Just as the Thanksgiving festivies are slowly coming to a close, the aftermath of the holiday will see the one of the biggest rivalaries in all of college sports commence between No. 16 ASU (9-2, 6-2) and Arizona (4-7, 2-6).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Traveling down to Tucson, Arizona State is in the driver seat to make the Big 12 Championship Game if the program gets a crucial win on Saturday. The Sun Devils are 9-2 overall and 6-2 in the conference after surviving a late comeback bid by BYU to win 28-23 last week.
All ASU needs to do is simply to beat Arizona and needing BYU to win over Houston to secure a spot in the Big 12 title game.
If Arizona State loses, though, the chances of making it will dwindle as there are four teams (ASU, Colorado, BYU, Iowa State) with two losses and five other schools with three defeats heading into the final weekend of the regular season. With every result mattering on Saturday, there are multiple scenarios where up to nine teams have a chance at the championship.
On the other side of the state, Arizona will try to spoil and ruin the Sun Devils’ season by any means necessary. Despite their own season not going their way after being 7-2 in the Pac-12 and 10-3 only a year ago, the Wildcats will do whatever it takes to claim the prestigous Territorial Cup.
With both teams knowing what is at stake and the magnitude of the two schools absolutely hating each other, this will set up for a gruesome battle from the coin toss to the last second on the clock.
Here is how Arizona State could take down its bitter rival and get revenge after it was crushed 59-23 by Arizona last year:
Make McMillan’s job difficult
When Arizona obliterated Arizona State last year in Tempe, Wildcats superstar Tetairoa McMillan had himself a day in enemy territory. The Hawaii native corralled 11 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown, racking up more than a third of Arizona’s total yardage on offense (619). Even though his team hasn’t performed up to expectations following a 10-win season last year, McMillan still as good as adverstised and has a strong connection with quarterback Noah Fifita. The wideout ranks third in the country in receiving yards (1,251), being Fifita’s favorite receiver option.
If Arizona has any chance of upsetting Arizona State, the Wildcats will need the duo of McMillan and Fifita to work their magic. Under new head coach Brent Brennan, Fafita has passed for 2,832 yards and 17 touchdowns but has thrown an alarmingly high 12 interceptions. ASU’s defense as a unit has 13 interceptions this season and will look to add to that number in Tucson. If whoever defends against McMillan boxes him out and mitigates the amount of effectivness he has in the game, the Sun Devils will force Fafita to target other options that aren’t nearly as dangerous.
Keep emotions in check
With this being a rivarly in a hostile environment, ASU has to play smart and not feed into the emotions that a game of this magnitude bring out of players. Self-inflicted penalties like unsportsmanlike conduct after celebrating or getting into a dispute with an opposing player will be costly, so keeping those emotions in check will be key. Arizona State has kept it relatively respectful when it comes to foul play or gestures towards another team, but the hatred between the two schools is a whole other animal.
Skattebo tears Wildcats’ defense apart
After a quiet performance compared to his standards against Kansas State two weeks ago, ASU running back Cam Skattebo produced like he has done for the majority of the season against BYU. Rushing 28 times, Skattebo ran for 147 yards, scored three touchdowns and bulldozed through many of the Cougars defenders that stood in his way. On the year, the Sun Devils senior has been Arizona State’s best player, amassing 1,221 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns.
In five of the last six games for the Wildcats, they have lost while giving up at least 31 points in each defeat. Arizona did hold Houston to three points two weeks ago, but were then blownout 49-23 by TCU last weekend. Unless the Sun Devils play in either the Fiesta Bowl or Guaranteed Rate Bowl, this will be Skattebo’s last collegiate football game of his career in Arizona and will look to go out with a bang.
Play a complete game
For the past two games against BYU and K-State, ASU was up by three scores at halftime and were in both of them. In the second half, however, Arizona State’s opponents have clawed back and made the games interesting while the Sun Devils offense didn’t go for the kill. Besides the 48-7 win over Wyoming and the 42-21 victory over Oklahoma State, ASU hasn’t blown a team out from start to finish.
If the Sun Devils go up big, they need to keep the foot on the gas and not invite pressure by taking a step back. Now that it has nothing to play for with not being bowl eligible, Arizona knows how much this game means to ASU and will put everything on the line no matter the score.
Kenny Dillingham stresses importance of Territorial Cup between heated rivals ASU, Arizona
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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
