Utah @ Arizona State preview
Sun Devil Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 21, 2017 ) Arizona State 30, Utah 10
Utah enjoyed a 4-0 October to surge to the top of the Pac-12 South standings and to 16th in the coaches poll. Three more conference contests await in the November homestretch, though, beginning with Saturday afternoon’s game at Arizona State.
Following tough losses to Washington and Washington State, the Utes have reeled off wins over Stanford, Arizona, USC and UCLA – all by at least 13 points. That gives Utah a 1.5-game edge – factoring in the head-to-head wins – over the Trojans and Wildcats atop the South as it seeks its first Pac-12 division title and berth in the league championship game. “We are just blocking out that noise and getting ready for Arizona State,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said of his team’s division lead Monday at his weekly news conference. “We don’t really look at where we are and who has what losses – we can’t worry about that. We just want to be completely focused on who we have next and not worry about the peripheral stuff.” Coach Herm Edwards’ Sun Devils certainly gained some attention Saturday as they snapped USC’s 19-game home win streak with a 38-35 win in L.A.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Utah -7
ABOUT UTAH (6-2, 4-2 Pac-12): During their win streak, the Utes have scored at least 40 points in all four contests, marking the first time since that’s happened since their 2004 season as members of the Mountain West Conference. Utah’s latest win – last Friday’s 41-10 victory at UCLA – was powered by a career-high 211 yards and three touchdowns from tailback Zack Moss and 132 all-purpose yards and the second TD pass of the season from Swiss Army Knife wide receiver/kick returner Britain Covey. The Utes’ defense, meanwhile, limited UCLA to 291 total yards and forced three turnovers and continues to lead the conference in rushing defense (81.1 yards allowed per game) and total defense (287.0).
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (4-4, 2-3): Against USC, wideout N’Keal Harry scored on a 41-yard reception and 92-yard punt return while tailback Eno Benjamin ran for 185 yards and two more scores. Benjamin, a sophomore, ranks third in the conference with 117.2 rushing yards per game while eclipsing the century mark five times this season and will pose a formidable test for the Utes’ top-ranked run defense. The Sun Devils are allowing 386.0 yards per game to rank seventh in the Pac-12 but are fourth in scoring defense, surrendering 22.8 points.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Arizona State has won five of the seven meetings since Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011, including a 30-10 rout in Salt Lake City a season ago.
2. The Utes, however, rolled to a 49-26 win in 2016 in Tempe, snapping an eight-game road losing streak in the series that dated back to 1976.
3. Quarterbacks Manny Wilkins (Arizona State) and Tyler Huntley (Utah) both pose dual threats, ranking in the Pac-12’s top six in total offense with 281.5 and 245.2 yards per outing, respectively.
PREDICTION: Utah 27, Arizona State 24