Arizona Ready for a Fiesta After Beating Arizona State

For once, Arizona’s offense didn’t take a back seat--and that puts the Wildcats in the driver’s seat for the Fiesta Bowl.

The No. 19 Wildcats, the nation’s top defensive team before the regular-season finale, cranked up the offense for 446 yards Friday to keep their New Year’s Day bowl hopes alive.

“Arizona is the leading candidate,” Fiesta Bowl director John Junker said after congratulating Arizona on its 34-20 victory over Arizona State. “We have to wait until Sunday, when the polls come out, because that’s how the coalition is comprised. But obviously it was a great victory and something that gets Arizona really more in the national spotlight.”

Arizona quarterback Dan White was in the spotlight, passing for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

“They do have some highly skilled athletes, and we knew that going in,” Arizona State Coach Bruce Snyder said. “But they had not scored this many points on other teams, and we knew that, so it was kind of surprising they were able to do it.”

Arizona (9-2) finished 6-2 in the Pac-10, tying UCLA and USC for the best record in the conference.

Coach Dick Tomey of Arizona, who was 0-5-1 against Snyder, said his team knew it would get a bowl bid win or lose and focused on beating the Sun Devils (6-5, 4-4).

“We saved our best game for the end of the season, and that’s what you want to do in a rivalry,” Tomey said.

White broke open a tight game with scoring pass plays of 31 and 51 yards to Troy Dickey in the fourth quarter, when Arizona gained 243 yards.

Billy Johnson rushed for 126 yards in 16 carries for Arizona, and Ontiwaun Carter gained 101 in 13 carries.