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In the Territorial Cup, ties run deep – it’s been that way since 1899. Locally based or not, this one always means more to those who are involved, and on Saturday evening against the Arizona Wildcats (1-11, 1-8 Pac-12), it was the homegrown talent that truly made a difference on both sides of the ball, helping Arizona State (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) cruise to a 38-15 victory in front of the Sun Devil faithful.
“This is the kind of game that’s the game, and you understand it when you get here,” head coach Herm Edwards said. “You hear the former players talk about it, and the fans talk about it. It’s interesting, there’s a lot of history.”
The first local Sun Devil to get his feet wet in the 2021 Territorial Cup was junior receiver Ricky Pearsall, easily the most consistent receiving option for junior quarterback Jayden Daniels across ASU’s 12 games played this season. On 1st-and-10 from the Arizona 14-yard line, Pearsall ran to his right out of the ASU backfield before catching a quick pass from Daniels. The Corona Del Sol graduate made a man miss and dragged two Wildcats into the endzone with him.
In the third quarter, offensive coordinator Zak Hill looked to get Pearsall involved again and test the accuracy of this quarterback after a few challenging performances throwing the ball in recent weeks.
On 2nd and 4, once again from the Arizona 14-yard line, Pearsall scampered down the right-side hash, Daniels eyeing him the entire way. Halfway to the endzone, Pearsall cut right, moving into the fade route, as Daniels slung the pigskin in his direction. The pass was perfectly placed to Pearsall’s back shoulder, and the receiver rotated and leaped into the air. The pigskin smacked against his Adidas gloves as he rotated and planted his feet into the earth. Touchdown.
For a struggling Daniels, it was one of his best throws across the entire season.
“We’ve been talking about overall balance and finishing the throw, with Jayden being able to keep his eyes downfield with progression rates and things like that,” Hill said. “That was one where we knew we had a target; we had the look we wanted, and we were able to take advantage of it.”
“I think Jayden is a very good thrower. It’s fun to see Ricky get in the endzone and see Jayden throw that one.”
Pearsall also had a big day from a blocking perspective, paving the way for numerous key runs from the Sun Devil offense, but no run was more significant than ASU’s momentum-builder coming out of halftime.
A broken play from scrimmage, Daniels hustled around in the pocket on 2nd-and-10 from the Arizona 48-yard line. Facing pressure, the junior dual-threat tucked the pigskin and ran in the way that only Jayden Daniels can. Daniels ran for about 35 yards, then cut to his left behind a big block from Pearsall. He beat another defender to the edge for an extra 10 yards before picking up one more block from redshirt senior running back Rachaad White at the 10-yard line. Nothing but green grass laid in front of him for another Sun Devil touchdown.
“Without (the blocking receivers and O-line), we wouldn’t have a 1000-plus yard running back,” Daniels said, referring to White’s season total. “It’s coming out there and imposing our will and being more physical. That showed. (Arizona) said they were going to punch us in the mouth, and that didn’t happen. We punched them in the mouth, and you see who has the Cup at the end of the day.”
Across recent years, there are always several ASU players who manage to shine brighter when the Territorial Cup is on the line, standing taller than the rest. Graduate student defensive end Tyler Johnson is one of two ASU poster boys for beating the Wildcats, cementing his legacy on the game on Saturday afternoon.
On 3rd-and-4 from the UA 34, Arizona attempted its third trick play of the day, but the defense completely blew up the Wildcats’ attempt. Graduate student cornerback and The Bob Moran MVP of The Territorial Cup, Jack Jones, sacked Wildcat freshman quarterback Will Plummer and the ball popped free. Rolling towards the ASU endzone, Johnson, the fumble-scooping specialist after his play against Washington and his history with recovering fumbles against the Wildcats, seemed to push the ball towards the endzone as he struggled to pick up the pigskin. He was ruled down at the one-yard line before White went over the top to secure the six points. Johnson finished the contest with three tackles, one for a loss and a sack.
“When I saw Jack coming full speed and grabbed onto (the quarterback), I had to slow down because I would’ve thrown Jack off his track,” Johnson recalled. “As he’s going to the ground, I was seeing if he was going to break the tackle or not, then the pigskin was on the floor. I tried to get it, but I didn’t get full control of it until I got in the endzone!”
Other local talent who contributed heavily on defense were the Soelle Brothers – graduate student linebacker Kyle and redshirt freshman linebacker Connor. With normal starters senior Darien Butler and senior Merlin Robertson out due to injury, Connor and his Saguaro High School running mate redshirt freshman linebacker Will Shaffer, “Sag U” claimed all three linebackers on the field.
“Being homegrown, this Cup means a lot to us,” Kyle began. “If you don’t win the Cup, it’s not a good season, so it’s a big thing for our pride, our state, and our hometown to keep this Cup here, and we did that today, and we will continue to do that in the future.”
“It’s definitely a special feeling,” Connor agreed. “Being able to see both Kyle and Will through high school just embrace and understand the grind and become the players they are today, it’s super special to play beside them in such an important game. The Territorial Cup is the game that everybody strives to win at the end of the year, and we got the dub.”
Kyle finished the game with six tackles, one for a loss and two pass breakups, which should have been interceptions. Connor wasn’t far behind with five tackles on the night.
Some of the Arizona State players grew up watching Sun Devil Football, and for them, players like graduate student cornerback Chase Lucas, the other ASU face of the Cup, there’s no better feeling, especially after he takes his fifth Territorial Cup victory alongside Johnson.
“It’s like a dream come true,” the Chandler native said. “Ever since I knew about ASU vs. U of A, I came to this game as a little kid. Just seeing this rivalry - the fights, the chirpiness, people talking about it all the time – that’s what makes this rivalry such a good thing… I remember when I was a little kid, and I used to try and ask for the players’ gloves and handshakes.”
The all-time leader in games played for Arizona State, Lucas finishes his Territorial Cup career with 24 tackles, one for a loss, and three pass breakups against the Wildcats. Out of all the memories, though, Lucas doesn’t just focus on one – he cherishes them all and the fact he got to share them with his teammates.
“We would do anything for each other; that’s how I feel about all the guys up here,” Lucas said, motioning to his teammates sitting beside him. “That’s how I feel about the hundred guys in the locker room, and I think (sharing the wins with them) will be my best memory from our time here.”
