QB Jaden Rashada returns from injury but Arizona State is overwhelmed by rival Arizona

Nothing has gone as planned for Arizona State when comes to the quarterback position. So why should Saturday's regular season finale against No. 16 Arizona been any different. The Sun Devils quarterback conundrum continued as the Wildcats overpowered the Sun Devils 59-23 at Mountain America Stadium to retain the Territorial Cup.

It marked the first back-to-back wins in the storied Territorial Cup series for Arizona since the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

The Sun Devils (3-9, 2-7) came into the game averaging just 17 points a game — 126th out of 130 FBS schools in scoring. They were ill-equipped to get into a shootout with an Arizona team energized by a freshman quarterback of its own in Noah Fifita.

True freshman Jaden Rashada was scheduled to make his return as the starter for ASU after a nine-game absence due to a leg injury, but he arrived late for a team meeting Friday. Coach Kenny Dillingham's game plan changed and it was going to be incumbent Trenton Bourguet getting the start.

Then, Bourguet came down with a stomach virus. So, it was actually tight end Jalin Conyers getting the start. He has been used in certain packages before, as has running back Cameron Skattebo, but it's usually a couple of plays at a time rather than an entire quarter.

Dillingham said not being on time meant Rashada was going to be out for at least a quarter, so he had to adjust on the fly with Bourguet telling him in warmups he couldn't go.

"Jaden was going into the week as the starter. We have policies and one thing we're not going to do is not going to be a coward. If I say there's a standard for the program, then there's a standard for the program. And whether that hurts us or doesn't hurt us, that's the culture we're trying to set," Dillingham said of Rashada's situation.

"Then Trenton was going to go and he got sick. So his brother (Coben) was puking and he started puking. We tried to get him back but he said he was sick and I can't go so we then went into the wildcat mode to start the game."

Conyers, who was a quarterback in high school, actually lined up there for the entire first quarter which ended with the visitors in front 10-7. He led a seven-play scoring drive on ASU's first possession, which was highlighted by his own 39-yard run which took the ball inside the 6.

But little went right for ASU after that. The Wildcats (9-3, 7-2) led 38-7 at the half and never looked back.

It was a rough return for Rashada who completed just 10 of 22 passes for 82 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. A near-turnover came on an apparent fumble late in the second quarter but the play was reviewed and later ruled an incomplete pass, but that mattered little because it was a third-down play and the Sun Devils punted.

The Sun Devils have used four different quarterbacks this season, not counting the position players who have taken snaps. Not only did Rashada missed nine games, but Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne, who contended for the starting spot before being injured at Camp Tontozona, has missed eight games to three different leg ailments. He last played against USC on Sept. 23.

The offensive issues have been so apparent that despite missing nine games Rashada still entered the contest leading the Sun Devils in touchdown passes with three. He got his fourth early in the fourth quarter, hitting Troy Omeire on a 31-yarder that cut the deficit to 53-23.

What happened? Review the in-game updates from Arizona State vs. Arizona football

Meanwhile, Arizona, who has beaten four ranked teams in the last six games, got another stellar showing from its freshman phenom. Fifita cemented his position a starter after first taking over when Jayden de Laura was injured early in the season. Fifita threw for a school-record 527 yards and four touchdowns by completing 30 of 41 pass attempts on the day. His only mistake came when linebacker Travion Brown got an errant throw and returned it 32 yards with 9:36 left in the game.

Cameron Skattebo led ASU with 17 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. Arizona's ground game was led by Michael Wiley, who had 12 carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

Tetairoa McMillan caught 11 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. Jacob Cowing also surpassed the century-mark with nine catches for 157 yards.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Wildcats beat ASU Sun Devils in Territorial Cup football game