Sun Devils face Wildcats with a shot at the Big 12 championship at stake
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ASU quarterback Jeff Sims and UofA quarterback Noah Fifita. Photos: Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images and Chris Gardner/Getty Images
There may be more on the line than bragging rights in the fight for the Territorial Cup on Friday.
The big picture: The Sun Devils still have a shot at returning to the Big 12 championship game, one of four teams that still has a path to the conference title, but no matter what else happens, they need to beat UofA.
- While the Wildcats have no chance at the conference crown, a win over ASU would boost their chances of playing in a better bowl game.
The intrigue: If ASU beats UofA, the Sun Devils still need some help to snag a spot in the conference championship game.
- They need multiple other teams to lose this weekend, per the Big 12 — BYU and Utah, Texas Tech and Utah, or BYU and Texas Tech.
- If they don't make it to the playoffs, they could reach the Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl or LA Bowl.
Meanwhile, a victory over ASU would give the Cats nine wins for only the third time in the past quarter century — they had 10-win seasons in 2014 and 2023.
- Various projections have UofA in contention to play in the Sun Bowl, LA Bowl, Tony the Tiger Bowl or in front of the hometown crowd at the Snoop Arizona Dogg Bowl.
- ASU and UofA are both bowl-eligible going into their annual rivalry game for the first time since 2017.
Catch up quick: The Sun Devils were projected to be one of the better teams in the Big 12 this year, but injuries have tripped them up, particularly to star quarterback Sam Leavitt, who suffered a season-ending foot injury last month.
- Nonetheless, ASU has shone with big wins over Texas Tech and TCU.
- UofA was expected to be one of the worst teams in the conference, but surprised the naysayers and won four straight, including a win over a ranked Cincinnati squad.
Who to watch: ASU running back Raleek Brown is coming off a career game against Colorado with 255 rushing yards, the third-most in Sun Devils history.
- Jeff Sims, who stepped into Leavitt's starting spot, is also a threat on the ground, setting an ASU quarterback rushing record against Iowa State with 228 yards.
- Quarterback Noah Fifita has been a big part of the Cats' success, and they'll likely need a strong game from him to beat the Sun Devils.
- On the other side of the ball, UofA has established itself as one of the nation's better defensive teams, particularly in the season's second half.
The bottom line: Both teams have something to play for, but there's a lot more at stake for ASU than UofA in this year's rivalry game.
What's next: They face off in Tempe at 7pm Friday.