This summer, each member of the Star sports team will assemble a list of the five most memorable Arizona games they’ve covered since joining the beat. This week, Justin Spears is reflecting on five football and men’s basketball games (head to the bottom of this story to see Nos. 2-5 on Justin's list):
Spears’ No. 1:
Arizona State drubs Arizona 70-7 for Territorial Cup, ends Kevin Sumlin’s tenure as head coach
What went down: ASU knocks Arizona and the Kevin Sumlin era out of its misery with a 70-7 drubbing at the conclusion of a truncated season impacted by the pandemic on Dec. 11, 2020, at Arizona Stadium.
What we wrote at the time: After a historically bad performance against their biggest rivals on national TV — the culmination of a three-year descent — questions abound about the Arizona Wildcats football program.
The biggest one: Will Kevin Sumlin still be their coach by the time you read this?
Arizona hit rock bottom against Arizona State on Friday night. The Wildcats lost 70-7 to the Sun Devils — the largest margin of defeat for the UA in 94 Territorial Cup matchups. Arizona twice has lost to ASU by 47 points — in 1951 and ’58.
Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin, right, walks offensive lineman Woody Jean off the field in the final moments of the Wildcats' 70-7 loss against Arizona State at Arizona Stadium on Dec. 11, 2020.
Arizona was down 14-0 less than a minute into the game, and it only got worse from there. The Wildcats gave up a touchdown on the opening kickoff, committed seven turnovers and got stopped four times on fourth down.
Based on practice and pregame preparation, Sumlin thought his team was ready to play. Clearly, that was not the case.
“No matter what your emotional level is,” Sumlin said, “when you turn the ball over like that, particularly early in the game, with short fields, it’s not a good recipe.”
Arizona’s school-record losing streak reached 12 games. The Wildcats are 0-5 for the first time in program history. The 1957 Cats, who finished 1-8-1, didn’t post a victory until their next-to-last game, but they opened that season with a tie.
Arizona running back Gary Brightwell, left, loses his grip on a pitch as Arizona State defensive back Evan Fields closes in in the first minute of the first quarter of their Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium on Dec. 11, 2020. The Sun Devils would recover and score on the next play.
Arizona lost its fourth game in a row in the series for the first time in more than 40 years (1975-78). Sumlin fell to 0-3 against Herm Edwards, whose hiring in December 2017 was ridiculed as much as Sumlin’s was praised a little over a month later.
Sumlin’s record at Arizona fell to 9-20. His winning percentage of .310 is the second worst for any UA coach who has presided over at least 20 games.
Sumlin has two years left on his contract. His buyout would be $7.5 million if he were let go before mid-January. Like most athletic programs during the pandemic, the UA faces a significant revenue shortfall this year. But Athletic Director Dave Heeke might not have a choice after Friday’s result.
Sumlin said he isn’t concerned about his job status.
“It’s what we sign up for,” he said. “It’s a tough deal. But as a coach, you can’t approach life, your team, anything like that. We’ve just gotta keep working at it. That’s what I’m gonna do.”
Arizona State running back Rachaad White (3) runs over Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes (34) in the third quarter of their Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium on Dec. 11, 2020.
— Michael Lev
Player of the game: ASU running back Jackson He put the final stamp on the Sun Devils’ win with a 1-yard touchdown run, becoming the first known Chinese-born player to score a touchdown at the FBS level.
By the numbers: 56 — seconds it took for ASU to jump out to a 14-0 lead. The Sun Devils returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, then, after current New York Giant Gary Brightwell fumbled the ball on Arizona’s first possession, ASU’s DeaMonte Trayanum scored a goal-line touchdown.
Arizona defensive back Quinn Sullivan gestures towards the Arizona State sideline after being ejected for his second unsportsmanlike penalty in the fourth quarter of their Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium on Dec. 11, 2020.
The aftermath: Sumlin was fired the following day and received a $7.5 million buyout from the UA; he earned $17.5 million in buyouts between Arizona and Texas A&M. Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads was named interim head coach, but the Arizona-Cal game was canceled and the Wildcats ended the season 0-5. The only members of Arizona’s 2021 recruiting class who signed in December 2020 and are still on roster for ‘23 are safety Dalton Johnson and running back Stevie Rocker. Arizona hired current head coach Jedd Fisch later that month.
Personal reflections: Sorry to be a Debbie Downer for some of these memorable games for this series, but I’m sure Arizona fans can relate. The championships and thrilling victories will live on forever, but there are a few losses that forever live in infamy.
I’ll never forget this game. I knew it was over once the opening kickoff happened and there wasn’t any fight displayed whatsoever from the coaches and the players. There was an obvious disconnect: Sumlin lost the players. You know it’s problematic when longtime Arizona followers compare you to John Mackovic.
After the layoffs that included dozens of employees losing their jobs in the athletic department, I thought there was no chance Arizona could afford to dismiss Sumlin. Then I, along with other media members and hundreds of cardboard cutouts of fans sitting at a mostly empty Arizona Stadium, witnessed in person a 63-point whooping. It was apparent Sumlin had to go. But he’s got 7.5 million reasons to be OK.
Two greatest jobs in sports: a fired Division I college football coach, and Bobby Bonilla.
Arizona lost the Territorial Cup to Arizona State for the fourth consecutive season after the Sun Devils routed the Wildcats 70-7 on Friday at Arizona Stadium. UA head coach Kevin Sumlin took questions from the media following Arizona's forgetful Senior Day.
Cover 5: Relive the entire list of Justin Spears most memorable games on the Arizona beat
This summer, each member of the Star’s sports team will count down the five most memorable Arizona games they’ve covered since joining the beat. Here's Nos. 1-5 from Justin Spears.
This summer, each member of the Star sports team will count down the five most memorable Arizona games they’ve covered since joining the beat. Here's Justin Spears' No. 1. — Arizona State drubs Arizona 70-7 for Territorial Cup, ends Kevin Sumlin’s tenure as head coach
This summer, each member of the Star sports team will assemble a list of the five most memorable Arizona games they’ve covered since joining the beat. This week, Justin Spears is reflecting on five football and men’s basketball games. Here's No. 2 — Northern Arizona upsets Arizona in Jedd Fisch’s inaugural season as head coach
This summer, each member of the Arizona Daily Star sports team will assemble a list of the five most memorable Arizona Wildcats games they've covered since joining the beat. This week, Justin Spears will reflect on five football and men's basketball games. Here's No. 3 — Buffalo upsets Deandre Ayton-led Arizona in first round of NCAA Tournament
This summer, each member of the Arizona Daily Star sports team will assemble a list of the five most memorable Arizona Wildcats games they've covered since joining the beat. This week, Justin Spears will reflect on five football and men's basketball games. Here's No. 4 — Arizona ends six-year Territorial Cup drought, beats Arizona State
This summer, each member of the Star sports team will assemble a list of the five most memorable Arizona games they've covered since joining the beat. This week, Justin Spears will reflect on five football and men's basketball games. Here's No. 5 — Arizona outlasts Washington in Pac-12 Tournament before pandemic shuts down season
