Washington @ Arizona State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 9, 2010 ) Arizona State 24, Washington 14

Arizona State looks to extend its winning streak over No. 25 Washington to eight when it hosts the Huskies on Saturday. The up-and-down Sun Devils badly need a victory to remain UCLA’s stiffest competition in the Pac-12 South, while the Huskies seek to snap a two-game skid that has dropped them to fifth in the Pac-12 North. Washington’s defense was exposed in last weekend’s loss to Oregon, allowing 45 points, 631 yards and 30 first downs.

Both teams feature outstanding running backs in Washington’s Bishop Sankey and Arizona State’s Marion Grice. Sankey leads the nation in rushing yards per game (149.8) and Grice is tops in the country with 15 touchdowns (10 rushing, five receiving). “Grice is probably the best running back that nobody’s heard of,” Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said. The Sun Devils are averaging 50 points in their last three games – beating USC and Colorado and losing to Notre Dame.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Arizona State -3.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12): Sankey (899 rushing yards, 10 total touchdowns) has rushed for 100 or more yards in nine of his last 11 games after scampering for 167 yards and two scores against Oregon. Senior quarterback Keith Price has passed for 1,576 yards and 12 touchdowns and needs 110 yards to pass Jake Locker (7,639 from 2007-10) for second place on the school’s all-time passing yardage list. Senior safety Sean Parker has three interceptions and the Huskies lead the Pac-12 in passing defense (183 yards per game) despite allowing 366 to Oregon.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (4-2, 2-1): Grice ranks sixth on the school’s all-time career touchdowns list with 34 in only 19 games and has rushed for 395 yards and added 265 more as a receiver this season. Junior quarterback Tyler Kelly (1,965 yards, 16 touchdowns) and sophomore wideout Jaelen Strong (42 receptions, 678 yards) are also excelling for an offense averaging 44.2 points per game. The defense has experienced numerous struggles while allowing 27.2 points per game and senior defensive tackle Will Sutton has just 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack this season after having 23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in his monstrous 2012 campaign.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The series is knotted at 15-15 and the teams last met in 2010, when the Sun Devils posted a 24-14 victory.

2. Strong has topped 100 yards receiving in five consecutive games, topped by a 168-yard effort against Stanford.

3. Senior OLB Princeton Fuimaono leads Washington with 44 tackles.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 45, Washington 38