Lack of break for the defense, turnovers send the Territorial Cup back to Tucson

TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils (8-4 overall, 5-3 conference) saw their already slim Big 12 championship and playoff odds slip away at the hands of their Territorial Cup rival, the No. 25 Arizona Wildcats (9-3, 5-3), in a 23-7 defeat.

The loss put the Sun Devils back at 5 games behind Arizona in the all-time series. The rivalry loss sealed a draining regular season for ASU.

“That’s the best part of this game,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “You have repercussions for a year, I get to hear about it.”

Sun Devil defense wears down throughout long day

The Sun Devil defense spent nearly three quarters on the field, with the Wildcats doubling the Sun Devils in time of possession. 

Arizona junior quarterback Noah Fifita had a big day for Arizona, completing 62 percent of his passes for 286 yards and a touchdown.

“That’s a good football team,” Dillingham said. “They have a really good quarterback … that kid has been there for three years, he’s led them to a 10-win season before.”

Despite having six tackles for loss, Fifita avoided the sack all but once, which was just another blemish on a long day for the ASU defense. 

Senior wide receiver Kris Hutson also played a significant role, drawing in seven receptions for 95 yards for the Wildcats.

Turnovers follow ASU from Boulder, hinder offense

In addition to not being able to stop the passing attack, the Sun Devils turned the ball over five times.

“You can’t have five turnovers,” Dillingham said. “All of the other stuff is irrelevant.”

The barrage of turnovers against the Wildcats followed another sloppy performance in Boulder against Colorado, where the Sun Devils turned the ball over four times. 

Senior quarterback Jeff Sims ended the night with three interceptions and was at least partially involved in two fumbles. 

The Sun Devils struck first following a quiet first quarter, with Sims scampering in on a 27-yard score. 

Offense goes flat…er in the second half

ASU would be kept off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Arizona outgained the Sun Devils 210-96 and outscored them 20-0 in the second half. 

“We had to get out of our own way … we have got to help the defense out,” senior tight end Chamon Metayer said.

The loss of junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson early in the game, which Dillingham said was a “lingering issue”, hurt the already struggling offense. 

Sophomore safety Boogie Wilson, too, left the game with an injury following a hard hit over the middle of the field. 

Sophomore defensive back Kyan McDonald entered the game as his replacement, tallying nine tackles in the second half alone.  It was tied for second on the team behind only senior linebacker Jordan Crook. 

What’s Next for ASU?

The loss ensured that BYU and Texas Tech will meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 6 for the Big 12 championship. 

The two teams met early this month on November 8, with Texas Tech defeating BYU, 29-7.

ASU will find out who and where they will be playing their bowl game on Sunday, Dec. 7.

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