QB-WR duos for ASU, Arizona are the most intriguing matchup in Territorial Cup

TEMPE — For a Territorial Cup matchup that has seen ASU and Arizona experience very different seasons, there’s been one constant between both teams: elite wide receivers who have rich chemistry with their signal caller.

With Arizona comes the more established duo in Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan, who excelled together in high school before making the jump to Arizona where McMillan is now the program’s all-time leading receiver and a Biletnikoff award finalist.

The Tucson tandem picked up last year’s rivalry win in a big way, with McMillan hauling in 11 catches for 266 yards and one touchdown from Fifita’s 527 yards and five touchdowns.

Meanwhile ASU’s Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson are in their first season together and have hit their stride over the last seven games. Tyson’s 749 receiving yards over the stretch lead the nation, one yard above McMillan’s 748.

“I actually haven’t really looked at it like that, but that’s a fair point,” Leavitt said after practice on Tuesday when asked if he’s looking to prove the duo’s supremacy. “I kind of go into every game like that if the quarterback’s rated above me or the offense is supposedly better than ours or anything like that.

“I feel like we’re always counted out and we just keep proving people wrong.”

Leavitt has the second-best PFF grade among Big 12 quarterbacks (min. 150 drop backs) behind only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. He also has the best overall grade among all FBS freshmen (redshirt or true) at 88.2.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Tyson later added about McMillan. “Not too much to comment on, but he’s a good receiver.”

Although Leavitt wasn’t around for last year’s matchup, Tyson was, and he hasn’t forgotten what Arizona did.

“Just them showing no mercy for us,” Tyson said. “So I feel like we gotta do the same thing this year.”

When Fifita and McMillan decided to stick around in Tucson despite a mass exodus to Washington along with Jedd Fisch, it placed them in rarified air and was the biggest reason why the Wildcats had such lofty expectations coming into the year.

He has the most receiving yards among Power 4 players this season, with his 1,251 yards well ahead of second-place Tai Felton of Maryland (1,097).

“Golly, this dude’s unbelievable,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham on Monday said of McMillan. “He is incredible, and they have a remarkable connection … and they still have that ability and it still flashes. They still score points in bunches. When they get momentum, they’re still extremely dangerous as a football team. I think those two do have something special.”

Arizona coach Brent Brennan on Wednesday told reporters he believes both Wildcats will be remembered “as legends.”

“I think they’ll be remembered as guys that were incredible football players and also outstanding people in the community,” Brennan said. “To me, there’s not a better receiver in the country than T-Mac. I think he should win the Biletnikoff award, I hope he does. His consistency … and the relationship him and Noah have, I don’t think there’s any reason they shouldn’t be remembered forever here.”

Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward called Fifita the best quarterback the Sun Devils have seen all year, while noting he was the best quarterback they saw all of the prior season too.

“The receiver is fantastic. He just finds ways to get open,” Ward said on Wednesday, praising McMillan’s ability to get open no matter the coverage. “We got to be real specific with how we play those guys and put our game plan around really stopping and defending this offense.”

Saturday’s Territorial Cup is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. MST kickoff on FOX. Listen to play-by-play coverage on 98.7 FM, the Arizona Sports app, or online with State of the Sun Devils pregame coverage beginning at 10:30 a.m.