With Thanksgiving just a few days away, people will rejoice around their loved ones, relive memories and share what they are thankful for in life.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!For families that have connections to ASU and Arizona, however, it may be shortlived as a couple of days later, one of the biggest rivalries in college sports commences down south in Tucson.
This year’s edition of the Territorial Cup is not just for bragging rights but one school can spoil the other’s postseason aspirations if they pull off an upset, further fueling the hatred of one another.
While Arizona State finished a woeful 3-9 and Arizona was 10-3 last season, the standings reversed with the Sun Devils currently sitting 9-2 and the Wildcats at 4-7. If U of A is able to win on Saturday, it would spoil ASU’s chances at both going to the Big 12 Championship Game and receiving a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Last season, Arizona crushed ASU 59-23 a year ago and is 51-45-1 against the Sun Devils all-time. Arizona State has lost the last two matchups but won the five before then from 2017-21, including a 70-7 demolition on the road in Tucson in 2020.
Knowing a thing or two about the Territorial Cup, ASU head coach, alum and Phoenix native Kenny Dillingham explained the significance of this matchup and why he wants his players to understand what makes this the heated rivalry it is.
“Obviously we are in the same state, that’s a rivalry,” Dillingham said at a press conference on Monday. “A lot of their alumni live with our alumni in the same community. It’s not like state boundaries, it’s almost like brother-sister because you all live together, everyone lives in the same Valley together. It’s like [when asking] where you go to school, and it’s usually one of those two options that are going to be the answer. It’s very deep because of how closely connected the two schools are with their fanbases… They got the same quarterback [Noah Fifita] returning, the same wide receiver [Tetairoa McMillan], they got a lot of the same players on that football team that picked us apart.”
After a highly successful season last year, the Wildcats saw head coach Jedd Fisch go to Washington and take over the Huskies’ vacancy that Kalen Deboer left after he was hired by Alabama. A few players followed Fisch to Seattle, but most of Arizona’s program stayed intact, including wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita.
McMillan has been a star since arriving in Arizona in 2022, especially in the last two seasons. He racked up 1,402 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last year and is close to reaching those numbers again (1,251 yds, seven TDs). The Hawaii native is currently No. 3 in the country in receiving yards, trailing just Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (1,295) and San Jose State wide receiver Nick Nash (1,291).
Fafita was electric under Fisch and while his stats haven’t translated to results under new head coach Brent Brennan, he is still one of the better quarterbacks in the nation. He has completed 246-of-401 passes for 2,832 yards and 17 touchdowns. A drastic change from last season to now is that he threw six interceptions last year and doubled that total to 12 turnovers this year.
The combination of Fafita and McMillan will be a tough challenge for Dillingham and ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward to maintain this weekend, a credit to the two players.
“T-Mac I think is still No. 1 [No. 3] in the country in receiving yards but I am not positive,” Dillingham said. “Credit to you T-Mac for being the No. 1 in the country in receiving yards and people are still saying you don’t look the same, I don’t know if that’s possible. It is an incredible compliment if I am being honest with T-Mac that he is the best in the country in yardage and people still are doubting it. This guy is unbelievable, like he is incredible.
“They have a remarkable connection that goes back to high school. They still have that ability and they still have flashes, they still score points in bunches when they get momentum. They are extremely dangerous as a football team but those two do have something special. Some games, teams have bracketed them and they said, ‘Okay, we’re not going to let you beat us.’ It’s really hard to beat one person in college football, it’s even harder to beat two and T-Mac still does that at times which is what makes him a special player. They are a dynamic duo.”
Setting up for the biggest game of the season for both teams regardless of how they have performed, Dillingham grew up watching the Territorial Cup and looks forward to carrying on the traditional rivalry at this time of the year.
“I grew up going to these games, my family grew up going to these rivalry games,” Dillingham said. “Regardless of where I coached in the country, I would try to watch this game just because if you are from Arizona, this is what wins the Territorial Cup, that’s a big deal. From that perspective, it matters because that is something that has been a part of Thanksgiving. When I think of Thanksgiving, I think it is part of it to me my entire life.”
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
