ASU receiver Gerell Robinson lets us know how he really feels. Photo by the Arizona Republic.
Arizona coaches and players admitted there was some effort lacking last week at Colorado, which is a gentle way of saying that a lot of effort was missing.
Playing rival Arizona State could be the simple cure for that, but I’m not counting on it.
Perhaps the Cats will prove me wrong, but, even if they do, the defense still figures to be lousy.
Given a new round of injuries along the defensive front, it’s hard to know who is going to be lining up along the line of scrimmage … if it even matters.
Opponents have routinely pushed around the Cats, who have allowed seven of eight conference opponents to score at least 34 points.
Three Pac-12 foes have scored at least 48 points.
The Sun Devils have their own woes, but none as bad as that, and ASU is still in good position to win the Pac-12 South. UCLA has control but has to finish at USC.
Arizona State is coming off two road losses but has played much better at home this season. Sun Devil Stadium is sold out. ASU will be wearing its all-black uniforms it loves so much.
That’s all a way of saying that if Arizona gets off to another slow start — the Cats have trailed by double-digits in the first half of six conference games — momentum is going to be a runaway boulder that splatters Arizona all over the Sun Devil Stadium turf.
ASU won’t miss this chance to stomp on its rival.
Final score: Arizona State 45, Arizona 24.