The Territorial Cup will once again be contested by state rivals the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats, who are tied with identical 6-2 records atop Pac-12 South. If UCLA loses to Stanford, the winner of this crucial match wins the division and goes on to play in the Pac-12 championship game. Can Arizona State ride their recent success against their rivals? Or will the Wildcats explode to the top of the division?
Don’t miss out on Week 13’s exciting slate of college football. Check out our preview for the Iron Bowl as the Alabama Crimson Tide seek revenge for last year’s “Kick Six” defeat against Auburn. Meanwhile, another state rivalry will be contested in the Egg Bowl between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Ole Miss Rebels.
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Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Arizona Wildcats Preview
Quarterback Taylor Kelly overcame a sluggish start as he threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns in Arizona State’s 52-31 win over the Washington State Cougars Saturday. Kelly’s excellent play would not have been possible without the dynamic playmaking of Cameron Smith. The junior wide receiver was difficult to contain as he caught six passes for a career-high 131 yards and two scores.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Sun Devils also got help from lead running back D.J. Foster who rushed for 6.4 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns of his own. Having a well-balance attack will only pay dividends for the Duel in the Desert on Friday. The Wildcats are allowing 439.6 total yards per game (275.9 passing and 163.7 rushing) this season, thus giving the Sun Devils plenty of holes to exploit.
On the other side of the ball, Arizona State did an excellent job in forcing takeaways. Defensive end Marcus Hardison strip-sacked (his second sack of the day) Washington State quarterback Luke Falk, which was then recovered by defensive tackle Mo Latu and returned for 51 yards. The Sun Devils also had four picks, one by Hardison and one each for defensive backs Kweishi Brown, Damarious Randall and Salamo Fiso.
The Sun Devils also set up a formidable blitz, registering six sacks on Saturday. Establishing the same devastating pass rush will be a key to force the Wildcats into wild passes, which could help them add to their league-leading 13 interceptions this season.
The Sun Devils are 4-1 ATS in the past five years against Arizona.
Betting on the Arizona Wildcats
Arizona’s very impressive 42-10 victory on the road at Utah was soured by a lower-leg injury to starting quarterback Anu Solomon. But if Solomon can’t go and backup Jesse Scroggins starts, the Wildcats won’t be too concerned playing with a one dimensional game plan. Rushing under heavy rain, running back Nick Wilson recorded the most rushing yards ever by an Arizona freshman as he torched Utah for 218 yards and three touchdowns Saturday afternoon.
Wilson may be in for another big day against one of the Pac-12’s worst run defenses in Arizona State, which had allowed an average of 173.5 yards this season before running into the more pass-centric Washington State offense in Week 12.
The wild card (no pun intended) for the Wildcats will be what they get out of their quarterback, whether it be a potentially hobbled Solomon or the inexperienced senior Scroggins, who could make his first career start. Solomon’s lack of mobility could pose a problem against a dangerous Arizona State pass rush, while Scroggins’ lack of any experience in big game situations could make him vulnerable to costly errors.
While the Wildcats showed that they can torch their opposition with their rushing offense, they also showed that they can also score on the other side of the ball. Defensive lineman Dan Pettinato picked up a fumble late in the second quarter and scored on a 31-yard return, and safety Tra’Mayne Bondurant scored on a 39-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter. Arizona State quarterback Kelly isn’t immune to turnovers. He’d thrown at least one pick in four straight weeks prior to their game against Washington State.
The Wildcats are 5-1 straight up in home games this season, but are just 1-5 ATS.
Writer’s Prediction
The Wildcats eke out a close win behind an explosive game from Wilson. Create a betting account now and treat yourself by betting on the best college football action in the nation.
