Game 9
Arizona (6-5, 3-5) at ASU (5-5, 3-4)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 21
Time: 1:30 p.m. (MST)
Location: Tempe, Ariz.
Television: FOX Sports 1
Hashtag: #TerritorialCup
Additional Game Information
Stadium: Sun Devil Stadium (64,248)
Surface: Grass
All-Time Series: Arizona leads, 48-39-1
at ASU: ASU leads, 20-18-1
Last Meeting: Arizona 42, ASU 35 (Nov. 28, 2014, at Tucson)
Streak: Teams have split last two games
Television: FOX Sports 1
Play-by-Play: Tim Brando
Analyst: Spencer Tillman
Reporter: Bruce Feldman
Stream: FOX Sports Go App
Radio: Arizona IMG Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Brian Jeffries
Analyst: Lamont Lovett
Sideline: Dana Cooper
Flagship Stations: 1290 AM, 107.5 FM
Statewide Affiliates: Click Here
Listen on TuneIn: www.arizonawildcats.com
Satellite Radio: XM (204), SIRIUS (126)
Hard Edge Notes and Numbers:
» UA is bowl eligible for the fourth-straight season under Rich Rodriguez (seventh time in last eight years overall).
» The Cats have won 32 games over the last four seasons (winningest four-year stretch in school history).
» The Territorial Cup is recognized by the NCAA as the nation’s oldest rivalry trophy.
» The home team as won the last two meetings, however the visiting team won the previous four from 2009-12.
» Arizona defeated a top-10 team last week for the fourth-straight year.
» UA-ASU split the last eight meetings. In those games, UA is 4-0 when winning/tying the turnover battle.
» The Cats forced multiple turnovers last Saturday vs. Utah. It was the first time UA had done so in a Pac-12 game this season.
» UA cranked up the pressure last week as it collected four sacks (no more than two in any previous Pac-12 game this season).
» The Cats have a trio of 500-yard rushers (Nick Wilson, Jared Baker & Jerrard Randall) for the first time since 1991.
» Arizona is one of five FBS teams playing 12 consecutive weeks this season. Colorado will play all 13 weeks.
» The Cats average 5.66 yards per carry, the 9th-best clip among FBS teams.
» Of UA’s 50 offensive TD drives, 26 have lasted two minutes or less (52 percent).
Some Game Themes: It’s the 89th meeting between Arizona and Arizona State (ASU), a pair of instate rivals battling for the Territorial Cup, which is recognized as the nation’s oldest rivalry trophy … Make no mistake: historically this has been a heated rivalry that presents unbridled passion when these sides meat each November, with the winner claiming a year’s worth of water-cooler bragging rights for its respective fan base … Fourth-year coaches Rich Rodriguez and Todd Graham are now fully immersed in this annual battle, understanding the consequence of defeat as much as the reward of victory … While this year’s showdown lacks the high-prized stakes of the 2014 duel, there is plenty to play for on each sideline … For starters, bowl positioning will be a premium. The Wildcats became bowl eligible for the seventh time in the last eight seasons with a win last week, while the Sun Devils drew within a victory of the magical six-win benchmark. So for the home side, a win over visitors from the south would be a sweet way to clinch the bowl eligibility. For the Wildcats, knocking off ASU a second-straight year could mean the Devils are on the outside looking in with only one game remaining … That is an oddity in and of itself. Typically this rivalry clash caps the regular season for these schools; however, this year ASU plays Cal the following week while the Cats enjoy Thanksgiving and all of its leftovers with the lone “bye” week inconveniently coming at season’s end … But back to the Territorial Cup: this could be a knock-down, drag-out type of game. Both teams are riddled with injuries at this juncture, perhaps none more so than Arizona, which has implemented the “next man up” mantra since Week 1 … The latest dilemma is at quarterback, where Anu Solomon, despite playing his best game to date, left last week’s game with an apparent head injury in the fourth quarter. Also lost in the waning moments was linebacker Jake Matthews, one of the few men standing at that position for the Wildcats … The absence of Scooby Wright – who disrupted the ASU offense with regularity last season – left the Wildcats searching for an identity on defense all season. But the spark has returned the last couple weeks, especially in the upset of Utah when the Cats had blue jerseys flying all over the field … That’s a staple of Graham’s ASU defenses as well, a gambling bunch that plays fearlessly … Signs point toward a shootout with struggling defenses, but emotions are such in these games that a lower-scoring affair is never out of the question … Because of that, special teams are always a critical phase that can change-momentum in the blink of an eye … And the questions always remains: which side will have an unheralded player or two rise up and etch their name into Territorial Cup lore? … That’s what makes these games special – expect the unexpected. If you’re a Wildcat or Sun Devil, you know this all too well. See you Saturday afternoon.
Last Year: The Territorial Cup became the de facto Pac-12 South Championship game last Nov. 28, 2014, and Arizona emerged victorious with a 42-35 win against rival Arizona State on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Moments before the game ended, Stanford completed a victory over UCLA, which guaranteed the UA-ASU winner was the outright Pac-12 South Division champion. Both teams entered the game ranked for the first time since 1986, and each proved its worth before a national television audience. The defenses rose to occasion early as each scored on fumble recoveries in the first 10 minutes. Arizona’s Scooby Wright III stripped Taylor Kelly on the third play of the game, and Anthony Lopez ran it in 25 yards for the initial score. After the Sun Devils tied things, Samajie Grant turned a short pass reception into a video game-like 69-yard touchdown. A couple highlight catches from Jaelen Strong tied the game in the second quarter, before freshman Nick Wilson converted a fourth down with a 21-yard touchdown run to put the Cats ahead following a blocked punt. In the closing minutes of the first half, a muffed punt gave ASU a short field, and the visitors tied the game at halftime. Arizona came out aggressively in the third quarter, and Wilson punched in a pair of touchdowns. The second came on a 72-yard burst to give the home side a 35-21 advantage. The Sun Devils, needing a spark, switched quarterbacks and Mike Bercovici tossed two fourth quarter touchdown passes, but also one costly interception that set up the Wildcats’ final score. In the end, Arizona withstood a late drive from ASU, then ran out the clock to capture the Territorial Cup. Nick Wilson was voted the Bob Moran Most Valuable Player with his 178 yards and three touchdowns, while Wright led the UA defense with 13 tackles, including 5.0 for loss and two sacks. In all the Wildcat defense held the Devils to 4.4 yards per play and racked up 15 stops behind the line. The win sealed Arizona’s first 10-win season since 1998.
Arizona vs. ASU: The Wildcats are 48-39-1 all-time against Sun Devils, while the two sides have split the last eight meetings in the series. Arizona is 18-20-1 all-time vs. Arizona State when playing Tempe or Phoenix, but the Cats have taken two of the last three contests in Tempe. As we all know by now, this rivalry is as competitive as they come as five of the last six meetings between the two sides have been decided by seven points or less.
Bowl Bound: Arizona is bowl eligible for the fourth-consecutive season under Rich Rodriguez, and the seventh time in the last eight years. The Wildcats’ recent postseason trips have included the Las Vegas Bowl (2008), the Holiday Bowl (2009), the Alamo Bowl (2010), the New Mexico Bowl (2012), the Independence Bowl (2013) and the Fiesta Bowl (2014). With two weeks of the regular season and already eight Pac-12 teams standing bowl eligible, there are endless possibilities for how this year’s postseason picture could shake out for the Wildcats. Winning Saturday would eliminate many variables.
Skowron Named POW: Senior kicker Casey Skowron was named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. In last Saturday’s upset of No. 10 Utah, Skowron totaled 13 points as he was perfect on all of his kicks (3-for-3 field goals, 4-for-4 PAT). He converted field goal tries of 47, 40 and 35-yards, the final attempt tying the game and forcing a second overtime. The senior booted five of his six kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks, while making on special teams tackles. His kicking helped limit Utah to an average starting field position of its own 22-yardline.
Last Week: Utah became the latest top-10 victim to go down in November at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats crushed the College Football Playoff dreams of the 10th-ranked Utes, who came to town as front-runners in the South Division and well in the national playoff discussion. But on Saturday, it was the Wildcats who looked the part, punching the Utes in the mouth early and delivering the knockout blows late in a 37-30 double-overtime victory. Paced by quarterback Anu Solomon’s throwing and running, Arizona surged to leads of 10-0, 17-7 and 20-10, before a Utah touchdown with 45 seconds left in the second quarter brought the visitor’s within three at halftime. The momentum carried over into the second half when Travis Wilson connected with Harris Handley for a 59-yard touchdown, putting Utah in front for the first time, 24-20. Arizona looked to answer with a promising drive, but one of Solomon’s only mistakes of the day resulted in an interception in the endzone. The Utes marched back down the field, but were forced to settle for a 38-yard Andy Phillips field goal. Down only a touchdown with five minutes left in the third quarter, the Cats showed they were here for the fight. On the ensuing possession, Cayleb Jones, who had 126 yards on five catches, took a short completion from Solomon and turned it into a 50-yard gain. Two plays later, Solomon kept the ball on a six-yard touchdown run, tying the game. The Wildcat defense then rose to the occasion, shutting out the Utes in the fourth quarter. However, Arizona’s offense suddenly lost its catalyst when Solomon, who had run for 86 yards and passed for 277, was hit – seemingly in the head and neck area – forcing him from the game. Off the bench, Jerrard Randall struggled on his initial drives, but the defense kept turning away Utah’s offense, sending the game to overtime. In the extra time, the UA defense stood tall – forcing Utah to kick a 40-yard field goal. Arizona answered with Casey Skowron’s 35-yarder, and we went to a second overtime period. That’s when Randall made the throw of his life, connecting with Nate Phillips on a 25-yard touchdown to open the decisive overtime period. Wilson’s attempt to answer for the Utes was met with a wall of Wildcats, who forced the Utes into two fourth-down coversion situations. Wilson picked up the first with his feet, but the fourth-and-goal from the 17 was too much to overcome as his final toss fell incomplete out of bounds. As the Zona Zona rushed the field, Arizona’s had downed an AP Top 10 team for the fourth consecutive season, fitting coming on Senior Night at Arizona Stadium.
The Territorial Cup: The Territorial Championship Cup was first presented to Tempe Normal School after its 11-2 victory over Arizona at Tucson’s Carrillo Gardens field downtown on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 30, 1899. That makes it the oldest rivalry trophy game in America (Comparisons: Michigan-Minnesota/Little Brown Jug/1909; Indiana-Purdue/Old Oaken Bucket/1925). Carrillo Gardens was in a downtown park on a side street south of the current Tucson Convention Center in the Barrio Historico district. The Cup has been registered with the NCAA and thereby sanctions the game as the oldest trophy game. Early origins of the piece are unclear but the cup itself is silver-plated over base metal and was manufactured by Reed and Barton of Taunton, Mass., according to some reports, which also indicate a catalog price of $20. The lone inscription reads: “Arizona Foot Ball League 1899 Normal.” The Cup’s whereabouts for the next eight decades also remains unclear until its discovery among items found in the baseman of a church near ASU in the early 1980s and then displayed in various ASU collections. In 2001, then ASU President Lattie Coor led the move to have it again presented to the game winner. Over the years the Governor’s Trophy (1953-1979) and a “Victory” sculpture by artist Ben Goo (1979-1997) were presented to the game’s winner. The Saguaro Trophy, a bronze piece commissioned from artist Dora Perry in 1998, also has been in the mix, and now goes to the winning coach each year. The Bob Moran Most Outstanding Player in the game, named in 2008 after the late sportswriter who covered both teams, earns the Ben Goo sculpture for his school’s hall of fame. The Cup on the sideline at the game itself is a replica, with the original piece requiring curator treatment for its hall of fame type display. The games themselves are not atypical of a state where the Territorial Legislature awarded one city (Phoenix) the initial economic prize, the state hospital, while the other town (Tucson) got the fledgling first state university. The games are competitive, territorial and a distinct matter of pride.
Novembers to Remember: Arizona Stadium has become the scene of some notable upsets in November, and last Saturday’s 37-30 double-overtime thriller was no exception. The victory gave the Wildcats a win over a ranked team for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons, with a handful of those games being memorable home victories late in the season. Since 2004, Arizona is 7-3 when hosting an AP Top 25 team in November at Arizona Stadium. The seven wins have come against No. 10 Utah (2015), No. 13 Arizona State (2014), No. 5 Oregon (2013), No. 2 Oregon (2007), No. 8 California (2006), No. 7 UCLA (2005) and No. 18 Arizona State (2004). The three losses have been decided by 10 total points to No. 16 UCLA (2013), No. 11 Oregon (2009) and No. 22 Oregon State (2008).
Up Next: The “bye week”. Happy Thanksgiving, Wildcats. Bowl fate to be determined over the coming weeks with final bowl announcements slated for Sunday, Dec. 6.
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