WILDCATS OUTSCORE SUNDEVILS

Arizona and Arizona State played today for the right to bring the prestige Territorial Cup home.  The game was everything it promised to be.  An action packed shootout and it was just that.  Arizona won 42-35 and gets to take the Territorial Cup home to Tucson.

The game had everything you could ask for.  Both teams had a defensive touchdown and their special teams came up big as well.  Arizona's Nick Wison, a true freshman put his stamp on the rivalry.  He rushed for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns.  QB Anu Solomon was questionable coming into the game, but there was no question he was going to play.  He finished with 208 yards and two touchdown passes. 

During the fourth quarter the game took more meaning when it was announced that Stanford beat UCLA.  This opened the door for the Wildcats to win the Pac 12 South.  They will now play Oregon for the conference title.  They have already beat Oregon once this season and now that Oregon is number 2 you have to wonder what the College Football Committee will do with the U o A if they finished the season with two wins against Oregon. 

THE TERRITORIAL CUP

It's finally here!  The rivalry, the big game, the Territorial Cup.  Arizona State travels down the I-10 to face in-state rival Arizona in a game that could decide the PAC 12 South Champ.  This is a big game for a number of reasons.  Both schools are having great seasons and are both 9-2.  Arizona is ranked #11 and Arizona State is ranked #13.  The odds makers in Las Vegas have the game even. 

This game is bigger this year than in most recent years because the outcome will determine the future for both of these teams.  The winner will have a 10 win season and with a UCLA loss they will be playing in the PAC 12 Title game against Oregon with a shot at the College Football Playoff.  It's a long shot but it's a shot nonetheless.

When both teams take the field today the excitement will be at an all time high.  They both want to bring the Territorial Cup home to their respective campuses.  Regardless of the records and rankings both schools would be OK with winning just one game this season, if it was this game.  The bragging rights are so important because a handful of players from both rosters are from Phoenix and Tucson and have watched the rivalry their whole lives. 

Both teams have high powered offenses but have had recent trouble at quarterback.  For Arizona Sate Taylor Kelly has not looked the same since his return from injury.  If they start the game the way they did last week Arizona will run away with the in-sate title.  Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon is hurt and if he doesn't play they may have a hard time winning the game.  Both schools have excellent coaches and I think it will come down to whichever coach makes the biggest mistake.  This will be a great game regardless of the outcome and hopefully UCLA loses and our state will be home to the Conference Champ.

The Prediction: 
Arizona 24
Arizona State 17

CARDINALS LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT GAME

The Arizona Cardinals suffered their second loss of the season yesterday when the Seattle Seahawks beat them 19-3.  We are used to seeing great defensve play and yesterday we saw the other team do it to us.  The Cardinals were on able to muster up a field in the loss.  The loss hurts because it's a division rival and may mean more as the season nears it's end. 

The Cardinals are now 9-2 and still control their own destiny in regards to the NFC West and the playoffs.  The Cardinals now travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons on Sunday.  Atlanta is 4-7 but don't let the record fool you.  They are leading their division and paying some good football as of late.

If the Cardinals want to get back into the win column four things need to happen.  The first thing is Drew Stanton needs to play better.  He threw for just 149 yards and also threw an interception.  He needs to control games and make better decisions.  Secondly the Cardinals can't abandon the run game.  It's not the greatest nut once Ellington gets started he is hard to stop.  If we control the run game we control the clock the game.

The third thing that needs to happen is that the offensive line needs to stay consistent.  They having been playing well as of late and it's starting to show.  The last thing that needs to happen for the Cardinals to get back into and stay in the win column is to get Larry Fitzgerald back on the field.  He isn't as good as he used to be but he is still a dangerous target for Drew Stanton.



HOW ASU WINS THE PAC 12!

On Saturday the Arizona State Sun Devils lost to the Oregon State Beavers 35-27.  The loss drops the Devils from #6 to #14 but more important it stops any hope of the Devils getting into the first ever College Football Playoff. 

Despite the loss the season is not over for ASU.  They are 8-2 overall and 5-2 in PAC 12 play.  They are half a game behind USC and tied with UCLA and U of A for second in the PAC 12 South.  It's actually pretty simple for the Sun Devils to win the South and play for the PAC 12 Title.

USC and UCLA play later today.  If your a Sun Devil fan you should root for the Trojans.  ASU then needs to take care of business with Washington State today and their in-state rival Arizona on black Friday.  If all this happens then the Jalen Strong Hail Mary to beat USC  earlier this season becomes bigger than it already is.  That play turns out to be the tiebreaker between ASU and USC and sends the Sun Devils to the PAC 12 Tittle game against most likely the Oregon Ducks.

HOW ARIZONA WINS THE PAC 12!

The college football season is coming to an end and the College Football Playoff picture is starting to take it's final shape.  Here in Arizona the focus was mainly on the ASU Sun Devils until last Saturday.  They were number 6 before the loss and with Mississippi St. losing we now play the what if game and wonder what would have become of the Sun Devils had they beat Oregon St.

The Sun Devils now have no chance at a playoff berth, but they do have a chance to win the PAC 12.  In my opinion they opened the door for the Arizona Wildcats.  U of A is tied with UCLA and ASU for second place in the PAC 12 South.  The 3 teams are 5-2 and USC is 6-2 and in first place.  USC plays UCLA this week and Notre Dame next week.  The Wildcats would benefit from a UCLA win, and would also need them to lose net week against Stanford.  That would just take care of some of the problem for U of A.  They also need to win out, a tough task considering they play Utah and then host in-state rival Arizona State.  And of course they would have to beat Oregon, who is running away with the PAC 12 North.

That's a lot to have happen for the Arizona Wildcats to win the PAC 12.  But it's very possible that it will happen.  People wonder if any PAC 12 team can get into the College Football Playoffs with two losses.  Most peoples answer is if any team can it would be Oregon.  But let me give you this scenario.  Arizona wins out, everything falls there way and they face Oregon for the PAC 12 title.  At that point doesn't Arizona deserve to get into the College Football Playoff with two wins over Oregon in the same season? 

CARDINALS TAKE CONTROL OF NFL

Yesterday at University of Phoenix Stadium the Cardinals faced the second best team in the NFC, the Detroit Lions.  Detroit came in with the best defense in the league and held the Cardinals to just 14 points.  Many people especially here in Phoenix think the Cardinals defense is the best.  Well they proved it by holding the Detroit offense to just 6 points.  They didn't even give up a touchdown!

The Cardinals started the game with two scoring drives that ended with touchdowns.  They took an early 14-0 lead and hung on to improve to 9-1.  There were a lot of good plays on offense but it was the defense that came up big for the Cardinals.

The win gives them the best record in the NFL.  In the NFC they are 2 games ahead of 4 teams that are 7-3 and they lead the NFC West by 3 games.  The Patriot's are the closest AFC team at 8-2.  The Cardinals have 6 games remaining and if they were to split those games they would finish the season at 12-4. 

Nationally the Cardinals are just now getting attention after their win against the Detroit Lions.  Despite all the hurdles they have had to jump they are making more and more football fans believe they are not just a fluke.  With each win the Cardinals are one step closer to being the first team in NFL history to host the Super Bowl.

ASU GETTING RESPECT NATIONALLY

Last week ASU was ranked number 9 after a close victory over Utah.  They were even catapulted above Notre Dame.  A team that many feel should be undefeated.  ASU faced Notre Dame on Saturday in what promised to be one of the most talked about games of the season. 

It was definitely the game talked about Sunday morning.  The Sun Devils jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.  Notre Dame started to make a come back but the Sun Devils held strong and came away with a 55-31 victory.

It was more than just a win for ASU.  With the win came national respect.  The latest College Football Playoff rankings were released yesterday and the Sun Devils were #6.  They  now control their own destiny.  If they win out in the regular season and win the PAC 12 title game they should be in the first ever College Football Playoffs.

IT'S TIME TO BELIEVE!

On Sunday the Arizona Cardinals beat the St. Louis Rams 31-14 behind great defensive play.  They are now 8-1 and have the NFL's best record.  Their only loss was to the Denver Broncos.  With the win the Cardinals sent a huge message to the rest of the NFL.  "It's time to believe"! 

If you are a die hard Cardinal fan or from the valley you are used to the Cardinals doing great and then something goes wrong and then they start losing.  Well that is not the case this season.  They have continued to win despite all of the adversity they have faced.  They have hand numerous injuries but with their "next man up" strategy they continue to compete and win games. 

The Cardinals faced another obstacle Sunday when they lost starting QB Carson Palmer to a season ending torn ACL.  Back-up Drew Stanton stepped in and threw the go ahead touchdown pass to John Brown.  Then the defense stepped up and caused two consecutive turnovers that sealed the victory.  If the Cardinals want to reach their goal of being the first team in NFL history to host a Super Bowl,  they are going to have to repeat what they did Sunday.  Stanton needs to manage the game and keep the Cardinals close while the defense does what they do and ensures the victory.  

Cardinals Win Again!

The Arizona Cardinals won again today beating the St. Louis Rams 31-14.  The Cardinals trailed 14-10 at the end of the third quarter.  They were driving when starting QB Carson Palmer went down with a knee injury.  But that was no problem for the Cardinals due to the play of backup quarterback Drew Stanton.  He stepped in and completed 3 of 5 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.  The touchdown put them up for good when he hooked up with John Brown for 48 yards.  Then the defense took over.  Just one play after being called for a pass interference Patrick Peterson intercepted a pass and took 30 yards to the house for a 24-14 lead.  They weren't done yet.  Not wanting to be showed up by his fellow cornerback Antonio Cromartie picked up a fumble and returned it 14 yards for the nail in the coffin.  The score put the Cardinals up 31-14.

Before the injury Palmer was 25-36 for 241 yards and an interception.  Andre Ellington struggled on the ground rushing for just 23 yards on 18 carries.  He did manage to get in the end zone on a 3 yard run.  Leading the way for the receivers was Mr. Clutch Larry Fitzgerald.  He caught 9 passes for 112 yards.

The win improves the Cardinals to 8-1 and claim to the best record in football.  Next week they host the Detroit Lions.  The Lions are 7-2 and coming off a huge win over the Miami Dolphins 2-16.  This promises to be a great game.  The way the Cardinals are playing there isn't a team in football that can beat them.

How ASU Beats Notre Dame

It's here Sun Devil fans! The biggest game of the season.  ASU and Notre Dame have kicked off and are early in the first quarter.  ASU is 9th in the latest College Football Playoffs ranking.  Many people questioned why they jumped Notre Dame and were given a number 9 ranking.  With a win today they can put a stop to all those questions.  The way to do this to control quarterback Everett Golson.

Golson is a proven winner and the best player on the Notre Dame roster.  He can beat you throwing the ball or pulling it down and running with it.  Golson will get his yards but ASU shouldn't worry about that.  They defense should just control him.  By that I mean pressure him early.  If the offense can get an early lead it will be hard for the Irish to stay in their game plan.  They will have to throw more which means they can blitz Golson more and that's when he's prone to make more mistakes.

Suns Start Season Slow

We are one week into the 2014-2015 NBA season and it has been a slow start for the Phoenix Suns.  They opened the season at home against the Lakers and won by 20 points.  Two nights later they beat the defending champs at home by 5 and everyone started to think maybe the Suns will be contenders this year.  Then the team traveled to Utah and was given a dose of reality.  They are just a mediocre team  They were blown out by 27.

The Suns have since split a back to back stretch and are 3-2 with the night off.  Sacramento comes to town tomorrow.  The Suns are winning games that they are supposed to win and that is something that fans can be excited about.  They will more than likely be between a 6 and an 8 seed if they make the playoffs.  As long as they win games they should win and avoid long losing streaks they should make the playoffs.  The bright side is the Suns are an exciting team to watch and come to play ever night.  Regardless of how they finish this season they will be fun to watch. 

College Footballs Latest Rankings

Earlier this week the newest College Football Playoff rankings were released.  The top three remained the same as last week.  Mississippi State is still the top seed and Florida State is number 2 while Auburn comes in at number 3 after beating Ole Miss last Saturday.  Ole Miss was number 4 and with their loss that gave Oregon the opportunity to move into the fourth seed. 

The rest of the Top 25 features some great teams and a few surprises.  Arizona State is one of the biggest surprises.  After a close win over Utah they umped all the way to number 9.  At 7-1 it is a well deserved ranking in most peoples eyes, but not in all.  Notre Dame who is also 7-1 is ranked 10.  Many people feel the Irish should be ranked higher because their only loss was a very controversial one to number 2 and unbeaten Florida State.  Notre Dame will get their chance to prove they are better than the Sun Devils when they come to Tempe on Saturday.  The way college football has been going this game may springboard the winner into talks of getting a chance to play in college footballs first ever playoffs.

Here is the rest of the rankings:

25. Wisconsin
24. Georgia Tech
23. West Virginia
22. Duke
21. Clemson
20. Georgia
19. Arizona
18. UCLA
17. Utah
16. LSU
15. Oklahoma
14. Ohio State
13. Nebraska
12. Baylor
11. Ole Miss
10. Notre Dame
9. Arizona State
8. Michigan State
7. Kansas State
6. TCU
5. Alabama
4. Oregon
3. Auburn
2. Florida State
1. Mississippi State

It's Playoff Time In High School Football!

It's a new week in high school football and this week if your team is practicing it's because they made it to the state playoffs.  Some teams go every year like Hamilton or Centennial and it's just a matter of who and where they will play.  Other's like Valley Vista and St. Mary's just barely got in but look to turn a few heads with an upset or two. 

The first round has some interesting match ups such as Combs vs. Snowflake down in Division IV.  Division III has an interesting match up of it's own when Tempe hosts Higley.  There is sure to be a lot of scoring in that game.  Division II has a handful of games that could go either way.  They also have what could turn out to be the best game of the night when Westwood takes on Chaparral in Mesa.  In Division I Brophy battles Perry in a battle of two sleeper teams.  Also Westview travels to Mountain Pointe in a game that could see a whole of rushing yards between two of the states best running backs.  Whoever you decide to root for this Friday will be quite entertaining for all of us high school football fans. 

Cardinals Control Cowboys

The Arizona Cardinals traveled to Dallas to try and keep their winning ways going.  They were able to do so, and they did it rather easily.  The Cardinals started slow but they continued to make plays and eventually pulled away from the Cowboys.

The win improves the Cardinals to 7-1 and first place in the NFC.  The win is surprising to most people nationally.  But for anyone that follows the Cardinals they were not surprised at all by the convincing victory.  In fact if you ask some people they will tell you that the Cardinals are the best team in the NFL.  These people have a valid argument.  Last week many experts had the Broncos #1 and the Cardinals #2 in their power rankings.  Yesterday the Broncos were beat pretty bad by the Patriots and we all know what the Cardinals did to the Cowboys.  So why aren't the Cardinals being called the best team in football today?  This just shows the lack of respect that Arizona gets nationally.

The Cardinals were again led by quarterback Carson Palmer and a host of other players on their way to victory.  Palmer did throw a pic 6 six early but bounced back well throwing for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Ellington again got the job done on the ground rushing for 95 yards on 21 carries.  For the second straight week Larry Fitzgerald led all receivers with 5 catches for 70 yards.  The defense did its job as well led by defensive tackle Dan Williams.  He had 7 tackles and 1 sack.  Tyran Mathieu also had an interception to go with his 5 tackles.  Perhaps the best defensive performance goes to cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who for the second straight week came up with an interception.  He now has 3 pics on the season

The Cardinals now come home and host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.  The Rams are 3-5 but are coming off a huge win against division rival San Francisco 49ers 13-10.  The Cardinals should have no problem with the Rams, but know not to take any team lightly, especially one in their division.

Looking Back At Friday Night: October 31, 2014

It's week 10 in Arizona and as exciting as ever.  For some it marks the end of another season, while fr others it's do or die time.  A win and your in, o loss and you go home.  Other teams are in the playoffs and just preparing to make a run at the state title.  Here are the results from our Friday Highlights games:

The Combs Coyotes had no problem with the Coronado Dons winning 55-10 on the road.  They finish the regular season at 7-3 and are the 14 seed in the division IV Playoffs.  They play Snowflake next week in the first round.

Phoenix Christian Prep was on the road at Washington and their woes continued.  They lost to the Rams 70-26.  In a season that was so promising Phoenix Christian Prep ends the year on a 7 game win streak after starting 3-1.  The big question now is where will star athlete J.J. Lyons end up next year?

Liberty played host to Willow Canyon and had no problem picking up the victory 56-29.  The win improves the Lions to 9-1 and helps them lock up the number 1 seed in the Division II playoffs.  They Host the St. Mary's Knights next Friday in the first round.

St. Mary's lost a tough battle to the Sunnyslope Vikings 31-16.The loss drops them to 7-3 on the season and even though they lost a game that would have given them the section title, they still got into the playoffs.  The Knights are the number 16 seed and travel to play Liberty next Friday.  They will do so wearing their traditional "playoff" gold pants.

Coronado was blown out by Combs 55-10.  The loss puts Coronado at 4-6 on the season.  The Dons had a good season but failed to make the playoffs.

Westview went to Maryvale and blew out the Panters63-14.  They finish the season at 8-2 and take the 11th seed in the Division I playoffs.  They play Mountain Pointe next Friday in the first round.

Chandler finished the regular season at home against Highland and had no problem picking up the victory 49-21.  Chandler picked up the number 2 seed and finished 9-1.  They host Red Mountain next week.

Millennium played host to Cesar Chavez and lost 32-20.  With a victory they would have qualified for the state playoffs.  Instead they are knocked out by Cesar Chavez in a game that is starting to become a great rivalry.

Tempe played host to Alhambra and manhandled the Lions 62-24.  The game featured quarterback Emanuel Gant breaking the states all time passing record.  The win also capped off a perfect 10-0 season.  Tempe takes the number 3 seed and plays host to Higley next week in the first round.