Arizona State @ Utah preview
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 10, 2016 ) Utah 49, Arizona State 26
Fresh off its first win over a top-five ranked team in 21 years, Arizona State hits the road Saturday to face Utah. Late last Saturday night, the Sun Devils found the end zone on their opening possession against No. 4 Washington, and the defense took it from there in a stunning 13-7 victory over the visiting Huskies.
And now with games against Utah and Pac-12 South Division-leading USC up next, Arizona State coach Todd Graham knows there’s no time for any kind of letdown. “We have a veteran team,” Graham said in his weekly news conference Monday. “The guys have been here awhile, and they know it doesn’t matter what you do the last week. You’ve got the next week, and we’re going to Utah which is one of the more challenging places to play in our league.” The Utes, meanwhile have suffered close losses to Stanford (23-20) and USC (28-27) after a 4-0 start, but recent conference history says there is still hope in Salt Lake City despite a 1-2 Pac-12 start. “(Contending for the South title) is not out of the question,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said at his Monday news conference. “… I don’t think there will be an outright champion with two losses and everyone else with three or more, but there could be a (two-loss) co-champion with tiebreakers (coming into play).”
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1. LINE: Utah -9
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (3-3, 2-1 Pac-12): The Sun
Devils entered last Saturday’s game having surrendered 30 or more points in 11
straight outings, but held the high-powered Huskies to a fourth-quarter TD and 230
total yards while allowing only 3-of-14 third-down conversions. Manny Wilkins
completed 29-of-41 passes for 245 yards in the contest and ranks fourth in the
conference in total offense with 289.8 yards per outing. Kalen Ballage scored
Arizona State’s only TD against the Huskies but finished with only 17 yards on
nine carries and is averaging 50.5 yards per game and 3.8 per carry.
ABOUT UTAH (4-2, 1-2): The Utes squandered a 21-7 halftime lead last Saturday against USC and ultimately fell short when quarterback Troy Williams was stopped short on a two-point conversion scramble with 42 seconds remaining. Williams has gone 36-of-66 for 500 yards, two TDs and three interceptions while rushing for 32 yards and a score in starting the last two games in place of injured sophomore starter Tyler Huntley, and will rely heavily again on running back Zack Moss, who gashed USC for a career-high 141 yards on 20 carries. Led by linebacker Sunia Tauteoli (7.0 tackles, 1.25 tackles for loss per game), the Utah defense is surrendering the second-fewest points (20.0) and third-fewest yards (350.3) in the conference.
EXTRA POINTS
1. With a 49-26 road victory last season, Utah has won two straight in the series following 11 straight wins for Arizona State.
2. Sun Devils LB Christian Sam leads the Pac-12 in total (9.7) and solo tackles (6.8) per game.
3. The Utes have the edge in kicking game with Matt Gay leading the nation in field goals made (16 of 18) and Mitch Wishnowsky ranking second nationally in net punting (44.75 yards).
PREDICTION: Utah 34, Arizona State 20