SCOUTING REPORT: ASU AT UA
It’s time for the Dual in the Desert for the Territorial Cup. Neither Arizona State (6-5, 4-4 in Pac-12 play) nor Arizona (5-6, 4-4) is going to have trouble getting up for the game which dates back 119 years and is recognized as the longest running rivalry trophy game in college football.
ASU is looking to bounce back from a 31-29 loss at Oregon that cost the Sun Devils a shot at the Pac-12 South title while Arizona is coming off a 69-28 loss to No. 8 Washington State.
ASU might be fielding a team full of first-year players who will be taking part in the rivalry game for the first time but Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards is making sure his players are aware of what they’re stepping into. He called on people that have been involved in the rivalry to come speak to his team throughout the week.
Others are helping too.
“We got one of the youngest teams in the country, these guys gotta understand how important this game is,” said senior safety Demonte King, one of the Sun Devils team captains. “It’s crazy, it’s about way more than football.”
Senior quarterback Manny Wilkins will be playing in the game for the last time. The Sun Devils won last year’s game 42-30 but he says he was “embarrassed” the last time he played in Tucson and lost 56-35.
He wants to go out with a win. “Just gotta put everything on the line, all the cookies in the basket, empty the tank. Can’t walk out of this game with any regrets,” he said.
3 things to watch
1. Who will win the battle of running backs? The game will feature two of the nation’s leading rushers in sophomore Eno Benjamin of ASU and junior J.J Taylor of Arizona. Both are already well over 1,000 yards with Benjamin at 1,444 and Taylor at 1,290. Benjamin has a stronger, more experienced offensive line clearing the way for him so that should be a huge advantage fir the Sun Devils.
2. Can ASU get an elusive road win in hostile environment? The Sun Devils are just 1-4 on the road this season, the lone win coming at USC 38-35. The good news is they haven’t been completely overpowered with those four losses coming by a total of 23 points. Being a rival game, this will be as hostile an environment as it gets. Who handles the emotions better early could be factor in the outcome.
3. Can ASU avoid late half lapses? The Sun Devils have made a habit of giving up points in the closing minutes of the first half. Last week against Oregon they had a chance to go to the locker room only down 14-6 and they ended up going in down 28-13. ASU spent most of the second half trying to claw back from that deficit. Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales acknowledged his team has to do a better job of not giving up late points.
About Arizona
Like ASU, the Wildcats are headed by a first-year coach in Kevin Sumlin, who came to the school after serving as the head football coach at Texas A&M for six seasons during which his teams went a combined 51-26 with three bowl victories.The Wildcats are coming off a 69-28 loss at Washington State. The Wildcats, like the Sun Devils, are fielding a young team on the defensive side of the ball but their results have been less successful. Arizona only ranks 96th out of 129 FBS teams in total defense, allowing 434.8 yards a game. The Wildcats have been bailed out a bit by an offense that ranks 30th (452 ypg), led by junior QB Khalil Tate and sophomore RB J.J. Taylor.
Star power
QB Khalil Tate, Arizona: The 6foot-2, 215 pound junior has played in 10 of 11 games, completing 149 of 263 tries for 2,248 yards and 23 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He has thrown for more than 300 yards three times with his best showing being a 350-yard, fivetouchdown performance in a 42-34 win over Colorado three weeks ago. He is also threat to run the ball and can make things happen, scrambling out of the pocket which will pose another problem for the ASU defenders.
LB Darien Butler, ASU: The 5-foot-11, 232-pounder has been a huge contributor for the Sun Devils defense as a true freshman. He is third on the team in tackles with 53, with eight tackles for a loss, a sack and two fumble recoveries. His best game came at USC, not far from where he played high school football, and he managed eight tackles and a fumble recovery in a 38-35 win. He serves as heart and soul of the Sun Devil defense along with fellow freshman Merlin Robertson.
Trending
11 - Longest win streak by a team in the series, that being by Arizona from 19321948.
67 - Largest margin of victory in the series. That was a 67-0 win by Arizona in 1946.
90 - Number of games played in the series — Arizona leads 49-40-1, although the Wildcats got a jump start by winning 20 of the first 22 between 1899 and 1948.
122 - Yards needed for ASU’s Eno Benjamin to set the all-time single season school record for the Sun Devils (1,565, currently at 1,444).
Bottom line
The winner will finish second in the Pa 12 South behind Utah. It’s a rivalry game so that itself is enough to play for. The schools recruit the same players so they’ll want to have that upper hand when it comes to territorial bragging rights. ASU has already secured a bowl but with a win it would get a seat at a bigger bowl, which would help in the recruiting and program-building process. Arizona has to win to be bowl eligible, so the stakes are a bit higher for the Wildcats.
Prediction
ASU 34, Arizona 24