TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona's Rich Rodriguez and Arizona State's Todd Graham have had successful debuts in the desert, overcoming some adversity to get their teams bowl eligible.
All the success they've had so far sets them up for the most important goal of the season: beating each other.
The Territorial Cup takes on added significance Friday night at Arizona Stadium, when the two first-year coaches try to establish a foothold in the heated rivalry.
Rodriguez and Graham have a long history, dating to the 1993 NAIA championship game. That's when East Central, with Graham as its defensive coordinator, beat Glenville State and Rodriguez.
Graham also spent two seasons as an assistant under Rodriguez at West Virginia before moving on to become a head coach.
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