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Know Your Foe: Arizona

ASU finds itself in a familiar place, playing its in-state rival where the Sun Devils have much more at stake than the Wildcats. What challenges and opportunities can Arizona present in this Territorial Cup matchup in Tucson? GoAZCats Staff writer Troy Hutchison discusses the Sun Devils’ upcoming opponent

STORY: Ward, Arroyo anticipate a formidable opponent in Arizona

“They have explosive play abilities. We have to be real specific with how we play those guys and put our game plan around stopping this offense.” Wildcats’ 4-7 mark aside, the ASU coaches know that Arizona can pose various challenges on both sides of the ball

New Speak of the Devils Podcast: Territorial Cup preview with Jordan Simone & Ben Coleman

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The Territorial Cup. A Big 12 title shot. A potential Playoff spot. A lot is riding on this year’s Duel in the Desert. After a look at the news, @Joe Healey and I talk with ASU offensive lineman Ben Coleman (13:07) before diving into the wacky win over BYU. We check in with star ASU safety Xavion Alford (45:40) before going behind Wildcat lines with Arizona insider Adam Green of Wildcat Radio 2.0 (52:47) ahead of our game preview and predictions. Then it’s the main event: A great conversation with the legendary Jordan Simone (1:56:16).

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Senior Day and Ben Coleman

As you know, this Saturday is going to be Senior Day, and one thing Kenny Dillingham wants to avoid is having a situation where somebody who technically does still have eligibility in 2025, and with no determination being established at this point whether he will play next year, is going to be honored on Senior Day this weekend, but potentially honored again a year from now when he plays in 2025.

Bo Barnes, a former ASU basketball player, was basically told by Herb Sendek following his junior year that he could only come back next year as a walk-on, Barnes he politely declined, and when ASU needed him back next year as a scholarship player, he accepted the offer, so he had back-to-back Senior Day honors so to speak. Pretty Sure Bobby Hurley III is gonna have the same thing happen to him this spring.

So this year, you have left guard Ben Coleman, easily one of the best offensive linemen for the Sun Devils who redshirted in 2019, eligibility freeze of the Covid year in 2020 took place, and missing the entire last season due to an Achilles injury is technically eligible to play in 2025 assuming of course that the NCAA would accept his waiver which there is no reason for them not to do so. You don't have to look further than fellow offensive lineman Emmit Bohle who is playing his 7th year of college football this season.

Dillingham said that he's going to meet with the players' leadership council and come to a joint decision on what to do. I'm assuming that Coleman is not adverse at all to coming back next year, so it's not like this is a moot point. I believe his standing in the NFL draft can only get better with one more year under his belt.

In my opinion, it should be a no-brainer decision for ASU to have him return for next year. I can't think of anybody on the roster who would even play at his level, let alone ahead of that, in 2025. Sure, in theory, you could maybe get somebody from the portal who would fit that criteria, but that is a big roll of the dice.

u4's Edge Tre Smith

Mesa Red Mountain grad with zero P4 offers went to San Jose State and had 5.5 TFL/3 Sacks/1 PBU as a true frosh in 2021

redhshirt in 2022

as a RS Soph 68 TTs/20 Solo/9.5 TFL/6.5 sacks/4 QB Hurries...........he was 1st Team All-MWC

as a RS Jr in 2024 he moved to P4 at u4 and in 11 games has 47 TT/16 Solo/7.5 TFL/4.5 Sacks/1 PBU/10 QB Hurries/1 FF

He and SS Dalton Johnson could be All-Big 12

Now 6'5" 270 and Atkins has his hands full
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