Quarterbacks
The EDGE: ASUIt was a struggle for redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly against Wisconsin, completing 29 of his whopping 51 passes for 351 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Kelly was able to fight through adversity, though, which all elite quarterbacks need to do to lead their team to victory.
Redshirt sophomore Kevin Hogan hasn’t been overly impressive in the first two games for the Cardinal, completing 62.2 percent of his passes for 395 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He’s been a good game manager, though, which is what Coach David Shaw needs from him.
Running Back
The EDGE: EvenSenior Marion Grice is the featured back in the Sun Devil offense now, carrying the ball 26 more times than any other back. He hasn’t rushed for a staggering amount of yards (143, 4.0 yards per carry), but he has found the end zone five times, including four times against Wisconsin. Redshirt junior Deantre Lewis has averaged 6.6 yards per carry and sophomore D.J. Foster has averaged 5.3 yards per carry.
Senior Tyler Gaffney has gotten the bulk of the carries for the Cardinal and has looked good, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Fellow senior Anthony Wilkerson is a very capable backup, averaging 5.8 yards per carry so far this season.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
The EDGE: EvenRedshirt sophomore Jaelen Strong has emerged as the number one receiver for the Sun Devils, but other receivers need to step up. Grice and Foster are the second- and third-leading receivers, while senior Kevin Ozier has only three catches all season and sophomore Rick Smith dropped three passes in the first half against Wisconsin before being removed from the game. Senior Chris Coyle hasn’t turned it on yet, either.
The Cardinal has also found a number one receiver in junior Ty Montgomery, who has 10 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns this season. Like the Sun Devils, though, the Cardinal is trying to find other receivers to step up. Montgomery has over half of their receiving yards through two games.
Offensive Line
The EDGE: StanfordThe Sun Devils offensive line hasn’t been impressive this year. Two false starts killed Sun Devil drives against Wisconsin, and the blocking hasn’t been there, especially on running plays. Their play will have to improve against a good Stanford defense.
2012 consensus All-American and senior David Yankey leads the Cardinal line, which is one of the biggest and most physical in the nation. They haven’t given up a penalty through the first two games and have allowed only two sacks all season.
Defensive Line
The EDGE: ASUCoach Todd Graham was proud of his defensive front after Saturday’s game, even though Wisconsin rushed for 231 yards. The inside rush game wasn’t there for the Badgers, and sophomore Jaxon Hood, redshirt senior Will Sutton and redshirt junior Carl Bradford all did a good job of putting pressure on the quarterback.
Redshirt senior Josh Mauro had a splendid game against Army, but the Cardinal did allow 284 rushing yards. Army runs the triple option, but the Cadets still averaged 4.7 yards per carry. That needs to improve against a Sun Devil team set on establishing the run.
Linebackers
The EDGE: StanfordSeniors Chris Young and Steffon Martin combined for 11 tackles Saturday night, and fellow senior Anthony Jones did a nice job from the spur linebacker position. Redshirt freshman Salamo Fiso also saw some first-team action, so there may be more depth than anticipated.
Redshirt seniors Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy are smart, experienced leaders in the middle of the Cardinal defense. Skov is the second leading tackler on the team with 15, and Murphy is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with three. Redshirt junior A.J. Tarpley has chipped in 11 tackles through the first two games.
Secondary
The EDGE: EvenSeniors Osahon Irabor and Alden Darby are proving to be some of the best defensive backs in the Pac-12. Irabor had a career game against Wisconsin, which included seven tackles, 2.5 of those for loss, including a sack. The weak side still needs some improvement, and Damarious Randall saw crucial time at the end of the Wisconsin game, the first one he played in a Sun Devil uniform.
2012 All-Pac-12 First team and redshirt junior Ed Reynolds is the leading tackler for the Cardinal and has their only interception of the season, and junior Wayne Lyons is tied for the team lead with three tackles for loss from his corner spot. The entire pass defense has been stout, in fact, limiting opponents to just 132.5 passing yards per game.
Special Teams
The EDGE: StanfordFreshman placekicker Zane Gonzalez was perfect in all aspects against Wisconsin, but the punt game continues to be a mess. Junior Dom Vizzare averaged only 37.3 yards against the Badgers and botched a punt snap, which led directly to a touchdown. Meanwhile, the return game has been nonexistent through two games.
Senior placekicker Jordan Williamson is 4-5 on field goals, with his only miss from 52 yards in the season opener. Senior punter Ben Rhyne has averaged 48.5 yards per punt this season after averaging 41.1 last season.
Overall EDGE: Stanford
If ASU plays like it did against Wisconsin, Stanford will beat the Sun Devils by at least two touchdowns. If the Sun Devils are able to shore up their mistakes, establish the run and own the line of scrimmage, the chance to pull off a monumental upset will be there. That’s too many ‘ifs’ to overcome against the defending Pac-12 Champion on the road, though.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @DsShapi
