By the Associated Press

Eno Benjamin scored on a 22-yard touchdown and Arizona State survived a second-second second-half effort, catching up 19 points to defeat Arizona rivals 41-40 on Saturday.

Arizona (5-7, 4-5 Pac-12) led 40-21 in the fourth quarter after Khalil Tate kicked off his third pass of the game in TD, 8 yards to Tony Ellison.

Arizona State (7-5, 5-4) started its rally with an 11-yard touchdown and a 2-point conversion from Manny Wilkins. The return of Aashari Crosswell's interception on the 22-yard line of Arizona allowed Brandon Ruiz to score 39 of his shots on goal, then the Sun Devils recovered JJ Taylor escapes to the 22-yard line from Arizona.

Benjamin broke in the center, cut out and finished his third touchdown to allow the Sun Devils to go up 41-40 with 3:08 to go.

The Wildcats recovered the ball and went down the field, but Josh Pollack, who scored four goals on the field, pushed a 45-yard effort to the right, 11 seconds from time.

Wilkins had 265 yards and a touchdown for the Sun Devils, who turned down Arizona's bid to qualify for the World Cup in coach Kevin Sumlin's first season.

Tate threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns, and Taylor racked up 144 yards in 28 carries.

The Arizona State has confirmed its World Cup eligibility thanks to last week's Oregon win, while the Wildcats' candidacy collapsed in the face of a decisive loss to 7th State of Washington.

On the left with one last shot at a bowl match, Arizona jumped early on its biggest rival, hoarding yards into good-sized chunks.

Tate hit Ellison on a 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter and Shawn Poindexter beat ASU cornerback U Kobe Williams in the end zone for a 23-yard score.

The Wildcats had to settle for their Pollack field goals on three trips to the Red Zone, including a 36-yard pass in the last game of the first half to help Arizona climb 22-14.

Wilkins hit Brandon Aiyuk on a 58-yard pass and Benjamin pioneered a 10-yard goal to keep the Sun Devils within range.

Arizona also started quickly in the second half.

PJ Johnson faced Benjamin in the end zone for more safety, then Taylor returned the kickoff to start Pollack's fourth goal.

Benjamin scored on a 14-yard run, but Gary Brightwell responded with a 35-yard run. Tate then hit Ellison on a pass for an 8-yard score to give the Wildcats a 40-21 lead.

Come back for more.

Make it a game

Given the life and momentum, the ASU rushed for 80 yards for a touchdown, while Manny Wilkins ran 11 yards. Wilkins then saved time on a two-point PAT attempt before lobbing a tight-set full pass, Tommy Hudson.

Before the TD game, the ASU had won 16, 23 and 17 yards on consecutive passes.

Arizona leads 40-32 at 6:36 fourth quarter.

UA goes conservative

Arizona went into a clock-eating mode, picking up a first run but not a second and bringing back to the ASU.

The Wildcats lead 40-24 at 9:01 in the fourth quarter.

By taking three

ASU, followed by three possessions, scored Brandon Ruiz's 27 yards after failing in the end zone once Arizona's 4-yard line won.

The Sun Devils still have a long way to go, down from 40-24 at 13:05 fourth quarter.

In the fourth

USS quarterback Manny Wilkins was converted to fourth and eighth with a 13-yard run in the last game of the third quarter.

The Sun Devils start the fourth quarter with a first run down the 23-yard line, behind 40-21.

Arizona leads 446-280 total yards, 236-191 passing and 210-89 in a hurry.

UA's J.J. Taylor has 117 rushing yards and Eno Benjamin, 51, of the ASU.

To withdraw

Arizona can feel the victory and bowl qualification.

The Wildcats completed a 58-yard run with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Tony Ellison. UA is taking advantage of more and more absences of the Sun Devils for injuries.

The AU leads 40-21 at 2:44 third quarter.

Game on the line

After another ASU free kick, the Wildcats start on their 42-yard line after returning 19 yards.

It's a tough time in this game for the Sun Devils.

The AU leads 33-21 at 6:10 third quarter.

Quick response UA

The Wildcats needed only four games to pass 75 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown by Gary Brightwell.

UA failed during a second attempt to convert two points, a pass from Khalil Tate.

USS cornerback Chase Lucas was replaced by Dominique Harrison, who struggled to cover Shawn Poindexter.

The AU leads 33-21 at 07:51 third quarter.

Eno to finish the area

ASU RB Eno Benjamin scored again on a 14-yard run, limiting his run to 65 yards and allowing the Sun Devils to remain in the match

The key play was a 38-yard pass from Manny Wilkins to Neal Keal Harry in third and third.

The AU leads 27-21 at 9:23 the third quarter.

Questionable call

In what was generously debatable, ASU tried to lead Eno Benjamin to the center of the second and 14th places on a 4-yard line.

UA defensive tackle PJ Johnson dropped Benjamin for safety, comforting the Wildcats' lead at 24-14 at 13:14 in the third quarter.

On the ASU punt that followed, J.J. Taylor returned 66 yards, preparing Josh Pollack for his third goal, a 40-yard run.

The AU leads 27-14 at 12:17 in the third quarter.

ASU holds

The ASU defense stopped Arizona during the initial possession of the third quarter.

The Wildcats had a problem with their 57-yard punt and dropped Neal Harry for a 5-foot return loss.

The AU leads 22-14 at 13:44 the third quarter.

Final game of half

UA kicker Josh Pollack waited three timeouts (two by ASU) before converting a 36-yard field goal in the final half of the first half.

The AU leads 22-14 in the 92nd Territorial Cup with a remaining half.

The Wildcats lead 308-163 in rushing yards, 197-121 assists and 111-42 rushing.

UA's J.J. Taylor has 81 yards rushing and Eno Benjamin, from the ASU, only 27 out of 12 races.

ASU's Manny Wilkins scores 8 out of 13 and UA's Khalil Tate, 12 out of 16. Tate also has 20 yards rushing.

The Sun Devils were at halftime last year against UA, but they rallied 42 to 30, in part because Tate was away for most of the second period due to a injury.

It seems that ASU will need to overtake Benjamin much more in the second half because the offensive line, without Casey Tucker's injury, is not playing at the level she's been through much of the season.

It is almost certain that the Sun Devils will turn more towards Wilkins in the second half. Neal Keal Harry has two catches for 19 yards up to now and clearly needs to be more a target for the future.

The ASU replaced Evan Fields, second security student, by Dasmond Tautalatasi, both replacing injured Jalen Harvey.

Back in

ASU continued its recent offensive streak at the end of the first half with a 75-yard touchdown limited by Eno Benjamin's 10-yard run by coaching DB Troy Young with him in the end zone.

The training also included a pass under the 18-yard pass to Kyle Williams during a third and ten assists, with an additional number of the penalty of a passer.

UA leads 19-14 to 1:27 second quarter.

UA does the end zone

The Wildcats scored a touchdown late in the second quarter of a 70-yard offense, which included a pass interference penalty imposed on ASU CB Kobe Williams.

United Arab Emirates quarterback Khalil Tate threw a 23-yard field goal jump that Shawn Poindexter caught 6-5 while behind 5-10 Wiliams.

Tate failed to enter the end zone during a two point PAT test.

UA leads 19-7 at 4:25 second quarter.

ASU punishes again

The Sun Devils have a total attack of only 103 yards after another punt.

UA takes over his 30-yard line after a 56-yard punt from Michael Sleep-Dalton released the Sun Devils from a bad stance.

The Wildcats lead 13-7 at 8:38 the second quarter.

Oregon upside down

ASU forced Arizona to score another goal, 23 yards out of Josh Pollack, after the Wildcats started with a short pitch on the Sun Devil 26-yard line.

Until now, this match is the reverse of what happened to ASU last week when he scored goals, instead of scoring touchdowns, and ended up by a two-point loss to the Ducks.

UA leads 13-7 at 10:18 second quarter.

ASU fumble covers

ASU started its first possession of the second quarter with its 5-yard line.

On a first and 5, after an offside penalty from Arizona, Eno Benjamin missed a postponement, leading to a frantic battle with Kyle Johnson of the ASU recovering to the 6-yard line.

First Q in the books

Arizona leads 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. The second will start with the Wildcats in fourth and fourth place over a distance of 41 yards from the ASU.

The AU leads with 198-94 total yards, 130-80 on assists and 68-14 on the run.

UA's J.J. Taylor has 52 yards at 12 for Eno Benjamin of the USS. Both are among the top 10 rushers in the nation.

ASU goes higher

The Sun Devils fought back with a 58-yard touchdown pass from Manny Wilkins to open Brandon Aiyuk.

This strike took place after the ASU opened its third possession with assists on both sides at RB Isaiah Floyd.

The AU leads 10-7 at 2:28 in the first quarter.

2016 flashback

ASU fans have already started in 2016, while Arizona cut the Sun Devil defense and made 78 yards in six games.

The Wildcats scored on a 26-yard pass from Khalil Tate to Tony Ellison, a game after a 14-yard pass to Ellison at the expense of Evan Fields.

The AU leads 10-0 to 3:33 in the first quarter.

3 and more

ASU did nothing in its second offensive possession after three games, including one with a 5-yard loss for RB Eno Benjamin, while the Sun Devils blocked seven men on the line of scrimmage. The AU nose guard, Dereck Boles, still managed.

The ASU has no left guard Casey Tucker (foot), who is replaced by Steve Miller.

The AU leads 3-0 at 5:18 in the first quarter.

Cats attack first

Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate, chased by two USS defensemen, got 47 yards out of Shawn Pondexter.

The Sun Devils stiffened after this big game, forcing the Wildcats to settle for a 29-yard goal by Josh Pollack.

The AU leads 3-0 at 7:06 in the first quarter.

Return the field

ASU moved from his 25-yard line to Arizona 43, mostly on tracks run by Eno Benjamin, before going on a punting tour.

UA will begin offensive possession on its 4-yard line.

No score at 10:53 the first quarter.

ASU starts in attack

Arizona won the draw and postponed. The ASU will start in attack.

It is 66 degrees and the weather is sunny in Tucson for the 92nd Territorial Cup.

Referendum for the ASU

In some respects, today's Territorial Cup is a referendum on the progress made by the state of Arizona on its last trip to Tucson.

While much has happened in the last two years, the feeling that the biggest upheaval – coach Todd Graham has been sacked and replaced by Herm Edwards – stems from the ASU's 56-35 loss to Arizona in 2016.

Graham stayed at the coach for an extra season, his sixth, but he had never really felt that he would succeed beyond 2017. And although the Sun Devils beat the # Arizona 42-30 Last year in Tempe, quarterback Khalil Tate was absent from the second half with a shoulder injury, leaving an after-taste after the Wildcats led 24-14 to half-time.

So far, everything has changed since 2016 – AU also has a new coach at Kevin Sumlin – the ASU will be judged today on the quality of his keeping on the Wildcats compared to the record of the School of 511 yards in the race that the Sun Devils have easily surrendered, 26 quarterback Brian Dawkins (183), the wide receiver has turned around with Sajamie Grant (176) and RB Zach Green (126) ).

The challenge now is to limit the damage imposed by Tate and RB J.J. Taylor, a task that will be facilitated if ASU can play ball control behind RB Eno Benjamin.

Benjamin is the national No. 4 with 131 yards per race, with four spots ahead of Taylor (117.3). It could be as simple as knowing who dominates the force against the force, but the matches of the Territorial Cup are rarely simple because of the emotional charge. Not to mention that the Wildcats are very vulnerable to the pass (number 115 national).

The Sun Devils' 2016 defeat was their sixth in a row – to the detriment of a two-game UA team – and kept them from playing in the bowl. It was a disaster at all levels, and QB Manny Wilkins and other upper classes will immediately be inundated as soon as they enter Arizona Stadium.

I do not buy this UC, playing for the bowl eligibility that ASU has already obtained, is the only team to have something in play today. The sophomore Benjamin is breaking Woody Green's 46-year record, with only Wilkins and probably NKeal Harry junior receiver-catcher tied to the NFL, almost at the end of their college career.

Will Harry even choose to play a game of bowls? Or sit down to protect your first-round stock (hopefully not).

The most important point is that ASU does not display this one and will be much more difficult than it was two years ago.

The AU, although being destroyed 69-28 last week in the state of Washington, is certainly capable of winning the 92nd Territorial Cup. But I like ASU's chances of winning in Tucson for the first time since 2012.

My choice: ASU 35, UA 28.

pregame

The Arizona State Sun Devils (6-5, 4-4 in the Pac-12 game) are now going to Tucson for the 92nd edition of their Arizona Wildcats rivalry match (5-6 , 4-4). The prize is the Territorial Cup, the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.

The kickoff is scheduled for 13:30. TV: FS1. Radio: Sports Arizona 98.7 FM.

Arizona coach, Kevin Sumlin, and USS coach Herm Edwards will make their first experiences with the rivalry. For ASU, a season of seven first-round Edwards wins could be a success for the freshman. For Arizona, the eligibility of the bowl is at stake.

Last year, the Sun Devils beat the Wildcats, 42-30, in what would be the last appearance of Todd Graham and Rich Rodriguez in the game of rivalry. Both coaches were finally released by their respective schools.

Some key questions to consider before the match: