It was just under three months ago that Arizona entered the 2024 season with the most hype (and biggest hopes) since 1994, when following a 10-win campaign and Fiesta Bowl win the Wildcats were picked by Sports Illustrated as its No. 1 team.
That year ended with a disappointing loss in the now-defunct Freedom Bowl and began a trend of the UA coming up short in seasons following ones with 10 or more wins.
It’s happened again, but to the most extreme, with Arizona sitting at 4-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12 heading into the finale. Not what anyone expected from a team ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 and among the teams projected to compete for the Big 12 title.
Those things happen to apply to the opponent on Saturday, ASU, which is No. 14 and sitting at 9-2. The Sun Devils are also tied for first in the Big 12 and will play in the conference game with a win in the Territorial Cup.
The UA has won the last two Territorial Cups, seeking its first 3-game win streak in the series since 1993-95. And despite all that has happened this season, heading into the offseason with a victory can help heal some of the in-season wounds.
“No matter who you’re playing, it always feels better to end on a winning note, like no matter what it always feels better,” UA coach Brent Brennan said. “The momentum for the offseason, how the guys feel going into it, all that stuff. And I’ve been on both sides of that. I do think it is really important, because it gives you a chance … you want to feel great, and it’s like the disappointment, the frustration of the season, that’s a reality. We can’t change that, but we have a chance to feel good on Saturday if we’ll play great football. And I think that’s what that’s what like I’m looking for.”
Here’s what to watch for when Arizona and ASU meet for the 98th time for the oldest rivalry trophy in college football:
Senior sendoffs
Arizona will have 14 players participate in pregame Senior Day activities, a group that includes some players who began their career during the school-record 20-game losing streak and have had three different head coaches.
“I’ve loved my time here,” kicker Tyler Loop said Tuesday. “A lot of ups and downs, three different head coaches. I’ve seen a lot of guys come in and out of this building, but it’s just been so special the relationships you build, the friendships you make. You get to see a lot of different walks of life and how people approach their work, it’s pretty special. It’s been a great ride.”
There are 16 seniors on the UA roster, plus another 10 who are in at least their fourth year of college. Many of those are players who opted to stick with the Wildcats during the offseason when Jedd Fisch abruptly left for Washington and Brennan came over from San Jose State.
“The whole season is about them,” Brennan said. “When you get into that last rodeo, that last ride, it’s such a reality for them. I think all those guys have given so much. I’m just incredibly grateful to stick with this last ride with me and my staff.”
Saturday will be the 50th at Arizona for Loop and 51st for center Josh Baker, who will be making his 43rd career start.
T-Mac’s swan song
It will also be the final game as a Wildcat for receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who last week became the school’s career receiving leader and on Tuesday was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Expected to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, McMillan is projected as a 1st round pick and could be the highest-drafted player in UA history.
That also means it will be the last chance for college football broadcasters to overanalyze T-Mac’s body language, an oddly consistent issue for play-by-play guys and analysts this fall.
“That’s what happens when you’re at the top, when you’re the best receiver in the nation they’re going to pick you apart,” said UA receivers coach Bobby Wade, whose record McMillan broke. “I think that’s just the way it is in any sport when you’re playing at the top and everybody at the bottom is going to try to pull it apart.”
With 3,355 receiving yards, McMillan is 101st in FBS history and 15th among players with only three seasons of college ball. Expecting him to replicate his performance from last year’s T-Cup in Tempe (266 yards) is asking a lot, another big game is possible and could get him a couple more school records.
He needs 16 catches to pass Wade’s single-season record of 93 from 2002, and with 172 more yards he’ll break Dennis Northcutt’s 1999 mark of 1,422.
Considering this will be the last time he and longtime teammate/best friend Noah Fifita will play together, anything is possible. Whether or not that finale includes knocking off ASU shouldn’t change how the Fifita/T-Mac duo are remembered around these parts.
“I think they’ll be remembered as legends,” Brennan said. “I think they’ll be remembered as guys who are incredible football players and also outstanding people in the community. I don’t think there’s any reason they shouldn’t be remembered forever here.”
Staying on the cliff
Every UA player and coach who has spoken to the media in the past week has referred to the passion, emotion and hate associated with the Territorial Cup. All of that is standard for a rivalry game, but it also means there’s a much higher likelihood of emotions getting the best of people.
In other words: costly penalties.
Arizona committed only six penalties in last year’s 59-23 win at ASU, but the year before it was flagged 10 times for 125 yards in the 38-35 home win over the Sun Devils. And in 2021 in Tempe they had 12 penalties, with Dorian Singer ejected for a “flagrant unsportsmanlike penalty.”
“We’ve talked about it every day,” Brennan said. “I think that’s something that has to be on your mind. I made the statement before, you want to be right on the edge of the cliff and not fall off. And I think that’s something important in these big rivalry games. One of the characteristics that always gives you a chance to be in it or to win is who plays with the most poise.”
Arizona has twice committed 10 penalties in a game this season, and last week cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was ejected late for spitting on a TCU player. Karnley is suspended for this game.
The Wildcats have a chance to play spoiler by keeping ASU out of the Big 12 title game, and possible the College Football Playoff, which could lead to even more passion and emotion.
“We’re just worried about what’s ahead of us right now,” Baker said. “We’re worried about, not necessarily the game but the fist fight, the dog fight that’s right in front of us.”
Another stud running back
Arizona’s rushing defense is 13th in the 16-team Big 12, allowing 164.3 yards per game. The Wildcats have also yielded 22 rushing TDs, third-most in the league, with TCU and its near-bottom-of-the-league run game scoring six times on the ground last week.
The Wildcats have already faced Big 12 rushing leader RJ Harvey of UCF (184 yards, three TDs), Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks (128 yards, three TDs) and Kansas State’s DJ Giddens (86 yards, TD). Now comes arguably the toughest of the lot in ASU’s Cam Skattebo.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound senior has run for 1,221 yards and 14 TDs in 10 games, adding 34 catches for 460 yards and two scores. He had 147 rushing yards and three TDs in last week’s 28-23 win over BYU, and in last year’s Territorial Cup was the Sun Devils’ lone bright spot with 108 yards and a TD.
“He’s just a football-playing fool, like he just loves to play,” Brennan said of Skattebo. “He’s kind of an old school ball player, but he’s one of those rare ones where he combines real physicality with the ability to finish runs. If he gets out, he’s a problem.”
Defensive coordinator Duane Akina said stopping the run is always the first part of any gameplan he puts together and will be for this game. But it can’t be the only focus.
“It’s always your starting point, no matter who you’re up against,” he said. “I think ASU has done a great job offensively on utilizing their talent. The quarterback has been a great addition to them. They do a great job of utilizing all their pieces. They have an outstanding wide receiver that they work hard to get the football to, and I got a lot of respect for that running back. I think he runs hard. You can feel the passion in how he runs, so much respect to the coaches there that have given those players a chance to be successful.”
Reversing the debut trend
This won’t be Brennan’s first Territorial Cup, as he was a graduate assistant on Dick Tomey’s final UA staff in 2000, but it will be his first as the Wildcats’ head coach. And that hasn’t been a harbinger of a good result for the good guys.
Dating back to Jim Young’s first season in 1973, Arizona coaches are 2-6-1 in their initial Territorial Cup. The last first-year UA coach to win this game was Mike Stoops, in 2004, a 34-27 victory over ASU in which the Wildcats were 14-point underdogs for the biggest upset (in terms of point spread) in Cup history.
Arizona is an 8.5-point underdog in this one.
Arizona coaches in 1st Territorial Cup (since 1973)
Year Coach Result Season record
- 2021 Jedd Fisch L, 38-15 1-11
- 2018 Kevin Sumlin L, 41-40 5-7
- 2012 Rich Rodriguez L, 41-34 8-5
- 2004 Mike Stoops W, 34-27 3-8
- 2001 John Mackovic W, 34-21 5-6
- 1987 Dick Tomey T, 24-24 4-4-3
- 1980 Larry Smith L, 44-7 5-6
- 1977 Tony Mason L, 23-7 5-7
- 1973 Jim Young L, 55-19 8-3