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The annual Territorial Cup battle between the Arizona Wildcats and Arizona St. Sun Devils is just a few short days away. Both schools are currently in the midst of a culture change with new head coaches, and this first season has been better than expected for both teams.
SB Nation Arizona will be previewing all aspects of the 2012 Territorial Cup. For Thursday, we will be reflecting on the highs and lows from the past decade's worth of Duels in the Desert. ASU contributor Cody Ulm and UA contributor Scott Coleman weighed in on the subject.
Scott Coleman
High Point: We're going back a ways here, but the most enjoyable moment had to be in 2004. Quite honestly, Arizona was terrible and ASU was on track for a 10-win season. Mike Stoops was yet to win a big game in Tucson. There was nearly as much gold in the stands as there was red. Yet somehow, someway, the Wildcats pulled off the 34-27 win. It was just UA's third victory of the season, although very few have been as sweet over the years in Tucson.
Low Point: As Cody picked for ASU's high point, nothing could top the embarrassment that 2010's 30-29 loss brought. Arizona's kicking woes had been well documented with Alex Zendejas, and two blocked extra points cost UA any chance they had of winning the game. And it wasn't just the missed kicks that were so painful for the 'Cats; there were multiple balls thrown by Brock Osweiler that should have been intercepted, and instead were bobbled or dropped. I'm still not sure how Arizona lost this game.
Cody Ulm
High point: James Brooks' block party! ASU's double overtime 30-29 win back in 2010 was easily the high point because the Devils were the cherry on top of Arizona's epic collapse. Of course, ASU fans must have run their mouths too much or something because the same exact thing happened to the Sun Devils the next year but can you blame them? It's not every day that you go on the road and beat your ranked rival with a quarterback that was only starting his second career game. Also, it's not every day that you see macho man Brandon Magee crying after a game. That's how you know it's good.
Low point: A lot of folks will probably point the aforementioned payback of 2011 but I'm going to go a different route; the 2009 Kyle Williams muffed punt route. There's not much worse that going from the highest of the highs to the lowest of the lows in span of about two minutes. Kyle Williams had Sun Devil nation jumping up and down with his diving touchdown grab on fourth-and-12 to tie the game. One three-and-out later, it looked like Arizona State might actually pull it out against a far superior Wildcats squad. And the rest is history is folks. Only 49ers fans know what that pain feels like.