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Arizona Wildcats vs Arizona State Sun Devils Football Preview

The Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils annually play for the Big Game trophy, and they will do so with the savage intensity belonging to a bitter and brutal rivalry between two schools that hold each other in contempt.

The Sun Devils still have an outside shot at a bowl, though their hopes are very dim. Arizona State is 5-6 and can get to .500 with a win this Thursday on the road in Tucson, but because ASU played FCS opponents, it would not be in the front of the line for a bowl game if it had a 6-6 record. Nevertheless, avoiding a losing season is definitely a goal for a team that has been up and down in 2010, but possesses the ability to make top teams sweat.

Arizona State played Oregon tough earlier in the season, losing 42-31 to the Ducks despite committing seven turnovers. If ASU had committed “only” four turnovers on that night in Tempe, it might have upended Oregon. Arizona State was physical with the Ducks that night and moved the ball consistently between the 20-yard lines. It was in or near the red zone when ASU faltered, as interception-prone quarterback Steven Threet tossed too many wayward aerials into the hands of Oregon defenders. Nevertheless, that game showed ASU can compete with the very best in the Pac-10 Conference. Similarly, a narrow 17-13 loss to Stanford in another grueling and hard-fought game indicated that coach Dennis Erickson’s team really does have a lot of talent and ability. If ASU can simply put the pieces together in this game – much as it did in a 55-34 win over UCLA on Nov. 26 – we could definitely witness an upset win by the road team on Thursday.

While Arizona State sometimes looks like a good team, however, Arizona is much more consistent. Unlike the Sun Devils, the Wildcats were able to take care of business in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Arizona toppled Iowa and trounced Toledo all while Arizona State fell at Wisconsin. In conference play, Arizona turned back California while ASU lost by 33 points to a Golden Bear club that, at 5-7, will miss a bowl game this season. Arizona stands in third place in the Pac-10 and has been the third-best team in the league after co-juggernauts Oregon and Stanford. Playing this game on home turf near the Old Pueblo in Tucson, Coach Mike Stoops’ club should be primed to deliver one last solid performance and tuck away a decent bowl bid for the conference.

One big advantage Arizona will have in this game is that its veteran quarterback, Nick Foles, will be ready to go under center, while ASU will have to send out backup Brock Osweiler to do the honors. In a late-season rivalry game, having the experienced hand at the controls will benefit Arizona.

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This game is usually very close. Arizona State has the talent and the physicality to play Arizona on very even terms and eventually pull off the upset. However, ASU has a reputation for being unable to stand prosperity. The Sun Devils rarely string together back-to-back masterpieces, so after their 21-point thumping of UCLA, they’ll be challenged to play well just six days later on the road.

Who will prevail in this nasty Southwestern feud? It’s a duel at 10 paces near the Old Pueblo. Cue the Ennio Morricone music if you must.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer