

After accepting the invitation, the Cardinals had trouble practicing. Most of the players did not get out of classes until 4:30, and due to a cloudy streak the skies were dark by the time the players reached the field.[21]

Bergman prohibited his players from going home for Christmas,[21] but did plan a series of events for the players,[22] including hosting a Christmas party and dance on December 23.[21] At the party, Cod Fotton, the line coach and former player at Notre Dame, dressed up as Santa Claus.[21]

A jukebox was procured for the party, but Bergman was "stumped" when he had to choose the records.[22] He polled the team, and they chose, among others, "South of the Border" due to El Paso's proximity to Mexico, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and "Jumpin Jive."[22] Bergman "moaned" to The Washington Post that "you have got be a combined diplomat, coach, Toscanini and Shirley Povich these days to run a football team."[22]

After word got out that the Cardinals had accepted an invitation to the game, so many railroad agents began calling upon Bergman that "the gym began to resemble an unemployment bureau."[22] He then had the task of "diplomatically choosing" the cities to stop in along the way as scores sent invitations and wanted to host receptions for the team.[22]

The Cardinals left in a snowstorm[17] and traveled by way of St. Louis and Fort Worth, where they practiced as the guests of the Saint Louis Billikens[23] and on the Texas Christian University campus.[4] Snow in St. Louis forced the team to practice in the gymnasium, instead of on the field.[24] In Missouri they picked up 60 gallons of mountain spring water to drink during the rest of the trip. In addition to the 33 players, five coaches and managers, three newspapermen made the journey.[24]

After arriving in Texas, the Cardinals were feted at a banquet given by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.[4][23] While in Fort Worth, the Cardinals were coached by TCU's Sammy Baugh, a Washington Redskins teammate of Cardinals assistant coach Wayne Millner's.[23] Both Baugh and Millner would eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[23] The team was transported to and from the TCU stadium by members of the local Knights of Columbus.[23] After their practice in Ft. Worth they were hosted in a luncheon at the Hotel Texas in which a large group of civic leaders, including members of the Knights of Columbus, Mayor T. J. Harrell, the president of TCU, and Amon G. Carter.[25]

The CUA team made their way to El Paso where a welcoming committee of several hundred government and civic leaders met the train.[24] The "gaily dressed"[26] delegation, a group of cowboy-garbed, pistol-toting rancheros—a cowboy organization devoted to fancy shirts and spotted ponies,"[27] was on hand when the train pulled in at 6:30 a.m.[26] Many wore 10-gallon hats and shot off six shooters, leaving the Cardinal team "open mouthed with astonishment."[26]

The team was taken to the Hotel Cortez for breakfast where they were joined by 400 revelers for lunch, while an additional 200 were turned away.[26] Later that day, the Optimist Club and 500 guests held a lunch in honor of Bergman, his assistant coaches, and co-captains Rocco Pirro and Al Calabrese.[26] In attendance was Governor John E. Miles of New Mexico, Lt. Governor Coke Stevens of Texas, Congressman R.E. Thomason, several prominent citizens, and the 1939 Sun Bowl queen and her court.[26]

The Bulldogs arrived a day later.[28]

During the week before the game, El Paso celebrated the Sun Bowl Carnival with a theme of "Old Timers Day."[26] There were 50,000 visitors in El Paso that week, and 25,000 were expected for the parade on New Year's morning.[26] The daughter of Governor Bob Jones of Arizona was the grand marshal of the parade.[29] The executive director of the Carnival was Dr. C.M. Hendricks.[20]

Each member of the Sun Court was to represent an organization, but CUA did not admit female students at the time. Bergman coached at New Mexico State University from 1920 to 1923, and he called upon them to provide a co-ed to be CUA's proxy princess. The students of that school selected Mary Louise Armstrong.[30] From the Sun Court, Jean Miller from Christian College in Columbia, Missouri, was chosen queen.[31]

Howell was seen before the game "resplendent in a flowing red cowboy neckerchief."[28]

Every seat to the game, more than 15,000, was sold before it started.[1] The local press was focused on the two fullbacks, the leading scorers in their respective conferences.[1] Arizona State's most valuable player,[32] Wayne "Ripper" Pitts, was described as "200 pounds of smashing, bruising, ball carrier and ace blocker," while Catholic's Rocco Pirro was called a "5-foot 10-inch and 185-pound Arizona jackrabbit."

Catholic was favored going into the game by 7–5 odds, despite Arizona State having "edges over their visitors and weight, speed and condition."[1] Washington Post columnist Jack Munhall told readers that "as the technical side of the game shapes up it should be a battle of Notre Dame offenses between a pair of comparatively small and exceptionally speedy elevens."[1]

While in town for the game, the Cardinals stayed at the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy.[24]