Arizona Wildcats hold off ASU Sun Devils to take Pac-12 South crown: By the Numbers

It was one of the most-hyped Territorial Cup games heading into Friday, and the on-field action didn't disappoint.

Nov 29, 2014, 1:01 AM Updated: 1:29 am

It was one of the most-hyped Territorial Cup games heading into Friday, and the on-field action didn’t disappoint.

Arizona State and the University of Arizona went back and forth in the first half in Tucson, but the No. 11 Wildcats scored two touchdowns early in the third quarter and held the upper hand for the remainder of the contest.

The game wasn’t without tension though, as No. 13 ASU kept in close range and threatened to tie the score on its final drive.

Arizona was able to hold on by a final of 42-35, improving to 10-2 on the season (7-2 in conference) and taking the Pac-12 South crown — thanks to Stanford’s upset of No. 8 UCLA about an hour earlier. UA will face Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game for bragging rights in the conference.

ASU fell to 9-3 (6-3 in the Pac-12) with the loss, and will have to wait for its bowl placement to find out which program it will face next.

Here’s a look a Friday’s thriller, by the numbers:

– 49

Both starting quarterbacks were in the negatives for rushing yards Friday. ASU’s Taylor Kelly lost two yards on 12 carries, while Wildcats QB Anu Solomon was -47 yards on nine attempts. It was the second time this season that Solomon was in the negatives on the ground.

2 (part I)

Arizona broke a two-game losing streak to its in-state rival. The Wildcats also avenged last year’s 58-21 drubbing in Tempe.

2 (part II)

The home team in this Territorial Cup series has now won the last two games. Prior to this streak, the visitors had won four in a row.

3 of 8

Even with the win, UA has only won three of its last eight contests against ASU at Arizona Stadium.

4

UA’s Nick Wilson, a true freshman, had his fourth big game in a row, compiling 178 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against the Sun Devils. The 5-foot-10 running back now is up to 1,263 rushing yards on the year and 15 touchdowns on 204 carries, which puts him at an average of more than six yards per rush.

10

A win would have marked ASU’s second season in a row starting out 10-2. Unfortunately, Todd Graham’s group lost in both the Pac-12 Championship game and the Holiday Bowl to finish 10-4 last year. The program now just has one chance left to win 10 games in back-to-back campaigns.

35:54

Despite the loss, ASU had a noticeable advantage in time of possession, as the team was in control of the ball for 35:54 — as opposed to the UA offense having the ball for 24:06.

36

UA recorded an impressive seven sacks on the day, including two by Scooby Wright III, and is now up to 36 on the season. Compare that to the 24 the Wildcats had as a group last season, and the 16 they had the year before.

48

Friday was the 88th time the two programs have met, and Arizona picked up its 48th win in the series. The Wildcats have a 48-39-1 advantage overall.

71.4

Solomon didn’t air it out too often, but he was efficient. The freshman quarterback completed 15 of his 21 passes (a 71.4 percent completion rate) for 208 yards and two touchdowns, both to sophomore wide receiver Samajie Grant, with no interceptions.

Below is Solomon’s 69-yard hook-up with Grant in the first quarter that broke a 7-7 tie.

123 (part I)

Mike Bercovici replaced Kelly late in the third quarter and kept the Sun Devils in the game with two touchdown drives in five opportunities. Bercovici finished with 123 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception while completing 14-of-22 throws. Kelly, meanwhile, had a similar line of 13-of-22 for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

123 (part II)

UA nearly gave the game away with penalty after penalty. The defense was responsible for multiple pass interference infractions, especially when trying to guard ASU junior Jaelen Strong. Overall, Arizona had nine penalties for 123 yards, while the Sun Devils had just three for 15 yards.