Arizona and Arizona State in top form heading into Territorial Cup

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Territorial Cup will be full of juice this year.

A rivalry dating back to the McKinley presidency will take on considerable intensity Friday night, when Arizona takes on Arizona State in one of the most anticipated Territorial Cup games in a decade.

Both teams are on the rise, both still have a lot to play for and, yes, they still don’t like each other.

“Rivalry games have so many things that make them so fun and exciting, but when two teams come together and both play good football, it adds a little more juice,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said.

The Territorial Cup has been littered with lopsided victories in recent years — most recently Arizona State’s 49-7 victory in Tucson — as programs have struggled to find a consistent footing.

This year will be different.

Arizona State just won its first College Football Playoff and is still in contention for another — albeit by a long shot — despite a litany of injuries this season in its third year under coach Kenny Dillingham.

Arizona enjoyed a major rise in its second season under Brennan, riding a four-game winning streak after winning four games all of last season.

The result: The rivals both have eight wins heading into the Territorial Cup match for the first time since 2014.

“It’s great to see this game played with two really good football teams,” Dillingham said. “I think that’s what you want. You want this game to count. It’s great that it counts.”

Dillingham did his part in bringing the Sun Devils back into the national spotlight.

Arizona State weathered an injury-ravaged 3-9 debut season under the ASU alumnus in 2023 before putting together one of the program’s best seasons.

Led by quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cam Skattebo, the Sun Devils won the Big 12 championship in their first season in the league and reached the CFP for the first time last year.

Skattebo is now in the NFL and Leavitt suffered a season-ending foot injury in early November, but Arizona State continued to find ways to win.

Quarterback Jeff Sims has filled in well for Leavitt and the Sun Devils (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) still have a chance to play in the Big 12 championship game again after knocking out Colorado 42-17 last week. Arizona State’s rise and Dillingham’s enthusiasm have ignited a sometimes jaded fan base over the years, leading to sellout crowds at every home game this season.

“It certainly makes things more exciting for the fans, knowing that both teams are playing good football – and I think that’s what it should be,” Brennan said. “You want these games to have a big impact.”

Brennan engineered a similar turnaround the second year in Tucson.

The former San Jose State coach inherited a program after a 10-win season under coach Jedd Fisch, but struggled to gain traction during his first season in Tucson. But after finishing 4-8 last year, the Wildcats (8-3, 5-3) turned things around behind dynamic quarterback Noah Fifita and a stifling defense that is among the best in the country after being one of the worst a year ago.

“They’re playing as good football, in our league, as anyone right now,” Dillingham said.

So did the Sun Devils, adding plenty of juice to the Territorial Cup.

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