Duel in the Desert -Breaking down the matchups

The Duel in the Desert, the Territorial Cup, the
rivalry, the game: Arizona State vs. Arizona. The 85th
meeting between the schools is upon us, as the Wildcats
travel north to take on the Sun Devils in Tempe.

The Wildcats are basically playing for pride, as their
season has gone horribly wrong. The Sun Devils are
playing to stay alive in the race for the Pac-12 South
championship, and possibly to save Dennis Erickson’s job.

Two of our on-staff writers, Adam Green and Vince Marotta
have more than a rooting interest in the game, so they
break down the matchup, and try to keep their “fanhood” at
a minimum in the process.

Vince Marotta (ASU fan)	Adam Green (UA fan)
Sun Devils on offense:The Sun Devils have been extremely consistent on offense this season, as they are averaging 430 yards and 34.7 points per game in Pac-12 play. The passing combination of Brock Osweiler to Gerell Robinson has been rolling as of late, producing four 100-yard games in the last 5 contests. The Sun Devils’ running game goes as Cameron Marshall goes. Marshall had back-to-back 100-yard games against Colorado and UCLA, but sputtered last week in the loss at Pullman with only 37 yards. On paper, it would appear that ASU should have their way when they’ve got possession of the ball as Arizona’s defense has struggled in all areas (ranked 109th in the country).	Wildcats on offense: The Wildcats score, on average, 29.3 points per game. They throw for 368.3 yards per game and have scored fewer than 20 points just twice this year. However, they can’t run the ball and can’t protect the passer. Nick Foles can be great, but without time to find his bevvy of talented receivers he won’t have a chance to pick a vulnerable ASU secondary apart. That’s important because it’s tough to expect much out of the running game, which at 91.2 yards per game ranks 116th in FBS. I will say this: if it comes down to one final drive, my money is on Arizona. People forget how before the tragic ending of last year’s game the QB had led his team to what should have been the game- winning touchdown in the final minute.
Sun Devils on defense: Here’s where things get interesting…ASU’s defense has been downright bad the last two weeks. The Devils have been gashed for 15 plays of 20 yards or more against two pretty average offenses. And those big plays have come in both phases of the defense. The Bruins had 5 running plays of 20-plus yards and Wazzu had 7 pass plays of 20 yards or more. The Devils are banged up, and are vulnerable against Arizona’s potent passing game.	Wildcats on defense: This category pretty much ignores the fact that Arizona doesn’t really have a defense, but we move on. Pass rush? Nope. The Wildcats have just 8 sacks on the year. Stop the run? Not really, as Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon and Stanford can attest to. Oh, and you don’t even want to know about the secondary. In total, the team gives up 36 points per game, and is basically a sieve. RB Cameron Marshall may have his way, or it could be QB Brock Osweiler. ASU’s offense isn’t great, but they sure may look the part Saturday.
Sun Devils on special teams: Jamal Miles is always a threat to take back a kickoff return for a touchdown, but his fumble on a kickoff sealed the Sun Devils’ fate in Pullman. The bigger concern is in the kicking game. After a stretch of making six straight field goals, Alex Garoutte missed three against UCLA, including the potential game-winner and a chip shot 22-yarder last week. As bad as Arizona’s kicking has been for most of the year, they get the advantage with John Bonano, who has connected on 6 of 7 field goal attempts since taking over the job from the two-headed monster of Alex Zendejas and Jaime Salazar.	Wildcats on special teams: Don’t expect anyone from the Old Pueblo to feel bad about ASU and Alex Garoutte’s struggles in the kicking game. This was a sore subject last year and, really, through the first six games of this season. Who could forget Alex Zendejas and his, ummm, struggles? The kicker rebounded from his late-season struggles last year to miss four of 10 extra point attempts this year, but only after he replaced the man who was supposed to replace him, Jaime Salazar, who had made just one of four field goal attempts. Good news, though, as senior John Bonano has taken over the place kicking duties, and has made all 14 of his PAT attempts and is six of seven on field goals. He hasn’t had to make a clutch kick yet.
Sun Devils coaching: Hot seat alert! Dennis Erickson was almost a sure-fire bet for a contract extension two weeks ago. Now, he’s coaching for his job. A loss against a wretched U of A team (led by an interim coach) would likely make Lisa Love’s decision for her. Erickson needs to get to the Pac-12 Championship Game to save his job (in my humble opinion).	Wildcats coaching: The Sun Devils may be on the verge of firing their coach, a move the Wildcats made just more than one month ago. Mike Stoops went 3-4 against ASU, but it was his record against everyone else that got him the boot. Enter Tim Kish, the defensive coordinator- turned-interim coach who has guided the team to a 1-3 record. He won’t be back next year, so the players will have to be motivated simply by playing their rivals and hoping to put something good on film for the next coach.
Prediction: This game will be the polar opposite of LSU-Alabama. This year’s showdown for the Territorial Cup is defense optional. Talent reigns in the end, and ASU will prevail, 49-41.	Prediction: The Wildcats will hang around for a bit but it won’t look pretty. Nick Foles will be under pressure most of the game and the defense will get shredded by ASU’s dink-and-dunk pass attack. This will be like the games I remember the teams playing when I was in school. A comfortable 24-14 ASU win in which neither team looks particularly impressive.

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