Arizona Preview
A trying 2023 campaign will end with ASU trying to return the Territorial Cup to Tempe. They will, however, face an in-state rival on a five-game winning streak, enjoying one of their best seasons in recent memory. Here’s our examination of the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona Offense
When Arizona landed transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura from Washington State prior to the 2022 season, presumably many Wildcat fans thought they found their QB of the future – but it appears that future might have only lasted just a few games beyond a full season.
Prior to the end of the first half of the season, Noah Fifita was inserted into the starting lineup at quarterback and since that point he has proven to be one of the most effective and efficient passers in the nation. Presumably, the Wildcats have their QB1 for the next few years.
On the year, Fifita has thrown 18 touchdowns with four interceptions and in his past seven games as a starter, he averages 274.1 passing yards per game. He has a trio of 300-yard passing games and four games with at least three touchdown passes, including a five-touchdown outing against USC.
Fifita also ranks among the nation’s most efficient passers as he is fourth nationally in completion percentage (73.6%) and 15th nationally in pass efficiency.
Though the pass game and especially the talented wide receivers get most of the headlines for the Arizona offense, running back Jonah Coleman has had an outstanding year as he ranks fifth nationally in yards per carry (7.07) as he has rushed 118 times for 834 yards with four touchdowns while also catching 23 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. He has had two of his three best single-game efforts of the season in the past two games, as he had 90 yards on 14 carries last week against Utah and 179 yards on 11 carries the previous week against Colorado.
Michael Wiley, who missed about a month of action from late September to late October, has 226 rushing yards with one score along with 26 receptions for 271 yards and four touchdowns.
Also in the backfield, DJ Williams has 345 rushing yards on 79 carries with four touchdowns.
Few teams in the conference – or the nation, for that matter – boast a wide receiver duo as potent as Arizona’s combo of Tetairoa McMillan and Jacob Cowing.
McMillan should pass the 1,000-yard mark this weekend as he enters this game with 976 yards on 69 receptions with nine scores. He ranks 16th nationally in receiving yards per game and has four 100-yard outings this season including each of the past two contests.
Cowing leads the team with 10 touchdown catches and 74 receptions, though the yardage isn’t extremely high at 539 total receiving yards (7.3 yards per catch). Cowing, who ranks 16th nationally in receptions per game, has had eight or more receptions in six of 11 games played this season, but only has five total catches for 29 yards across the past two games.
Outside the duo of Cowing and McMillan, Colorado transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig is the only other receiver with double-digit receptions as he has 26 catches for 282 yards with three scores.
At tight end, Tanner McLachlan continues to be one of the conference’s most productive performers at his position as he has 35 receptions for 440 yards with two scores this season.
Along the offensive line, Arizona has a group of big, talented blockers headlined by Jordan Morgan, a potential first few round NFL Draft prospect.
Arizona Offense Summary
Statistically, especially with the emergence of Fifita, Arizona has risen into the top 20-40 in the nation in multiple key categories such as pass offense (21st, 284.3), total offense (28th) and scoring offense (36th). The Wildcats are exceptionally dangerous in the red zone, as they rank ninth nationally in red zone offense.
Ultimately, this is a well-balanced offense with a highly efficient quarterback, a dynamic running back, a receiver-tight end trio that is highly capable and a big, effective offensive line. For ASU to be successful, the pass coverage must be disciplined and, most importantly, the Sun Devils will have to get to Fifita and repeatedly rattle him.
Arizona Defense
On the defensive line, Michigan transfer Taylor Upshaw and Georgia transfer Bill Norton along with Isaiah Ward and Tyler Manoa have been the most productive players for Arizona this season.
Upshaw has team-highs of 10.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks as part of his 27 total tackles, while Norton also has 27 tackles along with two forced fumbles. Ward has 24 tackles including 4.0 for loss with 3.0 sacks, while Manoa has 22 tackles with a sack on the year.
Jacob Manu and Oregon transfer Justin Flowe have been the top performing linebackers for Arizona, especially Manu, who should very well exceed the century mark in tackles for the year this weekend as he has 98 tackles including 8.5 for loss with 5.5 sacks. Flowe has 42 tackles including 2.0 for loss with a sack.
At cornerback, Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock along with Treydan Stukes have exceled as Davis is among the nation’s leaders with 14 pass breakups and has 24 total tackles. Prysock has 54 tackles and an interception, while Stukes has 42 tackles with eight pass breakups.
At safety, Dalton Johnson ranks second on the team with 65 tackles including 4.0 for loss with 2.0 sacks and a team-high three forced fumbles and Gunner Maldonado ranks third on the team with 62 tackles.
Martell Irby has also been a key contributor in the secondary with 26 tackles on the year.
Arizona Defense Summary
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Arizona’s turnaround this year is the emergence of its defense as the Wildcats rank 13th in the nation in rush defense (101.1), tie for 29th nationally in team sacks per game, tie for 33rd nationally in scoring defense and rank 39th in total defense. Similar to the Arizona offense, its defense clamps down when it matters most as the Wildcats are tied for 12th nationally in red zone defense.
Simply put but much easier said than done, ASU will have to generate one of its best offensive days of the year in order to mount a viable attack against the Arizona defense.
Arizona Special Teams
In the kick game, punter Kyle Ostendorp averages 41.43 yards on 28 punts, while Tyler Loop has connected on 15-of-19 field goal attempts on the year.
Jacob Cowing averages 5.3 yards on 10 punt returns, while several Wildcats have seen time as kickoff returners, all of which average under 20 yards per return.
Overall Summary
The 97th installment of the Territorial Cup rivalry pits a top-20 Arizona team against a struggling Arizona State squad that would love nothing more than to end its 2023 season with an upset victory to serve as a catapult into the offseason.
Not since 2011 has Arizona won in Tempe and ASU will try to prevent the Wildcats from winning back-to-back games in this rivalry series for only the third time since 1996 (1997-98, 2008-09).
Though Friday’s game between Oregon and Oregon State will provide conclusive knowledge, at this point the Wildcats still can earn a place in the Pac-12 Championship game against Washington with a Duck loss and a win of their own over the Sun Devils.
The Wildcats enter this game as hot as they’ve been in nearly a decade, as they’re on the heels of a five-game win streak and a dismantling of Utah last week – of course, the same Utah team that decimated Arizona State a few weeks ago.
ASU, a gritty but beleaguered team, will have to summon an emotional advantage and mix creativity with effectiveness to counter the balanced offensive and defensive attack of the Wildcats.
Familiar Faces
· ASU assistant coach Vince Amey coached at Arizona from 2012-17
· ASU assistant coach Charlie Ragle coached at Arizona from 2012-16
· ASU analyst Bobby Wade played at Arizona from 1999-2002
· ASU analyst Pierre Cormier played at Arizona in 2013
· Arizona assistant coach Scottie Graham was an associate athletic director at ASU from 2014-20
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