Arizona Wildcats, ASU Sun Devils close Pac-12 chapter in Territorial Cup lore
When the No. 15 Arizona Wildcats square off with arch-rival Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday, the winner will not only have a year’s worth of bragging rights and the Territorial Cup, they’ll be the official winner of the football rivalry’s Pac-10/12 era.
Since joining the Pac-10 in 1978, the Wildcats and Sun Devils are locked in a 22-22-1 record against each other, however, ASU is 8-4 against the UA since the start of the modern Pac-12 in 2011. Arizona leads the all-time series 50-45-1; the tie happened in 1987 at the venue formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium.
Saturday will be for all the marbles in the head-to-head series in the endangered “Conference of Champions,” as both schools will join the Big 12 conference along with Utah and Colorado. In addition to looking to boost its resume for the postseason, Arizona hasn’t won the Territorial Cup in Tempe since 2011.
“As we lead our team into Tempe, we recognize it’s been a while since we’ve gotten a victory there,” Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch said. “So we’ve got to play our best game on Saturday and that’s our expectation.”
ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said, “This game means a lot to everybody in ‘The Valley,’ everybody associated with Arizona, and the state as a whole. I mean this game is its own season.”
As both teams say goodbye to the Pac-12 and hello to the Big 12, here’s a look at 12 of the more memorable games since 1978:
What happened: Arizona wide receiver Mike Thomas returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, but the Sun Devils grabbed a 10-7 lead at halftime. The Wildcats tallied 21 third-quarter points, including quarterback Willie Tuitama’s two touchdowns. Arizona snapped a 10-year bowl drought and went on to beat BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl, the only postseason win of the Mike Stoops era.
What happened: This was a double-whammy for ASU. Not only did the Sun Devils hand Arizona its only win of Pac-12 play that season, but the loss prevented ASU from going to a bowl game. Despite a running back room depleted with injuries, receiver-converted-running back Samajie Grant and quarterback Brandon Dawkins, who accidentally ran over Miss Arizona on the sidelines after getting tackled out of bounds, helped the Wildcats set a school rushing record with 511 yards.
What happened: Leading up to the game, ASU defensive end James Brooks studied Arizona kicker Alex Zendejas and said “his trajectory was low.” Brooks blocked Zendejas’ PAT at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime, then did it again in double-overtime to lift the Sun Devils to a one-point win.
What happened: Quarterbacked by Jake Plummer, ASU held a two-touchdown advantage until Arizona scored 17 unanswered points to win in nail-biting fashion. Arizona wide receiver Richard Dice scored a touchdown on a torn ACL in the first half. Defensive tackle Joe Salave’a helped Arizona’s comeback bid with a fumble return for a touchdown, and then Jon Prasuhn nailed a 36-yard field goal with just under 30 seconds left in the game.
What happened: A win or tie would’ve put ASU in the Rose Bowl, but Max Zendejas, who also tied the school record with a 57-yard field goal, made a 32-yarder in the final minutes of the game to win. Zendejas also made a game-winning field goal in the 1983 game in Tempe.
What happened: “Desert Swarm” Arizona overcame a 27-15 deficit in the fourth quarter and took a lead after quarterback Dan White threw a touchdown pass to Lamar Harris. ASU kicker Jon Baker missed a potential game-winning, 47-yard field goal.
What happened: One would be hard-pressed to find a lower point for the UA football program than the 2020 Territorial Cup game. The only faces in the stands at Arizona Stadium were cardboard cutouts because of pandemic rules. ASU jumped out to a 14-0 lead less than a minute into the game. UA players looked dejected, and there was an ominous vibe inside of the of empty Arizona Stadium. A day after the Wildcats were embarrassed by ASU on national television, head coach Kevin Sumlin was fired. Fisch was hired afterward. ASU boosters purchased a billboard on Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix that had the 70-7 score.
What happened: Two years after they were humiliated by nine touchdowns, the Wildcats returned to Tucson and snapped a five-game losing streak to the Sun Devils. ASU was quarterbacked by former Marana High School star Trenton Bourguet, who became the first Tucson-area native to start at quarterback in the rivalry.
What happened: Arizona and ASU exchanged blows like heavyweight fighters between UA running back Trung Canidate 288 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, and Sun Devils quarterback Ryan Kealy passing for 511 yards and four touchdowns. Arizona then beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl to finish the season 12-1, which remains the winningest season in program history.
What happened: Led by defensive tackle Joe Drake’s two safeties and quarterback Tom Tunnicliffe’s 92-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Holland, the Wildcats grabbed a 28-0 early over the sixth-ranked Sun Devils, which was all they needed. Arizona’s win prevented ASU from going to the Rose Bowl, and it started a nine-year unbeaten streak for the Wildcats against the Sun Devils (8-0-1).
What happened: Stanford beating UCLA propped up the ’14 Territorial Cup game as the Pac-12 South championship, as it knocked the Bruins out of contention. Arizona All-American linebacker Scooby Wright’s sack on the opening drive forced a fumble that was returned by linebacker Anthony Lopez. UA running back Nick Wilson ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Anu Solomon had two passing touchdowns to Samajie Grant. Arizona finished the regular season 10-2 and punched its ticket to the Pac-12 championship, where it was routed by Oregon.
What happened: Undefeated and fourth-ranked ASU visited No. 14 Arizona in Tucson ahead of its first-ever Rose Bowl game against Michigan. Arizona safety Chuck Cecil intercepted ASU quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst in the end zone and returned it 106 yards for a touchdown, which sealed the win for the Wildcats. It remains one of the most iconic plays in UA history.
