(Photo: ASU Athletics)
The pageantry and environment of a rivalry game as entrenched and fierce as the one between the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats sells itself. Yet, the classic interstate matchup, which dates back to the 19th century, will have a little more shine than usual on Friday.
Not since 1986 has the duel between the two desert schools featured a clash of teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Twenty-eight years later, the No. 12 Wildcats will play host to the No. 13 Sun Devils in a game that could provide one team with a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game.
For that to happen, the Stanford Cardinal would have to upset the UCLA Bruins on Friday and open the door for one of the two Arizona schools to win their way into a game with the Oregon Ducks for Pac-12 supremacy. Regardless, ASU players and coaches insist the prize of the Territorial Cup is enough in itself to bring out the best in the program.
“This game is the single most important game of the year for us and for our fans,” ASU head coach Todd Graham said. “When I came here I had the opportunity to go out and speak to all of our fans and they told me that this is the single most important thing. Winning this game is the top priority for our program and for our players every year.”
That importance isn’t lost in Tucson either, as the fans at Arizona Stadium will undoubtedly greet the visiting Sun Devils with some hostility. For many of the leaders of the team, including ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly, it won’t be the first trip to play for the Territorial Cup on the road.
“You’ve just got to link up out there and have one focus,” Kelly said. “We’ve just got to go out there and we can’t get too high emotionally or get too low.”
Running back D.J. Foster was a true freshman during the team’s last trip to Tucson, and finished with 87 yards rushing and receiving. Two years later, Foster is averaging 88 yards rushing per game, in addition to 53 yards receiving.
Foster, an alumni of Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, grew up watching Territorial Cup games, although he had no rooting interests at the time.
“I just saw the intensity of the game from an outsider’s view and how much passion the game was played with by both teams and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Foster said. “I saw how intense and how much fun they are to watch and just to be a part of. I just love being a part of this history and putting my name down with my brothers out there in the history book.”
But for many of the players that didn’t grow up in Arizona, the emotions of the rivalry were an acquired taste. Senior safety Damarious Randall grew up in Pensacola, Fla. and said he knew nothing of the rivalry in Arizona until he enrolled at Mesa Community College in 2011.
“It was a natural hate when I got here,” Randall said. “I don’t know much about [Tucson]’s environment because I have never played there. We have played a lot of tough road games, so I am sure it will be similar to those games.”
It will be the first Territorial Cup tussle for defensive coordinator Keith Patterson as well, as he was hired by Graham in February after two seasons at the helm of the West Virginia Mountaineers defense.
“You can just tell the difference in the intensity in practice and meetings,” Patterson said. “From the day that I got here it’s evident that this game is rather important. It’s what everyone outside the program talks about, everyone inside the office you can just walk around and tell the importance of it.
“But it’s like any rivalry game, you can’t get caught up in the emotions. You’ve got to stay focused and execute and do what they were coached to do.”
With every reason to be overly excited and revved up for a game that will be one of the biggest in the history of a rivalry that will see its 88th installment kickoff on Friday at 1:30 p.m., the coaches continue to preach that message. That the calm is just as important as bringing energy to Arizona Stadium.
“The key in this game is not getting too emotional,” Graham said “That’s something I’ve talked about every year. Focus on the game and the fundamentals and do what we have to do to execute and win.”
