It’s the oldest college football rivalry in the country and considerably the most anticipated game of the school year.
The dual in the desert extends far beyond the players themselves. The fight for the Territorial Cup brings in a plethora of alumni from both schools. It additonally brings out the mischievous side of fanatic students, even going so far as to vandalize eachother’ symbols.
Yesterday it seemed as if “Hate Week” officially begun after a few ASU students traveled down to Tucson to pull a prank on the Wildcats.
While tonight, anxious Sun Devils will begin pitching their tents along Wells Fargo Arena, otherwise known as Camp Fargo.
But before you find yourself sleeping on ASU’s concrete for a night or two, here are the top five things to expect about the ASU and U of A rivalry as told by sports journalist, Braiden Bell.
Braiden Bell (right), Cronkite Sports
Expect the unexpected – With players, coaches and fans going crazy, something unusual always seems to happen when the Sun Devils and Wildcats go at it. And because the games are usually tightly contested, these unusual plays can change the course of the entire game. Consider the 2010 Territorial Cup; the score was 20-14 with just 32 seconds to play. Arizona scored a touchdown tying the game up. The Wildcats only needed an extra point to seal the deal. When U of A kicker Alex Zendejas booted the PAT up before it was blocked by ASU. The block sent the game into overtime where the impossible repeated itself. In the second overtime, U of A scored yet again and only needed to hit the extra point to force a third overtime. Once again, Zendejas’ kick was blocked by James Brooks giving the Sun Devils the remarkable win in Tucson. To block an extra point in a pressure situation like that even once is remarkable but to do it twice in one game proves that you should always expect the unexpected.
The location of the game doesn’t matter – It’s a phrase used often in football, “that’s why you play the games,” but in the Territorial Cup it truly holds meaning. Visiting teams usually have success in this series. For example, Arizona has won in nearly half of it’s trips to Tempe, and ASU is 5-3 in it’s last eight trips to Tucson. Perhaps it’s the specific mindset the visiting team holds while going into rival territory that pumps them up but either way it’s a rare statistic that the Duel in the Desert possess.
History Rules in the Desert – The first meeting between these two schools was back in 1899 when the same trophy was awarded to Tempe Normal School for defeating the University of Arizona. This matchup is the oldest rivalry in college football and some argue that it’s the most heated in the entire country. Show up to the game Saturday knowing that the winner of this game will have bragging rights for 365 days over their rivals.
No Blowouts Here – One thing the Territorial Cup almost guarantees is a close game. Consider this remarkable statistic, ASU and U of A have played 88 times over the years. That means these two squads have played nearly 11,280 minutes over the years. Throughout all of that time U of A has outscored ASU 1,861-1,801. If you do the math that means the average over the 88 year history of this rivalry has 21.1 to 20.4. Many things have changed throughout the years but the competitive games in this between these two teams never has.
Revenge on Tap – 2014 was arguably the most important Territorial Cup of all time with both teams being ranked inside the Top 15 nationally. The winner of the game also clinched the PAC 12 South and a spot in the PAC 12 Championship Game. Arizona came out on top last season in Tucson and broke the hearts of Sun Devil Nation. Even though the 2015 season has been a disappointment for ASU, a win over the Wildcats would make things a little sweeter and give the players and fans a little revenge.