Quarterback
EDGE: ASU
Junior quarterback Cody Vaz will start over sophomore Sean Mannion on Saturday. Vaz filled in for Mannion for two games and played well. Mannion recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery and returned last Saturday against Washington, but he didn’t look good. Oregon State coach Mike Riley put Vaz in the game after Mannion threw his fourth interception.
Washington does have a good secondary, but Vaz went 7-for-11 for 97 yards and a touchdown in the 20-17 upset loss.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly responded well against UCLA following the loss to Oregon. He had a costly interception against UCLA when he was pinned inside his own goal line right before halftime. The blame ultimately lies on the coaching staff, but the turnover turned into an easy touchdown for the Bruins. In a two-point loss, those plays proved to be the difference.
Running back
EDGE: ASU
Freshman running back D.J. Foster and junior Marion Grice came up huge again. There was a moment in the game where ASU’s offense ran as quick of an offense as we’ve seen this season. Foster and Grice benefited from the tempo. While Foster and Grice are having better seasons than anticipated, it’s safe to say at this point that senior Cameron Marshall won’t have the season many expected him to have.
Despite redshirt freshman Storm Woods’s solid season, Oregon State has one of the worst rushing offenses in the country. Woods had a decent night against Washington with 15 carries for 90 yards. Woods has been the premier back for the Beavers, as they’ve relied heavily on their passing attack this season.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
EDGE: Oregon State
Oregon State has relied on its passing attack due to its weapons on the outside. Senior wide receiver Markus Wheaton got a concussion last week but should play against ASU. He's on track to have his (surprisingly) first 1,000-yard season. Out of the 12 touchdowns scored by Oregon State receivers, Wheaton has six. Sophomore wide receiver Brandin Cooks leads the team with 790 yards.
ASU’s best receivers, in no order are junior tight end Chris Coyle, Foster and Grice. Foster could possibly finish the season leading the team in rushing and receiving yards. His freshman year has been the most impressive at ASU in the last four years, topping guys like redshirt sophomore defensive back Deantre Lewis and junior defensive end Junior Onyeali to name a few.
Offensive Line
EDGE: Oregon State
The Beavers’ offensive line has given up 13 sacks all season. To put that in comparison: Kelly, who is a mobile quarterback, has been sacked 19 times this season. It’s an offensive line, similar to ASU’s, that continues to improve with time. With ASU’s depleted defensive line, it could be in for another good game.
Defensive Line
EDGE: Push
Onyeali and junior defensive tackle Will Sutton will play Saturday. How effective will they be? That won’t be determined until game day. While their presence is greatly needed, coach Todd Graham thinks Sutton can play 75 percent of the snaps on defense. It’s better than nothing. Without Sutton last week, the defense gave up 164 rushing yards and two touchdowns to UCLA senior running back Johnathan Franklin.
Oregon State’s defensive line is led by senior defensive tackle Castro Masaniai — all 354 pounds of him. Masaniai suffered a broken left fibula last season, which sidelined him for the year. Sophomore defensive end Scott Crichton leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss.
Linebackers
EDGE: Push
Junior linebacker Michael Doctor leads Oregon State with 46 tackles. Doctor and sophomore linebacker D.J. Alexander each have five tackles for loss this season. While the linebackers play a key role in the No. 3 defense in the Pac-12, ASU’s No. 1 defense in the conference has some playmakers of its own.
Redshirt senior linebacker Brandon Magee is putting together another great season. He leads the team with 58 tackles and tied for a team-high two interceptions. While Sutton has 14 tackles for loss, junior linebacker Chris Young is second with 13.5.
Secondary
EDGE: Oregon State
The Beavers might be without senior cornerback Jordan Poyer. He’s listed as day-to-day with a PCL sprain. Without him, the Beavers lose a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards. He has five interceptions this season.
ASU’s secondary allowed UCLA redshirt freshman Brett Hundley to have his way last week. With Vaz at quarterback, the Sun Devils can’t have a similar performance against Oregon State if they want to pull off the upset.
Special Teams
EDGE: Oregon State
Junior kicker Jon Mora went 3-for-3 last week. He will be the starting kicker again Saturday and looks to build off his game against UCLA. Oregon State sophomore Meanwhile, Trevor Romaine is 7-for-9 this season. Mora’s long is 38 yards and he’s 0-for-1 from 40 or more yards. While he is 4-for-5 this season, how exactly he responds Saturday will give ASU a better idea if he’s the team’s permanent kicker.
Sophomore cornerback Malcolm Marable and sophomore running back Terron Ward are the kickoff returners for the Beavers, countering senior wide receiver Rashad Ross, who returned a kickoff back for a touchdown against Colorado this season.
Overall: Oregon State
It’s hard to see ASU winning this game. While Vaz will start, the Sun Devils haven’t played well recently, and they haven’t played well on the road. How effective Sutton and Onyeali will play could determine ASU’s fate. Oregon State is a formidable football team and ASU will need to play a near perfect game to pull off the upset.
Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu
