BURBANK, Calif. – They may be the defending Pac-12 South Champions, but the Arizona Wildcats are still just No. 4 in the division's media preseason polls.
Still, Arizona clinched the division title with a Territorial Cup win, which just seems to jive with the upward trend the program is experiencing.
"I think it was huge," said David Richards, a redshirt senior wide receiver. "We've been winning one more game each year. It was huge for us."
As it probably was for many others, Richards said the win over ASU was the best moment of his Arizona career.
The Wildcats appeared to just scrape by a few times in 2014. They defeated Cal with a last-second Hail Mary and beat Washington with a game-winning field goal, but those were two games where they perhaps did not have enough momentum throughout.
However, the Territorial Cup was different. The game had its twists and turns, but Arizona led late and ASU found itself trying to claw back.
Arizona senior safety Will Parks attributed the momentum in the rivalry game to the its importance.
"That game is like winning $5 billion dollars, you're going to do everything you have to do to win $5 billion," he said. "Whether it be tucking your shoe string inside your facemask or tucking your sock inside your cleat, that game is so vital to the whole community of Tucson."
"You're just doing it for the fans, for your family, for the name on the front of your jersey and the name on the back of your jersey," he continued. "We play for a lot of reasons."
Rivalry games come with all the emotion, but Parks said head coach Rich Rodriguez preaches being comfortable with being uncomfortable in the big games.
Richards said the emotion and energy is a good thing.
"I think you definitely have to channel your emotions, but we use them the right way," he said. "You just have to go out there and play hard. The emotions are going to get you in a (rivalry game), but you just have to use them to your advantage."
Regardless, their Pac-12 South preseason media poll ranking stands where it is until the season begins.
"It's football, that division's tough," Parks said. "We're just using it as motivation to do great, that's all. ... I wasn't surprised we were picked fourth and now we're just going to play through the talking."
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or on Twitter @justintoscano3
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