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Defensive Grades Are In From Arizona’s Territorial Cup Victory

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Defensive Grades Are In From Arizona’s Territorial Cup Victory


Arizona didn’t have the best start, but a long second half drained the life from Arizona State and sent the Wildcats back home to Tucson with a 23-7 victory, and the Territorial Cup in hand.

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan celebrates defensive back Genesis Smith (12) during a game against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 28, 2025. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brent Brennan’s first win in the rivalry series punctuates a dramatic turnaround for the program. After a 4-8 finish last season, Brennan’s aggressiveness in the portal, while retaining his roster, and making significant changes to the coaching staff, led to a 9-3 finish this time around.

The Wildcats have been great defensively all season long, and it showed up again on Friday night. The Wildcats forced five turnovers from ASU’s Jeff Sims, nabbing three interceptions and scooping up two fumbles.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Treydan Stukes (2) celebrates with defensive back Ayden Garnes (9) after an interception against Arizona State Sun Devils in the second half during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

According to Pro Football Focus, the Wildcats dominated the game defensively, despite only playing 20 minutes of the game. Here are the five highest-graded defenders from Arizona’s win (minimum 30 snaps).

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Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Chase Kennedy (7) against the Kansas Jayhawks at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kennedy had a relatively quiet night in the box score, but was still effective on the edge. He made two tackles and had one pressure against the Sun Devils.

The edge rusher did a great job of keeping contain against Sims, not letting him scramble or beat the Wildcats with his legs. He did the same thing in the run game. With the exception of a few plays, ASU could only run the ball between the tackles, and the edges were a big reason why.

According to PFF, Kennedy had an overall grade of 68.3, with a tackling grade of 75.8, a run defense grade of 66.5 and a pass rush grade of 62.7.

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Michael Dansby (25) celebrates a fumble recovery against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dansby had a big day locking down the perimeter with fellow corner Jay’Vion Cole limited to just eight snaps. The senior corner had two tackles, one pass breakup and an interception.

ASU’s first turnover of the day came as Sims was flushed from the pocket and made an errant throw toward the sideline, where Dansby dove and came up with the takeaway. He allowed just one short catch on five targets, but he also had a pass interference penalty.

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According to PFF, Dansby had an overall grade of 68.9, with a coverage grade of 71.4, a tackling grade of 76.6 and a run defense grade of 56.1.

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Riley Wilson (16) and defensive back Johno Price (21) against the Baylor Bears at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wilson had a great day opposite Kennedy on the edge. He made six tackles and batted down two passes at the line of scrimmage in the win for Arizona.

Like Kennedy, Wilson did a great job of keeping ASU contained to the pocket or running between the tackles in traffic. He also had two hits on Sims as a pass rusher, making his presence felt.

According to PFF, Wilson had an overall grade of 69.0, with a tackling grade of 78.3, a run defense grade of 75.2 and a pass rush grade of 57.1.

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Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Genesis Smith (12) celebrates a fumble recovery with defensive lineman Leroy Palu (95) in the second half against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona’s safeties once again were flying around the field and always near the ball. Smith was huge against the run, making six tackles and deflecting one pass.

While tackling has been a problem for Smith this season, he was perfect against the Sun Devils. He played close to stop the run and also picked up one pressure. Smith didn’t allow any catches as the primary defender and made some key tackles downfield to prevent ASU from scoring.

According to PFF, Smith had an overall grade of 71.7, with a tackling grade of 82.9, a run defense grade of 74.6 and a coverage grade of 68.7.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Dalton Johnson (43) celebrates with the Territorial Cup trophy after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Who else? Johnson was once again all over the field making plays. He made three tackles, two pass breakups, one interception and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter.

Johnson punched the ball away from Sims on a run with ASU driving into scoring range, and Arizona recovered and went on the score the final touchdown to seal the game. On the ensuing possession, Sims overshot his man and Johnson laid out to snatch the pick, the fifth and final takeaway of the day for the Wildcats.

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According to PFF, Johnson had an overall grade of 83.3, by far his highest grade of the season. He also had a run defense grade of 92.7, a coverage grade of 71.3 and a tackling grade of 56.2.

What did you think of Arizona’s statement win over Arizona State? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.





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Arizona grandma surprised with $500, GoFundMe after helping stranger

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Arizona grandma surprised with 0, GoFundMe after helping stranger


Valley social media influencer Jimmy Darts gave an Arizona grandma the surprise of a lifetime after helping him buy medicine at an Arizona Walmart. Eighty-six-year-old Connie didn’t hesitate to help, even though she’s struggling to afford food and rent. Darts surprised her with $500 on the spot and then set up a GoFundMe, where over 2,000 people have donated more than $58,000 to help turn her life around.



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Arizona AG sues Temu over alleged illegal data collection, false advertising

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Arizona AG sues Temu over alleged illegal data collection, false advertising


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona’s top prosecutor announced a lawsuit against a China-based online shopping giant Tuesday morning, alleging the platform steals customer data and misleads customers.

“We allege that Temu has repeatedly and willfully violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and put the privacy of Arizonans, including minors, at extreme risk,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in a written statement. “Arizonans should be aware that behind Temu’s low prices and shiny advertising, there is real danger. The Temu app can infect users’ devices with malware to steal their private data while carefully hiding its tracks.”

The AG’s office said the complaint was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on Monday. The state alleges that the Temu app is deliberately designed to “harvest sensitive user data without users’ knowledge or consent and to evade detection.”

In addition to the privacy risk allegations, the state claims the shopping giant is also engaging in deceptive and unfair trade practices, including the use of forced labor and false advertising.

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Specifically, the AG’s office shared examples of merchants selling counterfeit goods of iconic Arizona brands like those of sports teams and colleges, including the Arizona Cardinals, Fender Guitars, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.

Some other complaints the state says it has seen include fake reviews, using payment information to order items not requested, bait-and-switch, and charging for goods not ordered or not delivered.

“I will not stand by while a Chinese company vacuums up reams of sensitive data from Arizonans’ phones and profits from deception and abuse,” added Mayes. “We are taking Temu to court to stop these practices, protect Arizonans’ privacy, and hold Temu fully accountable under Arizona law.”

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Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts, observations

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Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts, observations



A look at how the Cardinals split up their 61 offensive snaps against the Bucs.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 20-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, 17 players participated in at least one of the 61 offensive snaps.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., left guard Evan Brown, center Hjalte Froholdt, right guard Isaiah Adams, right tackle Kelvin Beachum played every snap. Wide receiver Michael Wilson missed four, while tight end Trey McBride played all but seven.

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How was the playing time divided up? Below are individual snap counts for every player who got in the game offensively, grouped by position.

The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.

Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts: Quarterbacks

  • Jacoby Brissett (61/100
  • Active, did not play: Kedon Slovis
  • Reserve/injured (eligible for return): Kyler Murray

It was the fourth 300-yard game (301) in Brissett’s seven starts, but the record is 0-4 in those games and 1-6 overall. He completed 29-of-40 passes with two touchdown passes and one interception for a 100.1 passer rating. The interception was a bad decision and behind wide receiver Michael Wilson to stop their first possession of the game on a play that began at the 20-yard line, but not in the red zone.

On third down, Brissett’s three completions on six attempts achieved first downs for a total of 39 yards. He was sacked once and threw incomplete twice in the fourth quarter on third-and-1 and third-and-2 and on third-and-3 from the Tampa Bay 25-yard line in the third quarter. He ran three times for 16 yards with a long of eight.

Brissett said after the game, “It’s just execution, man. In a lot of those critical plays, I got to play a lot better.”

Running backs

  • Michael Carter (32/52), Bam Knight (29/48)
  • Inactive: Emari Demercado (injured)
  • Active/did not play (except for special teams): Jermar Jefferson
  • Reserve/injured: Trey Benson (eligible to return/practicing), James Conner (eligible to return, but won’t)

It was one of the better outings of the season as Knight rushed 11 times for 62 yards (5.6 average) and contributed 36 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, on three receptions. He ended up with 98 yards from scrimmage. However, there was a lost fumble on the first possession of the first half after he ran for 13 yards on the first play.

Carter had 17 yards on three carries and added five catches for 47 yards.

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Wide receivers

  • Michael Wilson (57/93), Marvin Harrison Jr. (37/61), Xavier Weaver (30/49), Greg Dortch (20/33)
  • Active/did not play (except for special teams): Andre Baccellia
  • Reserve/injured: Simi Fehoko (eligible to return), Zay Jones (eligible to return, but won’t)

Harrison returned after missing two games because of appendicitis and caught six of seven targets for 69 yards with a long of 21. He was on and off the field because of a heel injury. Wilson returned to earth with three receptions for 26 yards on seven targets. Dortch had two catches for 14 yards, while Weaver was targeted once, but it wasn’t caught.

Tight ends

  • Trey McBride (54/89), Elijah Higgins (25/41), Pharaoh Brown (7/11), Josiah Deguara (3/5)
  • Reserve/injured: Tip Reiman, Travis Vokolek (both eligible to return, but won’t)

The beat goes on for McBride, who caught eight of nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. He extended his streak of five-catch games to 14, the second-longest in history for a tight end. He’s one game behind Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. McBride entered the game tied with Jimmy Graham for the most receiving yards for a tight end (301) in their first four seasons. The only blemish was a missed block on a failed fourth-and-1 play from the Cardinals’ 39-yard line in the fourth quarter that led to a 57-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal.

Higgins had two receptions for 17 yards.

Offensive linemen

  • LT Paris Johnson Jr. (61/100), LG Evan Brown (61/100), C Hjalte Froholdt (61/100), RG Isaiah Adams (52/62), RT Kelvin Beachum (61/100), RT Josh Fryar (11/18)
  • Inactive: C/G Hayden Conner
  • Active/did not play: T Demontrey Jacobs
  • Active/did not play (except for special teams): C/G Jon Gaines II
  • Reserve/injured: RG Will Hernandez (eligible to return)T Christian Jones (eligible to return/practicing), RT Jonah Williams (eligible to return but won’t)
  • Reserve/injured: Valentin Senn

The five starters played every snap, including Adams who returned to the first group after Hernandez was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Conner was activated from IR Saturday, but was inactive for the game. The decision was made five days before the deadline in his 21-day practice window.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 20=17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, 17 players participated in at least one of the 61 offensive snaps.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., left guard Evan Brown, center Hjalte Froholdt, right guard Isaiah Adams, right tackle Kelvin Beachum played every snap. Wide receiver Michael Wilson missed four, while tight end Trey McBride played all but seven.

How was the playing time divided up? Below are individual snap counts for every player who got in the game offensively, grouped by position.

The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.

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Arizona Cardinals Week 13 offensive snap counts:

Quarterbacks

Jacoby Brissett (61/100

Active, did not play: Kedon Slovis

Reserve/injured (eligible for return): Kyler Murray

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It was the fourth 300-yard game (301) in Brissett’s seven starts, but the record is 0-4 in those games and 1-6 overall. He completed 29 of 40 passes with two sacks and one interception for a 100.1 passer rating. The interception was a bad decision and behind wide receiver Michael Wilson to stop their first possession of the game on a play that began at the 20-yard line, but not in the red zone.

On third down, Brissett’s three completions on six attempts achieved first downs for a total of 39 yards. He was sacked once and threw incomplete twice in the fourth quarter on third-and-1 and third-and-2 and on third-and-3 from the Tampa Bay 25-yard line in the third quarter. He ran three times for 16 yards with a long of eight.

Brissett said after the game, “It’s just execution man. In a lot of those critical plays, I got to play a lot better.”

Running backs

Michael Carter (32/52), Bam Knight (29/48)

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Inactive: Emari Demercado (injured)

Active/did not play (except for special teams): Jermar Jefferson

Reserve/injured: Trey Benson (eligible to return/practicing), James Conner (eligible to return, but won’t)

It was one of the better outings of the season as Knight rushed 11 times for 62 yards (5.6 average) and contributed 36 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, on three receptions. He ended up with 98 yards from scrimmage. However, there was a lost fumble on the first possession of the first half after he ran for 13 yards on the first play.

Carter had 17 yards on three carries and added five catches for 47 yards.

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Wide receivers

Michael Wilson (57/93), Marvin Harrison Jr. (37/61), Xavier Weaver (30/49), Greg Dortch (20/33)

Active/did not play (except for special teams): Andre Baccellia

Reserve/injured: Simi Fehoko (eligible to return), Zay Jones (eligible to return, but won’t)

Harrison returned after missing two games because of appendicitis and caught six of seven targets for 69 yards with a long of 21. He was on and off the field because of a heel injury. Wilson returned to earth with three receptions for 26 yards on seven targets. Dortch had two catches for 14 yards, while Wesaver was targeted once, but it wasn’t caught.

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Tight ends

Trey McBride (54/89), Elijah Higgins (25/41), Pharaoh Brown (7/11), Josiah Deguara (3/5)

Reserve/injured: Tip Reiman, Travis Vokolek (both eligible to return, but won’t)

The beat goes on for McBride, who caught eight of nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. He extended his streak of five-catch games to 14, the second-longest in history for a tight end. He’s one game behind Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. McBride entered the game tied with Jimmy Graham for the most receiving yards for a tight end (301) in their first four seasons. The only blemish was a missed block on a failed fourth-and-1 play from the Cardinals 39-yard line in the fourth quarter that led to a 57-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal.

Higgins had two receptions for 17 yards.

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Offensive linemen

LT Paris Johnson Jr. (61/100), LG Evan Brown (61/100), C Hjalte Froholdt (61/100), RG Isaiah Adams (52/62), RT Kelvin Beachum (61/100), RT Josh Fryar (11/18)

Inactive: C/G Hayden Conner

Active/did not play: T Demontrey Jacobs

Active/did not play (except for special teams): C/G Jon Gaines II

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Reserve/injured: RG Will Hernandez (eligible to return)T Christian Jones (eligible to return/practicing), RT Jonah Williams (eligible to return but won’t)

Reserve/injured: Valentin Senn

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.



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