Both schools entered Friday, Nov. 29, with the same record of 8-3 and were in the College Football Playoff Rankings for the first time since 2014. The Wildcats ranked No. 25, while the Sun Devils ranked No. 20  in the nation. 

Just like in 2014, the Wildcats were the ones hoisting up the Territorial Cup, winning 23-7 and stretching out the series lead to 52-45-1.

The Sun Devils were able to get out into the early lead on a 27-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter by senior quarterback Jeff Sims. However, that was the only bright spot for ASU’s offense, as they didn’t score again for the rest of the game. The offense finished the game with five total turnovers. 

“You can’t have five turnovers," head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “That's pretty it, all the other stuff is kinda irrelevant, can;t have five turnovers and win. You're just not going to win games having five turnovers. Like the most fundamental thing in football.” 

Sims finished the game going 11-25 for 144 yards passing, throwing three interceptions and one lost fumble. Dillingham expressed his pride in the sixth-year senior quarterback, as he came back after last season knowing he was going to be the backup behind 2024 Big 12 Freshman of the Year Sam Leavitt. 

“Jeff (Sims) is three and one as the full time starting quarterback,” Dillingham said. “Jeff is an unbelievable human being, he is an unbelievable person, he has all the ability in the world. I feel for him tonight… He is a guy who is going to be successful in life and I can almost guarantee that… I have so much respect and love and he is just a good human being. I think people need to stop and think and be like man, this dude chose to be a Sun Devil, this dude fought, this dude had 200 yards against Iowa State to keep us alive, this dude battled for Arizona State Football.” 

On the Sun Devils' only scoring drive, leading wide receiver junior Jordyn Tyson left the game due to a lingering injury that he suffered midway through the season and never checked back into the game after that. 

It seemed that when Tyson went down, the offense looked lost and flustered, couldn’t get the passing game or the explosive run going against a Wildcat defense that was giving up around 150 yards rushing per game heading into tonight. 

“The challenge was us,” tight end Chamon Metayer said. “We just had to get out of our own ways by the time we kinda figured it out it was kinda too late, that's just the game of football.”

The Sun Devils' defense was left out on the field for far too long to keep this high-flying Wildcat offense at bay. Arizona’s time of possession was double that of ASU’s time of possession. The Arizona offense had the ball for 40 minutes, while the Sun Devils had it for only 20.  

ASU finished the regular season at 8-4, and after winning the Big 12 title last season, Dillingham said his team came into this year with immense anticipation for what they would do. 

In many people's eyes, this season is looked at as a disappointment. But in some eyes, this is only the beginning for the Sun Devils football program. 

Two seasons ago, this team went 3-9 and has totally flipped the script from Dillingham's first season in Tempe. The culture is changing at ASU, and the players can see it too. 

“It's crazy for real to see the growth of the program,” junior cornerback Keith Abney said. “ First year being 3-9 and it was bad, now we are upset about four losses. I feel like that just shows the change of the culture here… The standard here has changed… We are all just following coach Kenny (Dillingham) and trusting him.” 

Dillingham, on the other hand, praised his players for helping change the culture and standards around the program. 

“These groups of guys right here, they changed an organization,” Dillingham said. “They changed an organization. How many people in life can say they changed an organization?”