Tucson, AZ (Sports Network) - Behind a career-best 156 rushing yards and three
touchdowns from Marion Grice, the Arizona State Sun Devils closed out the
regular season with a 41-34 win over the Arizona Wildcats in the Territorial
Cup at Arizona Stadium.
Grice was named the Bon Moran Most Valuable Player of the game for ASU (7-5,
5-4 Pac-12). Taylor Kelly completed 16-of-29 passes for 190 yards and he also
rushed for 42 yards.
For Arizona (7-5, 5-4), Matt Scott threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns,
but he did so on just 19-of-39 passing and he was intercepted three times.
Ka'Deem Carey ran for 172 yards and a touchdown, while Garic Wharton led all
receivers with six receptions for 89 yards and a score.
The only score in the first quarter came from the Wildcats when Casey rushed
in a touchdown from one-yard out to give them an early 6-0 lead following a
missed PAT.
The Sun Devils responded in the second quarter with a pair of Grice
touchdowns. First he ripped off a 52-yard score with just under 10 minutes to
play in the half, then he added a two-yard touchdown three and a half minutes
later as ASU got up to a 14-6 lead.
John Bonano knocked through a 33-yard field goal in the final seconds of the
half to cut into Arizona's deficit.
Jon Mora added a 26-yard field goal to pad ASU's lead early in the third
quarter, but the rest of the quarter was all Arizona. Scott hooked up with
Austin Hill on a 22-yard scoring strike to bring the Wildcats to within one,
then they took the lead a few minutes later when Scott and Wharton connected
on a 40-yard touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion, Arizona had a
24-17 lead.
The Wildcats extended their advantage to double-digits later in the frame on
another Bonano field goal, this time from 23 yards out.
The Sun Devils came storming back in the fourth quarter. A Jon Mora 39-yard
field goal at the 11:51 mark got them to within a touchdown, the Grice rushed
in a four-yard touchdown with just over seven minutes left to tie the game at
27-27.
ASU regained possession less than two minutes later following a blocked punt,
and on the very next play Cameron Marshall ran in an eight-yard touchdown to
regain its lead.
The Sun Devil defense came up with another big play when Robert Nelson
returned an interception 66 yards deep into Arizona territory. ASU put the
game out of reach shortly thereafter when Michael Eubank rushed in a touchdown
from one-yard out.
The Wildcats would add one more score in the final two minutes when Scott
hooked up with David Richards on a 17-yard touchdown, but they could not get
the ball back to try and tie the game.
The teams combined for 982 yards of offense on the night.
GAME NOTES:
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