Washington @ Arizona State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2014 ) Arizona State 24, Washington 10

Two teams with identical records and in desperate need of a win square off Saturday as Washington heads to Tempe for a Pac-12 showdown against Arizona State. At four wins apiece, the Huskies and Sun Devils are still in the hunt to become bowl eligible, but one of the teams will be eliminated from contention Saturday because each has a victory against an FCS member.

Arizona State has dominated the all-time series as of late, rolling off nine straight victories against Washington - tied for the third-longest active winning streak by one conference opponent over another. However, the Huskies come equipped with the Pac-12's top scoring defense, holding opponents to 18.8 points per game. And although the Sun Devils average 31.4 points, they haven't been able to keep up with the opposition over the course of a three-game losing streak. Arizona State has been outscored 133-97 in that span but hopes to do just enough against Washington to get back on track with their first win in more than a month.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Arizona State -3

ABOUT WASHINGTON (4-5, 2-4 Pac-12): The Huskies lost a tough one at home over the weekend, falling 34-23 to No. 13 Utah. The Utes took advantage of four turnovers by Washington, scoring 24 points off the miscues while the Huskies only managed three points off three turnovers by Utah. Washington's defense could only do so much to limit the damage then but should be able to recover against Arizona State, granted the offense can keep turnovers to a minimum as the Huskies have committed 16 turnovers on the season.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (4-5, 2-4 Pac-12): The latest defeat in Arizona State's disappointing season came on the road last week as the Sun Devils dropped a 38-24 decision to Washington State. The Cougars trailed 21-17 heading in the fourth quarter but outscored the Sun Devils 21-3 in the final stanza to get the victory. Asked how important it was for his seniors to go to a bowl game, coach Todd Graham said during Monday's press conference with reporters: "We need to go finish this the right way, and that's to win out, and to go win a bowl championship. It's very, very important that we do that for our program and for those seniors."

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Sun Devils are 12-1 all-time in games broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.

2. Washington's defense has allowed 13 touchdowns in 32 red-zone attempts (40.6 percent) - the best in the Pac-12.

3. Arizona State has been outscored 95-66 in the final stanza and lost fourth-quarter leads in each of the last three games.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 31, Washington 28