Arizona Football will host ASU this Saturday in what is the closest thing to a playoff game.
If the Wildcats win the Territorial Cup Game, they'll be bowl eligible, and their season will be extended by at least three weeks. A Wildcats loss, and it is the final game for this year's seniors.
"This is a huge week for the city of Tucson," said senior wide receiver Tony Ellison. "They're the team up north, and we have to beat them. There's a lot of hype around this game. It's my senior season, and I'd like to put the Block A on one more time."
Arizona State is already bowl eligible, and will be playing for a more prestigious game. The home team has won the past five games, including ASU's victory in Tempe last year. There are two new coaches to the rivalry with Herm Edwards and Arizona's Kevin Sumlin.
"It's the fun part of it, when you get a rivalry game like this," said Edwards. "We have the Cup and we're trying to keep the Cup."
"I talked to people here in town, and learned how important it is to bring the Cup back," said Sumlin. "You get a real good sense of the intensity level that's coming."
Arizona running back J.J. Taylor is fourth in the nation with 169.4 all-purpose yards per game. The Sun Devils feature wide receiver N'Keal Harry, a likely first round NFL draft pick.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series 49-41-1. The game is considered the nation's oldest rivalry. This year's contest kicks off at 1:30.
