The Arizona Wildcats are Pac-12 South champions.
The UA held off Arizona State 42-35 this afternoon at a sold out Arizona Stadium and has advanced to the Pac-12 championship game next Friday vs. Oregon.
"Here we are, where we want to be at the beginning of August, playing for a Pac-12 championship," Rodriguez said after the game. "Our goal every year is to win the Pac-12 South. We don't talk a lot after that."
No one saw this coming.
The Wildcats finished the regular season 10-2, winning four straight since losing at UCLA earlier this month.
Like all good Territorial Cup games, this one came down to the wire.
"That's a good football team, a well-coached team we just played and it's been like that all season," Rodriguez said. "Our senior class deserves a lot of credit for establishing a great attitude and culture in our football program."
The Wildcats took a 35-21 lead into the fourth quarter, but saw ASU cut it to a seven-point game with 11:23 to play on a 2-yard touchdown.
Less than three minutes later, Arizona again extended it to a 14-point lead when Anu Solomon hit Samajie Grant for a 20-yard touchdown.
Just when it looked like the Wildcats might cruise, ASU again cut into the lead.
Mike Bercovici threw a 9-yard touchdown pass with 5:02 left to cut it to 42-35.
The Wildcats had to punt, giving the ball back to the Sun Devils with 2:56 to play.
The Sun Devils got to Arizonaβs 40-yard line, but Bercoviciβs fourth-down pass was incomplete and the Wildcats held on for their biggest win in decades.
Nick Wilson finished with 178 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Solomon, playing on a balky ankle, finished 15 for 21 for 208 yards, two touchdowns and no picks.
βHeβs a tough son of a gun, what can you say?β UA senior offensive tackle Mickey Baucus said. βHe wasnβt able to play last week and Iβm sure he was still feeling it today, but from the way he played and the way he was acting on the sideline, you couldnβt tell. Thatβs just who Anu is.β
Grant had both touchdowns and had four catches for 91 yards.
Arizona will play Oregon in the Pac-12 title game Friday in Santa Clara, California at Leviβs Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers.
"I couldn't go out a better way," Grandon said. "It makes me just so happy to be where I am now...This is what you live for, this is what everyone dreams of."
The win lifted Arizona to a 10-2 regular season and 7-2 mark in Pac-12 play. It also gave Rodriguez his first win over Arizona State after losing in his first two tries.Β
βYou know how many times I thought about that this week?β a relieved Rodriguez said as he sat back in his chair. βYou try not to put more pressure on rivalry games, but letβs be honest, there is more.β
Third quarter: The Arizona Wildcats are 15 minutes away from playing for a Pac-12 championship.
The UA leads Arizona State 35-21 at the end of the third quarter.
In Pasadena, Stanford is up 28-10 on UCLA.
If both scores hold, Arizona will win the Pac-12 South and play in the Pac-12 title game against Oregon next Friday.
The Wildcats scored all 14 points in the third quarter.
Nick Wilson rushed from 1-yard out with 12:22 to play in the third to go up 28-21.
Wilson then scored on a 72-yard touchdown with 9:06 to play to extend the lead.
Through three quarters, Wilson has 153 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns.
Anu Solomon is 13 for 17 for 186 yards and a touchdown.
Arizona State has gone to backup quarterback Mike Bercovici over Taylor Kelly.
The Wildcats will open the fourth quarter with the ball.
Second quarter: Buckle up for a wild finish.
Arizona and Arizona State are tied at 21 at halftime of the Territorial Cup this afternoon at Arizona Stadium.
Itβs been as wild as it has been entertaining.
There have been defensive touchdowns, dropped punts, long touchdown passes and one-handed catches.
The result is a push to the reset button for both teams here at halftime.
It looked like the Wildcats were going to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room at halftime after Nick Wilson scored from 21 yards out with 3:41 to play. The UA then forced an ASU punt and looked like it would be able to run out the clock.
Instead, DaVonteβ Neal fumbled the catch and ASU pounced on it at the 12 yard line.
Three plays later, Taylor Kelly hit Demario Richard for a 7-yard touchdown.
The Sun Devils have outgained the Wildcats 191-130 in the first half and have 99 rushing yards to the UAβs 14.
The scoring opened on the first drive of the game when Scooby Wright sacked Taylor Kelly and forced a fumble. Anthony Lopez scooped it up and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
The Wildcats gave it back later in the quarter when Anu Solomon fumbled. Demetrius Cherry recovered and scored from two yards out.
Solomon, who was questionable with an ankle injury, is 8 for 10 for 116 yards and one touchdown at halftime. Wright leads the UA with nine tackles and four tackles-for-loss. TraβMayne Bondurant has seven tackles, including one for a loss.
Samajie Grant, who had a 69-yard touchdown, has two grabs.
Arizona will open the second half with the ball.
First quarter: The Territorial Cup is alive and well.
The Arizona Wildcats have a 14-7 lead over Arizona State through the opening quarter at Arizona Stadium and it has come with its usual rivalry wackiness and craziness.
The Wildcats scored first when Scooby Wright sacked ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly on the Devilsβ first drive. Anthony Lopez scooped up the fumble and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
The Sun Devils then got their own defensive touchdown later in the quarter when Anu Solomon fumbled and couldnβt pounce on it. ASUβs Demetrius Cherry picked it up and ran it in two yards for a touchdown to even it up at seven.
After Arizona State fumbled, the UA got the ball back and scored a go-ahead touchdown.
Solomon hit Samajie Grant for a 69-yard touchdown to give the UA the lead. Grant did most of the work, making several moves in the open field to get by ASUβs defenders. He also received some blocks downfield from David Richards and DaVonteβ Neal.
Both teams exchanged punts after that touchdown and ASU will open the second quarter with the ball on its own 31-yard line.
Solomon, who was questionable with an ankle injury, is 5 for 7 for 99 yards and the touchdown to grant. He has look limited at times and took a vicious sack on Arizonaβs final drive of the quarter.
Wright already has five tackles and two tackles-for-loss.
ASU is outgaining Arizona 84-75 and has run 24 plays to Arizonaβs 15.Β
