The longest running rivalry in the history of college football takes place this Saturday. While rivalry week is highlighted by the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn or the Red River Rivalry of Texas and Oklahoma in college football this battle between ASU and U of A stands the test of time as perhaps the first ever rivalry match of colleges in the sport of football. Starting back in 1899, this year’s meeting doesn’t have the kind of drama it had last year, but for these two squads this game may as well serve as the true bowl game of their seasons.
Safety Dance For Arizona
The Arizona linebackers have not had a good season this year. Hardly any of them have been able to stay on the field throughout this campaign. And it is about to get even worse if reports are to be believed. This week the Wildcats are going to be defending the Territorial Cup with safeties playing at linebacker. Already this season Scooby Wright has been injured and continues to be listed as indefinitely out with Cody Ippolito also out for the entire year with a knee injury. The defense is going to have to focus on fixing the bad tackling that has plagued their back half all year long with safeties playing one level closer to the line of scrimmage and making sure they can beat the blocks set by the ASU offensive line. The size differential may also play key because if the linemen of the Sun Devils can get to the second level to these emergency linebackers it is unlikely that those blocks will be beaten and could open up huge holes for the running game as well make blitz pick ups easy with most of the players now relying on speed rather than power to get by the big uglies in Tempe.
Is Anu Going To Play?
The injury bug has bitten and bitten and now leaves the Wildcats wondering once again if their quarterback Anu Solomon is even going to be able to step in under center. Anu was injured again last week against Utah with a concussion. Jerrard Randall came into the game after Solomon’s injury and found a way to win for the Wildcats although it was a close one in double-overtime. The concussion protocol leaves Solomon’s status in question and if he can’t go the backup Randall will have to step in. Thus far Randall has struggled as a passer but found a sweet spot as a run first option for Arizona. His 52% passing percentage and five touchdowns to three interceptions make it hard to feel comfortable with the passing game against an opportunistic ASU defense that likes to blitz often. With his three 100-yard rushing performances however this year Randall has proven to have the speed to avoid incoming rushers. The question is does Todd Graham decide to send a lot of back end rushers to prevent Randall from scrambling? If he does, look for that pocket to collapse and collapse quickly for the Wildcats.
Running Back Battle In Tempe
Nick Wilson is now finally removed from the injury report for the Wildcats, and at no better time. Wilson won the Territorial Cup MVP last year for Arizona with his 178 rushing yards and the trifecta of touchdowns. Now with a healthy Wilson and senior back up Jared Baker now expected to truly split time in the backfield the Wildcats could look to get both men started quick and make use of their respectable 6 yards per carry each between the two. However ASU has the number two rushing defense in the Pac-12 this year and have a strong running game of their own with the two sophomores in Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage. The two have combined for 6.8 yards per carry and almost 200 yards a game in the last three performances the duo has given. Richard is also looking for some redemption after his performance last year in this game where he only had 68 yards on 13 touches. That however was against a far more stout Arizona defense led by the now injured Scooby Wright. And this Arizona team is no higher than eighth on the Pac-12 rush defense list. While Arizona may be running into a brick wall against the ASU defense, it might be running into sheets of paper the other way around. Whoever gets the running game started first might be looking to get the Cup this year.
Could ASU Go Bowling?
While Arizona has already clinched a bowl berth with their sixth win last week against Utah, the Sun Devils still need that sixth win in order to obtain their bowl eligible status. While ASU still has a game left to play after this matchup with Arizona, they would like to finish the task and get the sixth win in their rivalry game. Plus the sooner they clinch that the better as the conference already hosts eight bowl eligible teams and the sooner they get that status the better chance they may have of getting a better bowl game, though I’m sure for Todd Graham and company any would do at this point. Plus this may be their best chance at the sixth win because a matchup against Cal next week certainly carries with it an air of uneasiness against a Heisman candidate like Jared Goff. The Arizona Wildcats know they are going to get every bead of sweat the Sun Devils can give at this point, and if the Sun Devils can’t do it in this game they may not have enough energy left in them to get that sixth win in their season finale. It is truly do or die time for Graham and his squad.
The game kicks off in Tempe this Saturday at 1:30 PM on FS1.