Jaelen Strong is pushed out of bounds by two University of Arizona players during the 2013 season. (Photo by Arianna Grainey)
With possibly the biggest Territorial Cup in history quickly approaching, The State Press asked UA's student-newspaper, The Daily Wildcat to give us up north some perspective from down south.
Sports editor Roberto Payne graced us with his answers, covering everything from quarterback Anu Solomon to linebacker Scooby Wright. Despite the loss of All-American running back Ka'Deem Carey, the Wildcats have seen their most successful season since 1998, thanks to Solomon and Wright.
Here are The Daily Wildcat's answers:
State Press: UA went 4-5 in conference games last season and is 6-2 this season. What's been the key to the turn around?
Daily Wildcat: As much as I want to say it's Anu Solomon's emergence or a defense that has taken bend but don't break to a whole new level, I have to go a different direction. The clear answer is luck. The Wildcats had no business coming back against Cal, taking down Oregon on the road or even clawing all the way back against USC. Lady luck has been on Arizona's side this season.
SP: Anu Solomon, as a first-year starter at quarterback, has been quite the sensation. But he's a little banged up heading into the Territorial Cup. What's his status for the game, and if he does play, what does ASU have to do to contain him?
DW: Even if I knew his status, I wouldn't tell you. In all seriousness, if anyone outside of the Arizona football program knows Solomon's status, let me know. Rich Rod is as tight lipped as ever. As for stopping him, it doesn't take a genius to realize that pressure is always detrimental for younger QBs. I expect a lot of six or seven man rushes from ASU.
SP: It seems like Scooby Wright isn't getting nearly the national attention that he should be with the season he's having. How big of a star is he around Tucson? What does he bring to the Wildcat defense?
DW: Not enough national attention? You did see the ESPN article about him the other day, right? He's getting plenty of publicity. In my opinion, two-star Scoob doesn't care for any of the attention, anyway. All he cares about is sacking QBs and racking up tackles, to the tune of 127 tackles and 12 sacks. He is the heart and soul of the Arizona defense.
SP: Each team is fairly well-rounded, with talent on both offense and defense. How do you see the game playing out: a shootout or defensive struggle?
DW: I could see the game playing out both ways, but I'm not sure if it's fair to pick one extreme. There will be moments where each offense will go on great drives, and moments where each defense makes huge plays. I'll take the easy way out and say it's a little bit of both.
SP: What's the attitude around the team and around campus ahead of the Territorial Cup?
DW: As you all in Tempe probably know, seemingly no one likes the Sun Devils in Tucson. Some students may be going home for Thanksgiving, but there will be plenty of angry UA fans in the stands as the ball is kicked off. One word to describe the atmosphere before Friday's game? Agitated.
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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