AG's Wildcat Report

Arizona coach Mike Stoops say down for his postgame press conference and let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, man,” he said. “A lot of difference three points will make in your life.”

Three points gives UA life. It gives the Wildcats seven wins, a guaranteed bowl spot, with a game at USC still to play.

Those three points, coming off a last-play 32-yard field goal from Alex Zendejas, gave Arizona a 20-17 victory, a couple of rivalry trophies and whole new chapter in Arizona-Arizona State.

The Wildcats, giving up two fourth-quarter touchdowns had squandered a 14-0 halftime lead in frustrating fashion, which was reminiscent of last week’s painful double-overtime loss to Oregon.

But the football gods gave Arizona a bounce — Kyle Williams’ muffed punt catch that took a hop into the hands of Mike Turner. Arizona took over at the ASU 22 with 1:03 left and set up the Zendejas field goal.

“We have been through so many games like this that have gone the other way that I felt like it was a little bit of redemption for us to get a break down the stretch and win one without playing our best,” said offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. “Our kids hung there, but, boy, it was a tough day.”

But three points made all the difference in the Wildcats’ life.

The rest of the game blog … (check back later for more postgame coverage):

* * *

Going down to field. Be back after game.

* * *

Arizona’s offense shows signs of life … but, as it has most of the season, has a hard time punching into the end zone once it gets close. UA takes a 30-yard field goal from Alex Zendejas with 7:50 left for a 17-10 lead. Gulp.

* * *

Uh… we’ve got a football game. Could ASU QB Danny Sullivan be the hero of this game? He connects on a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams — with UA’s Cam Nelson unsuccessfully jumping in front of the pass — and now it’s 14-10 Arizona with 11:54 to go.

UA get a break when Williams is called for a personal foul after taking off his helmet in the end zone. That 15-yard penalty prevents ASU from trying for two to get within a field goal. Thomas Weber kicks a 35-yard extra point to get ASU within four.

It’s time for Arizona’s offense to do its part.

* * *

Arizona’s offense has stalled this thing into a close game. Shades of 1992?

* * *

Bad news is that Arizona’s lead was trimmed from 14-0 to 14-3. Good news is that the third quarter is in the books … and ASU is still down by two scores.

* * *

Big stop for Arizona. ASU misfires on a pass on third-and-4 from the UA 46. Trevor Hankins’ punt then goes into the end zone. Arizona needs a drive … and Matt Scott is in at QB.

* * *

Fourth-and-3 from the UA 9, down 14-0. I think I would go for that. But ASU coach Dennis Erickson has Thomas Weber kick a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-3.

Good news for Arizona is that its bad field position all half only resulted in three points for ASU. Maybe now UA can reverse field position after the kickoff. ASU’s scoring drive covered only 7 yards after a 53-yard punt return by Kyle Williams.

In any case, this won’t be Arizona’s first shutout of ASU since 1974, when Jim Young’s team won 10-0 in Tucson.

* * *

Like in the first half, Arizona is losing the field position battle early in the second half. ASU punter Trevor Hankins might be the team MVP right now. UA is backed up to its 7 as it starts a drive with 8:59 to go in the third quarter.

(ASU has 100 yards on 34 plays … and 44 of those yards came on a reception on its first play.)

* * *

Arizona State, the second-most penalized team in the country, has six penalties less than a minute into the second half. The Sun Devils average just over nine per game.

* * *

ASU had three first downs and 79 yards in the first half. Arizona had eight first downs and 166 yards.

ASU was 0-for-7 on third down. Arizona was 1-for-7.

* * *

Arizona could have put ASU in a headlock late in the half, but couldn’t pad the lead after taking over at its 49 with 2:07 left. The Wildcats went for it on fourth-and-4 from the ASU 34 with 18 seconds left, but a deep pass goes incomplete. UA leads 14-0.

It’s been a tussle, but two big plays — a 67-yard run from Keola Antolin and a blocked punt for a TD — are the difference. UA’s defensive line is dominating; it’s hard to see that changing in the second half. If ASU can’t come up with some big plays of its own, there chances of a comeback aren’t good.

* * *

Special teams ace Orlando Vargas just made a play he’ll always remember. He comes from the left side to block a punt from Trevor Hankins. As the ball bounces to the right sideline, he scoops it up all alone and returns it 23 yards for a touchdown.

Cue up the highlight tapes. Vargas has secured a spot in UA lore.

Arizona leads 14-0 with 3:50 to go before half.

It hasn’t always been pretty to this point, but the Cats will be thrilled if they can make this two-touchdown lead hold up heading into the break.

* * *

Treading water. Matt Scott plays most of the last series, which ends at the ASU 47. Keenyn Crier then booms a punt into the end zone. There is 7:21 to go in the first half. Arizona doesn’t need to mess around with Scott at quarterback.

Meanwhile, senior Danny Sullivan is coming in at QB for ASU, replacing Samson Szakacsy, who doesn’t look ready for this stage. This is a QB change that makes sense.

* * *

Matt Scott in at quarterback as a running change-up. I’m generally not in favor of this, but he does run for 17 yards on his second play.

* * *

Always a kicking adventure with Alex Zendejas. Arizona has a red-zone failure when Zendejas has a 30-yard field goal attempt tipped at the line of scrimmage by a leaping James Brooks, and the ball tumbles into the crossbar, where — unlike Oregon’s kick last week — it bounces back. No good. Still 7-0 … but at least Arizona’s defense holds ASU to a three-and-out after the miss.

* * *

End of first quarter. UA leads 7-0. A 38-yard punt return by Bug Wright, during which he was insistent on cutting to the left sideline to get behind the wall of blockers, sets up the Wildcats to extend their lead. They are at the ASU 14, first-and-10, as the second quarter begins.

Keola Antolin’s touchdown run changed the whole mood of this game.

Nick Foles in the first quarter: 10 of 11 passing for 62 yards. (The one incompletion was a dropped pass.)

* * *

UA defensive lineman Donald Horton comes up with his second sack of the game. Both sacks have come with the UA only rushing its front four, which is a good sign. Let’s face it: ASU’s offensive line isn’t very good.

* * *

Keola Antolin’s injured shoulder can’t hurt if he doesn’t get tackled. On his second play of the game — and first carry — he takes a handoff up the middle and breaks through to find daylight. He then outraces the Sun Devils into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 3:54 to go in the first quarter.

Antolin attacks the line of scrimmage better than any other UA back, and that’s why his presence — even if it is limited in this game — is so important.

* * *

Bad trend: UA’s drives have started at its 17, 20 and, now, its 16-yard line.

* * *

Is it too early to abandon the running game? Arizona goes three-and-out on its second series, and Greg Nwoko up the middle just likely won’t be a good play today. UA gets another break, though, when it recovers a Nick Foles fumble after a sack. Can’t complain about the way the ball is bouncing so far.

* * *

A break for Arizona. ASU kicker Thomas Weber, who won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker in 2007, just hasn’t been the same this season since an early season groin injury. He misses a 36-yard attempt wide left (after a 5-yard false start penalty) with 9:29 to go in the first quarter. The game remains scoreless.

* * *

Interesting calls on two third-and-1 situations on UA’s first drive. UA goes in a four-receiver set in the first situation and completes a 4-yard slant to Bug Wright. In the second case, UA needed about a half yard and went with a “heavy” personnel grouping. Arizona threw out of that set, too, but Terrell Turner dropped the pass from Nick Foles.

Does UA not trust its running game?

Greg Nwoko got the start at running back.

* * *

Running back Keola Antolin is in uniform and went through pregame drills. Running back Nic Grigsby, as expected, is not dressed out, although he did lead the team onto the field before the game.

* * *

TEMPE — OK, we’re here at Sun Devil Stadium for the Arizona-Arizona State rivalry — I guess you could call it the Territorial Cup, which is better than “Duel in the Desert, but does the game really need a name? — and there is modest buzz for a matchup that is expected to draw about 55,000.

Kudos to ABC/ESPN announcer Bob Davie, a former UA assistant, who is here to see his son, Clay, who is a senior long snapper for the Devils. Stopped at the media check-in table, he realized he forget his wallet in the car and had no ID, required for admission. The security personnel didn’t know who he was and wasn’t going to let him in until somebody from ABC came to vouch for him.

I offered to do so, but that didn’t carry much weight.

Anyway, Davie didn’t throw a fit or demand, “Do you know who I am?” He was polite and waited patiently for somebody who could clear him into the Sun Devil Stadium. Good for him.

As for the game …

Three things to watch:

1. Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade. I’m sensing an interception return for a touchdown. ASU sophomore quarterback Samson Szakacsy, who wasn’t available until recently because of an elbow injury, will be making his second career start. Wade is aggressive. Szakacsy’s arm strength is suspect. You do that math.

2. Arizona’s running game. ASU’s defense is stout enough to give Arizona’s problems up front. How much will RB Keola Antolin play, if at all? He’s doubtful. Can Greg Nwoko do enough to make the Sun Devils respect the run? Will Nick Foles have to throw 50 times … and if he does, is that a bad thing?

3. The first quarter. I don’t expect an Arizona hangover from last week’s tough loss to Oregon; this team has bounced back before and has every reason to do so again. But if it’s close and stays close, ASU will grow in confidence. The Sun Devils’ offense isn’t built to mount a comeback. Arizona needs to get up early, not make mistakes and get the heck out of here with a win. Prediction: Arizona 24, ASU 17.