Michael Wiley ran for 214 yards and three touchdowns, and Isaiah Taylor intercepted a pass with 1:16 to go as host Arizona ended a five-game losing streak to rival Arizona State with a 38-35 victory Friday in Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats (5-7, 3-6 Pac-12) had a chance to put the game away late but failed to convert fourth-and-1 at the ASU 27, giving the ball back to the Sun Devils with 1:33 to go and no timeouts left. ASU drove to its 43 before Jacob Manu hit Trenton Bourguet as he threw, and Taylor picked off the floating pass at midfield.
It was Manu’s second big defensive play late in the game. Arizona was protecting the 38-35 lead when Arizona State (3-9, 2-7) was facing third-and-6 at the Arizona 20. Manu blitzed off the edge and knocked the ball loose from Bourguet and the Wildcats recovered with 3:17 remaining.
Wiley, a junior, scored on runs of 51 and 72 yards while setting a career high in rushing yards on just 12 carries. He also caught three passes for 51 yards as Arizona took possession of the Territorial Cup for the first time since 2016.
Bourguet, a junior from Tucson who walked on at ASU in 2019, was mostly brilliant against his hometown school, completing 37 of 49 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns. But two interceptions and the lost fumble were costly.
ASU interim coach Shaun Aguano finished with a 2-7 record.
ASU led 14-10 at halftime but the Wildcats were up 31-28 after a wild, back-and-forth third quarter in which the teams combined for 429 total yards and five touchdowns.
The Sun Devils forced Arizona into a three-and-out to begin the fourth quarter and forged ahead 35-31 when Bourguet connected with Jalin Conyers for a 4-yard score with 11:04 to go. The Wildcats answered with a 6-yard touchdown run from DJ Williams for a 38-35 advantage, the sixth lead change of the game.
–Field Level Media
