ASU football coach Dennis Erickson has blatantly said that an offensive performance like the one the Sun Devils put up last week against Washington State simply will not cut it against any remaining opponent on the schedule.

The Sun Devils committed six turnovers, which inhibited their ability to put the hapless Cougars away and overshadowed another outstanding performance by the ASU defense.

ASU will try to put both sides of the football together when it counters a much-improved Washington team on Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.

“We wish that every game would come easy, but if you look at the schedule and the way the conference is going, there are no easy games anymore,” ASU senior quarterback Danny Sullivan said. “We have to be ready to play four quarters through and through. We got away with it last week because the defense played so well, but we can’t do that anymore.”

The Huskies have already staged one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation so far this year under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian, going from an 0-12 campaign in 2008 to a 3-3 start so far this season, including a win against USC and a come-from-behind victory against UA last week in Seattle.

“If you look at programs that have improved in the last six months, you would have to look at their program as the best in the country,” Erickson said. “They are totally different than the first two years I was here.”

After dominating the WSU offense last weekend, a Sun Devil team that still ranks third in the nation in total defense (221.8 yards per game) will face a much tougher task this week in containing UW junior quarterback Jake Locker. Locker, who missed all but four games last season with a broken thumb, is one of the most dangerous dual threat quarterbacks in the nation and leads the Pac-10 in total offense (270.3 yards per game).

“The thing about Locker is, if you are not in your right rush lanes, he will turn and run,” Erickson said. “He made a run the other day against UA, a 50-some yard run that was one of the most amazing runs I have ever seen. They blitzed him, and they had a sack, but he broke three tackles and went 59 yards for a touchdown. Once he gets in the secondary, you are not catching him.”

A reinvigorated pass rush should help the Sun Devils against Locker and the Husky offense, as it racked up a school record 12 sacks last week against WSU. Sophomore defensive tackle Lawrence Guy and sophomore defensive end James Brooks each recorded 2.5 sacks, while senior defensive end Dexter Davis broke out of an early-season slump with 1.5 quarterback takedowns to move him into third place on ASU’s all-time career sack list (29).

The Sun Devils also lead the Pac-10 and have moved up to second in the nation in rushing defense, giving up a meager 49.6 yards per game after holding WSU to -54 yards on the ground last week.

ASU, which ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in total offense (353 yards per game) and ninth in pass efficiency (105.7), should have another chance to get back on track on offense this week. The Huskies rank 106th in the nation in total defense, giving up 418 yards per game.

The Sun Devils will again use a rotating system at quarterback on Saturday. Sullivan will start, but Erickson said freshman Brock Osweiler will also take the reigns under center at various points, depending on the flow of the game.

The running game could also boost the ASU offense on Saturday, as senior Dimitri Nance recorded his first career 100-yard performance against WSU (113 yards), and the Huskies rank ninth in the Pac-10 in rush defense (161.3 yards per game).

“You have those guys up there in the front [on the offensive line] who are starting to mesh together and do their work,” Sullivan said. “If we start doing that and getting the ball down the field, I think that we’ll be all right.”

ASU has won five in a row against UW, including a 39-19 victory in Seattle last season. However, Locker did not play in that game, and Sarkisian was still under Pete Carroll’s command the offensive coordinator at USC.

Junior wide receiver Kerry Taylor, who sat out the WSU game with a hamstring injury, has practiced this week and is expected to play against UW. Erickson said junior cornerback Omar Bolden (knee) will also play Saturday.

Junior kicker Thomas Weber is still out with a groin injury, and senior tight end Stanley Malamala will not play because of a broken jaw.

Sophomore guard Zach Schlink (knee) and sophomore offensive lineman Matt Hustad (knee) are still a week away from returning to the lineup, Erickson said.

Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.