Quarterback
EDGE: ASU
Redshirt junior Taylor Kelly has continued to show his worth in the running game, rushing 22 times for 94 yards and a touchdown in ASU’s Pac-12 South-clinching win over UCLA. Kelly was able to run the read-option successfully against a Bruins’ defense that is better than UA’s. The Wildcats did a good job to contain Oregon’s offense and redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota, but Mariota was still nursing an injured knee. Kelly’s 74.1 percent completion rate against the Bruins (20-27) was the highest since the 74.2 percent clip (23-31) against Sacramento State in the first game of the season.
UA redshirt senior B.J. Denker has been improving all season and his last game against Oregon was a testament to that. Denker completed 19 of his 22 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 102 yards. Denker has thrown just four interceptions all season and has rushed for 811 yards and 11 touchdowns. The ASU defense and its ability to put pressure and contain will provide a challenge for Denker.
Running back
EDGE: UA
The biggest concern for ASU this week will be the status of senior Marion Grice, who left the UCLA game late in the fourth quarter with a leg injury. If Grice and his 20 total touchdowns aren’t able to go, the onus will be on redshirt junior Deantre Lewis (269 yards, 5.5 yards per carry) and sophomore D.J. Foster (183 yards, 4.4 yards per carry). It will be hard to replace the versatile Grice, a Paul Hornung Award finalist, but Foster seems most capable at this point and rushed for a touchdown against the Bruins.
ASU coach Todd Graham called UA junior Ka’Deem Carey the best running back in the nation and it’s hard to argue with him. Carey has rushed for 100-plus yards in 14 straight games and ran for 206 yards and four touchdowns against Oregon, earning him Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. Even with missing the season opener, Carey has run for 1,559 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season and is a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.
Wide receiver
EDGE: ASU
Redshirt sophomore Jaelen Strong is just 75 yards away from the 1,000-yard plateau after catching six passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against UCLA. No other receiver had more than two catches or 20 yards against the Bruins, though. Grice has been picking up a lot of slack for the receivers, too, so his possible absence would stretch much further than the running back position. The Sun Devils have playmakers like seniors Chris Coyle and Kevin Ozier, but it’s a matter of getting them the ball at this point.
UA has been decimated by injuries all season at the wide receiver position, but freshman Nate Phillips has stepped in and taken the top spot, catching 39 passes for 486 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Terrence Miller grabbed his first touchdown of the season against the Ducks and reeled in nine receptions for 88 yards. Freshman Samajie Grant is the possession guy and has brought in a team-leading 44 receptions.
Offensive line
EDGE: UA
The ASU offensive line dominated UCLA for most of the first half, giving Kelly protection and allowing him and Grice to run the ball effectively. Kelly was still sacked three times and the second half wasn’t as pretty for the line, which only helped the offense muster three points. Redshirt senior Evan Finkenberg and redshirt junior Jamil Douglas remain the steady cogs.
With a guy like Carey in the backfield, it’s hard not to be productive up front. The UA offensive line has been good this year, giving up just 14 sacks through 11 games. The line also didn’t allow Oregon to get a single sack all game.
Defensive line
EDGE: ASU
The ASU defensive line wreaked havoc on UCLA redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley all night. Redshirt junior Carl Bradford intercepted Hundley on an attempted swing pass and returned it to the house, while senior Davon Coleman accounted for 3.5 tackles for loss and senior Will Sutton added a sack. The combination of Bradford, Coleman, Sutton and senior Gannon Conway has been playing phenomenal for the past two months, and the four have combined for 42 tackles for loss on the season.
UA senior Reggie Gilbert leads the defense with four sacks and is fourth on the team with seven tackles for loss. Senior Sione Tuihalamaka is second on the team with eight tackles for loss and has added two sacks. Fellow senior Tevin Hood, brother of ASU sophomore defensive lineman Jaxon Hood, has chipped in 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack. UA is allowing just 4.2 yards per rush this season.
Linebacker
EDGE: UA
Senior Chris Young willed ASU in the late stages of the UCLA game and his efforts were recognized as he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Young led the Sun Devils with 13 tackles and three sacks, including a key one late in the fourth quarter. Young is playing arguably the best football of his Sun Devil career and now ranks third on the team with 12 tackles for loss. Senior Anthony Jones and redshirt freshman Salamo Fiso continue to start, but Young is making most of his plays in the middle of the defense.
The top three leading tacklers for UA are all linebackers, led by senior Marquis Flowers's 78 tackles. Flowers is also third on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and has added one sack, one interception and a team-leading two fumble recoveries. Freshman Scooby Wright is second on the team with 76 tackles and is the Wildcats’ leader with nine tackles for loss. Senior Jake Fischer has just one less tackle than Wright (75) and has two tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Secondary
EDGE: ASU
The UCLA game wasn’t the strongest effort from the ASU secondary, which didn’t intercept Hundley and allowed multiple big plays over the middle. Senior Alden Darby did do a good job to stop a two-point conversion for the Bruins, though. Redshirt junior Damarious Randall was second behind Young in tackles with eight and senior Osahon Irabor added five tackles of his own. Senior Robert Nelson continues to lead the Sun Devils with six interceptions and had the interception that sealed the Sun Devils’ Territorial Cup victory last season.
Senior Tra’Mayne Bondurant leads UA with four interceptions, although most of those came early in the season. Bondurant has also shown the ability to get in the backfield, racking up 5.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks. Senior Shaquille Richardson has been the steady force on the outside, picking up three interceptions, including one against Mariota, and three tackles for loss. Junior Jared Tevis is the Wildcats’ fourth leading tackler with 70 and had eight tackles and a forced fumble against Oregon.
Special teams
EDGE: Even
Punting is right back where it started at the beginning of the season. A muffed attempt led directly to three points for UCLA and Sun Devil punters averaged just 34.8 yards per punt on the night. Kickoff and punt return coverage was lacking too, and the Sun Devils allowed Bruins return man Ishmael Adams to a kickoff return of 69 yards and a punt return of 49 yards. The one special teams bright spot remains freshman placekicker Zane Gonzalez, who has now nailed 15 consecutive field goals after hitting one against the Bruins.
Senior placekicker Jake Smith has struggled, hitting just 12 of his 18 field goals and is just two of five between 30 and 39 yards out. Sophomore punter Drew Riggleman is averaging 40.3 yards per punt on his 50 punts this season but averaged 44.3 yards per punt on his three punts against Oregon. UA doesn’t offer much in the return game as their longest kick return of the season is 34 yards and longest punt return is 25 yards.
Overall EDGE: ASU
Forget that ASU is having its best season in years and forget that UA is coming off their biggest win in years. This is the Territorial Cup, where the road team has won the past four matchups. The Sun Devils have been strong at home all season, though, and are undefeated (6-0). A Sun Devil win means the Pac-12 championship game will be held in Tempe and so will the Territorial Cup trophy. A Wildcats' victory means forcing their rival on the road in the Pac-12 title game and continuing the trend of road success in the rivalry (the road team has won 13 of the past 21 matchups). Don’t be surprised if either team walks out of Sun Devil Stadium Saturday night victorious, but the Sun Devils are just a little better on paper and should put themselves in better position to smell roses for the third time in school history.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @DsShapi
