Arizona State @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2009 ) Arizona 20, Arizona State 17

When a concussion sidelined Arizona State quarterback Steven Threet early in last week’s game, things didn’t look good for the Sun Devils.

Then, backup Brook Osweiler took the field.

Osweiler and the Sun Devils travel to Arizona to renew their rivalry Thursday night. Osweiler will look to build on his remarkable relief appearance against UCLA last week.

About the only one who wasn’t shocked with Osweiler’s performance on Friday was the sophomore quarterback himself. He threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns, hitting 27 of 36 attempts as Arizona State stomped UCLA 55-34 at Tempe, Ariz.

While Threet, who suffered a minor concussion, may be cleared to play during the week, he is expected to serve as the backup.

Osweiler is a specimen. At 6-8, 242 pounds, Osweiler was one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school at Montana. He also ran the ball six times for 35 yards and a 15-yard touchdown. Threet had been solid during the season passing for 2,545 yards with 18 touchdowns against 16 interceptions.

Osweiler was expected to get the call before the season started but Threet won the job in the preseason. Last year Osweiler started a game against Oregon but had to leave after throwing just 14 passes with a shoulder injury.

Despite Arizona State’s win last week, the Sun Devils were eliminated from the bowl picture. While the Pac-10 has six slots in bowl games reserved heading into the final weekend, only three teams have qualified. Even though Arizona State (5-6, 3-5) could get to six wins with a victory over Arizona on Saturday, it has two wins against FCS schools. The Sun Devils could have still received a bowl berth with a win if it received a waiver from the NCAA but when Georgia knocked off Georgia Tech on Saturday night the Bulldogs became the 70th team to become bowl eligible.

That left Arizona State out of the picture.

The Wildcats are looking at a possible Alamo Bowl or Holiday Bowl berth against a Big 12 team in the postseason. They’re also looking to snap a three-game losing skid.

The Wildcats have faced the iron of the Pac-10 recently and lost games at Oregon and Stanford and were upset at home by USC.

Arizona couldn’t keep up with the top-ranked Ducks in last week’s 48-29 setback. Arizona led throughout much of the first half but when Oregon got its high-powered offense rolling the game was over. Nick Foles threw for 448 yards in the loss and three touchdowns, but the Wildcats got little from its running game which totaled just 58 yards.

After losing three straight in the series, Arizona has won the past two games, including a 31-10 win at home two years ago.

Arizona is ranked 32nd in the nation in scoring defense, but that number has dropped steadily since entering the most difficult part of its schedule. Foles has the Wildcats’ passing game ranked ninth in the nation.