Sacramento State @ Arizona State preview
Sun Devil Stadium
Arizona State and Sacramento State will be looking for their first points of the season Thursday night, but only the host Sun Devils will be playing their opener. The FCS' Hornets are coming off a 24-0 loss at San Jose State, and the opposition doesn't get any easier with Arizona State. The Sun Devils are looking to build upon an 8-5 record in coach Todd Graham's inaugural season in the desert, and with 17 returning starters Arizona State plans to contend with nationally-ranked USC and UCLA in the Pac-12 South Division.
Of those returning starters, quarterback Taylor Kelly and defensive tackle Will Sutton stand out. Kelly had a breakout campaign as a sophomore last season, passing for 3,039 yards and 29 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Sutton is the reigning Pac-12 defensive player of the year after recording 63 tackles and 13 sacks in a dominant junior year.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: None
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE (0-1): While the offense offered few bright spots in the shutout loss to the Spartans, the defense had reason to be pleased. Sacramento State held quarterback David Fales, who led the FBS with a 72.5 completion percentage last season, to 16-of-32 passing for 225 yards -- almost 100 yards below his 2012 average -- and two touchdowns. One of those scores was set up by a turnover, something Hornets quarterback Garrett Saffron (192 passing yards, two interceptions) will try to avoid against the Sun Devils.
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (2012: 8-5): The Sun Devils are brimming with confidence entering their second year under Graham. Along with Kelly, the offense returns running backs Marion Grice and D.J. Foster, who combined for 1,172 yards rushing, 958 yards receiving and 25 touchdowns last season. On defense, end Carl Bradford (81 tackles, 11.5 sacks in 2012) ensures Sutton won't receive all of the opponent's attention.
EXTRA POINTS
1. While Sacramento State never scored, it did hold an edge of more than 14 minutes in time of possession against San Jose State.
2. Arizona State has averaged 46.3 points a game in its past 10 season openers, all wins.
3. Sacramento State entered the season as one of two FCS teams to defeat FBS opponents in each of the past two years (Oregon State in 2011, Colorado in 2012). The other one? Two-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State, which made it three in a row with a victory Friday at Kansas State.
PREDICTION: Arizona State 55, Sacramento State 10