Quarterback
EDGE: Push
Both first-year quarterbacks have been effective in their respective offensive systems.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly has the best quarterback rating, 176.0, in the Pac-12. Redshirt quarterback Marcus Mariota is right behind him with a 156.4 rating.
Both quarterbacks are dangerous in the open field. Mariota and Kelly each have over 200 rushing yards midway through the season.
There’s very little to separate these quarterbacks, but this is Mariota’s first true road test. How will he respond to the atmosphere and the constant pressure is Oregon’s biggest question mark on offense.
Running back
EDGE: Oregon
Six of the best backs in the Pac-12 will be featured in Thursday’s showdown.
Senior Kenjon Barner, sophomore De’Anthony Thomas and freshman Byron Marshall vs. senior Cameron Marshall, junior Marion Grice and freshman D.J. Foster.
Barner is the workhorse on the ground for Oregon. He’s second in the Pac-12 with 727 rushing yards. With him and Thomas, Oregon arguably has the best backfield in the country.
The sibling rivalry between senior running back Cameron Marshall and freshman Byron Marshall adds fuel to this matchup of running backs. Cameron hasn’t had the season many expected due to the lack of carries, while Byron has been impressive as the team’s third back.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
EDGE: Push
Both teams’ best wide receivers are their running backs.
Thomas is one of the most explosive players in the country that can turn a screen into an 80-yard touchdown.
Last week against Colorado, Grice and Foster made their cases as two of ASU’s top receivers.
This matchup will likely come down to the tight ends. Junior Chris Coyle has had a nice season. He’s been Kelly’s favorite target and has made a couple of big catches on third down’s for ASU.
Sophomore Colt Lyerla had a season-high three catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns in Oregon’s win over Washington two weeks ago. Oregon tight ends have had big games against ASU in recent years.
Offensive Line
EDGE: ASU
Oregon senior guard Carson York had season-ending knee surgery on his right knee last month, which was a huge blow for its offensive line. This unit will need to have a consistent game in order to avoid an upset.
ASU’s offensive line has continued to improve weekly after facing tough, big defensive fronts against Missouri, Illinois and Utah. It was an area that appeared as a possible weakness for the Sun Devils, but has played well this season and is deeper than expected.
Defensive Line
EDGE: ASU
Junior defensive tackle Will Sutton is finally getting national recognition following his performance against Colorado on national television. He was dominant yet again, and he should have another big game against Oregon.
The Ducks will likely be without senior defensive tackle Isaac Remington, who has been suspended indefinitely by the team. It will hurt the team’s depth at the position. According to The Register-Guard, Oregon shifted senior outside linebacker Dion Jordan to defensive end and junior defensive end Taylor Hart to fill Remington’s absence on the two-deep depth chart.
The Ducks rotate through their defensive line, so the effect of Remington’s suspension likely won’t be felt until the second half if he doesn’t play Thursday.
Linebackers
EDGE: Push
Both teams need to have assignment sound play from their linebackers Thursday.
Senior linebackers Kiko Alonso and Michael Clay lead the defense with 36 and 33 tackles. Alonso has had a solid season with seven tackles for loss and two interceptions. He’s part of a very experienced starting group. It’s one of the reasons why many are calling this defense one of the best under coach Chip Kelly.
The Sun Devils will need to be disciplined at this position given the dynamic players Oregon has in the backfield. The Sun Devils will remain aggressive Thursday, particularly junior linebacker Chris Young. His coverage has been suspect, but he’s a great blitz linebacker and has 10.5 tackles for loss on the season. Senior linebacker Brandon Magee is coming off a solid outing against Colorado and has quietly put together an impressive season.
Secondary
EDGE: Push
Senior safety John Boyett had season-ending knee surgery on both of his knees, which has been the biggest loss on defense for the Ducks. But his replacement, junior safety Avery Patterson, has had an interception returned for a touchdown in each of Oregon’s last two games.
ASU has had solid play from its secondary despite the lack of depth. Senior safety Keelan Johnson and junior safety Alden Darby can’t get sucked in by Oregon’s running game and allow a potential big play off of play action.
Special Teams
EDGE: Oregon
Senior wide receiver Jamal Miles had another turnover on special teams last week against Colorado. Senior wide receiver Rashad Ross lined up to return the second half kick and returned it for a touchdown.
It only makes sense to leave Ross back there to continue returning kicks, given that it’s ASU’s only kickoff touchdown return of the season.
Not only is there a question mark of who will return kickoffs, but still of who will be the kicker. Coach Todd Graham said if the game were on Tuesday, sophomore Alex Garoutte would get the nod. Junior Jon Mora started last week against Colorado and had his low-kicked, point-after-touchdown blocked.
The Ducks have had their own kicking problems, but they have Thomas returning both punts and kickoffs. Enough said.
Overall: ASU
It’s safe to say this is the biggest game in Graham’s short tenure at ASU. This game is bigger than last season’s matchup in Eugene because ASU has a good shot of winning this game. Given the magnitude, if Graham somehow defeats Oregon, the Valley — as bandwagon as it is when it comes to sports — would have no trouble buying into Graham’s philosophy and into the program.
Oregon hasn’t exactly played anyone, so the defense remains a question mark. Not to say that ASU has played anyone, but it’s still difficult to tell how talented the Ducks are because its non-conference schedule consisted of Arkansas State, Fresno State and Tennessee Tech.
How Mariota responds to the atmosphere will be key for Oregon, but ASU can’t lose the turnover battle. It always finds a way to make costly turnovers in key situations, but that’s only happened once this year at Missouri.
Kelly has a 202.3 rating at home with five touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, fumbles have been a problem. Washington did a solid job against Oregon’s offense in the first quarter, but the Huskies were still down 21-0 due to a costly fumble on a punt return and an interception returned by Anderson.
It is extremely difficult to think ASU wins the game if it commits turnovers.
If this game were at Autzen Stadium, it would be different. The Ducks haven’t had a true road test yet. Home-field advantage is what makes college football great, and ASU has been spectacular at Sun Devil Stadium. If it takes care of the football, ASU will remain undefeated at home after Thursday night.
