By noon Monday, Arizona State coach Todd Graham already had received emails from fans urging him to put the Sun Devils' recent struggles behind and just focus on beating rival Arizona in Friday's Territorial Cup.
"It's always an exciting week for us, and the most important week that we emphasize with our players," Graham said. "Our total focus is on keeping that Cup here in Tempe."
During his time at West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Graham participated in the "Backyard Brawl," considered among college football's top rivalries. He said the Territorial Cup is on a similar level in terms of fan intensity.