Arizona State University closed out yet another blase season, but this time they decided some pizazz was in order with their stress-inducing win over rivals, the University of Arizona Wildcats in the Territorial Cup. Any time a game is decided by two blocked extra points, it's probably either really good or really bad. This one was a little of both, but it was exciting nonetheless.
ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler, coming off a very nice game against UCLA (which, apparently, was more about the Bruins' woeful defense than Brock's excellence), sort of crapped the bed, particularly in the first half. The entire first half for both Arizona teams was a pretty unwatchable exercise in futile drives, inept rushing, and badly thrown passes that should have been intercepted. But things took a turn for the very watchable in the second half and the two overtimes.
ASU's James Brooks is, of course, the hero of the day -- and probably the season -- being responsible for blocking the extra points, the first of which sent the game into the initial overtime and the second of which sealed the game for the Sun Devils. And Vontaze Burfict, he of inexplicable talent and decision-making, was finally great without being terrible. Generally, it's been a mixed bag with Burfict, who tended who hurt his team as much as he helped it with ridiculous alpha-male personal fouls.
So, another .500(ish) season of Arizona State football comes to an end, though this time on a pleasantly memorable note instead of last season's muffed punt debacle. Yay. Cough. Ahem.
And for Arizona, well ... this had to be a pretty disappointing year. After climbing as high as nine in the AP rankings and 15 in the BCS rankings, the Wildcats lost four straight to end the season -- with all of the defeats coming at the hands of Pac-10 teams. Yuck.
Arizona remains bowl eligible, however, and the Sun Devils are hoping the stars align and the light of Jeebus shines down upon them so they can get into some obscure bowl game for the first time in a while. But at this point, it's a shallow victory that would be more lucked into than earned. Fans and alumni of the maroon and gold will have to be content with an exciting, though fluke-y win over their in-state enemies.