Quarterback
EDGE: ASU
Redshirt junior Taylor Kelly is making a case for second-best quarterback in the Pac-12. Kelly threw for five touchdowns and ran for two more in the win over Washington State last week, earning him Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. He’s playing his best football of the season, especially on the ground. Kelly has rushed for 150 yards and four touchdowns in the last two games.The Utes will get a big boost with sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson returning to full strength this week from injury. Wilson is clearly better than his replacement, fellow sophomore Adam Schulz, and his ability to run the ball (342 yards, five touchdowns this season) provides a dynamic type of offense that the Sun Devils haven’t faced all season. Wilson is prone to the turnover bug, though, and has thrown 14 interceptions in the eight games he’s played this season.
Running back
EDGE: ASU
The 10-game touchdown streak for senior Marion Grice is over, but Grice is continuing to put up solid rushing numbers and ran for 94 yards against Washington State. Sun Devil fans shouldn’t be worried about Grice’s red zone production though, because he’s losing touches on the read option to Kelly. Redshirt junior Deantre Lewis ran for 48 yards, but all were in mop-up time after he fumbled on his opening carry against the Cougars.The Utes have been effective running the ball this season, averaging 4.6 yards per rush. Sophomore Bubba Poole is the main man in the backfield, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with a touchdown through eight games. The Utes struggled to run the ball in their loss at USC though, averaging just 1.8 yard per rush.
Wide receiver/tight end
EDGE: ASU
Not only are redshirt sophomore Jaelen Strong and sophomore D.J. Foster good, they are also tough. The two were hobbled all last week with leg injuries and still combined for 112 yards and three touchdowns against Washington State. The receiving corps also got a big boost from sophomore Rick Smith, who had lost his starting spot after struggling with drops and fumbles earlier this season. Smith led the Sun Devils with 79 receiving yards against the Cougars and caught an impressive touchdown.Junior Dres Anderson is the go-to guy for the Utes, amassing 642 yards and five touchdowns so far. The Utes run the ball far more frequently than they pass or else Anderson and crew would have much better numbers. Senior Sean Fitzgerald (376 receiving yards, four TD’s) can make big plays too and owns the longest reception of the year for the Utes at 80 yards.
Offensive line
EDGE: ASU
The offensive line has meshed well during the past month, keying the offense to 50-plus points in the last three games. Kelly was sacked twice against Washington State, but the Sun Devils finished with 557 yards of total offense. If the offensive line continues to play at this level, the offense should continue to put up gaudy numbers.The Utes offensive line had given up 11 sacks in their first seven games, but gave up six to USC in their last game. Whether that’s a sign of things to come or just a blip on the radar is unknown, but what is known is the Utes are still averaging 31.1 points per game including their three-point performance against the Trojans, so the line has played well in the past.
Defensive line
EDGE: ASU
The Sun Devil defensive line came up big for the second straight game, allowing Washington State to just two rushing yards all game. The Sun Devils have quickly jumped to No. 21 nationally in rush defense after allowing -3 rushing yards total over the past two games. Redshirt junior Carl Bradford continues to lead the way with a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss.The Utes have racked up 27 sacks this season, including 5.5 from senior Trevor Reilly. Reilly is the Utes' undisputed statistical leader on the defense, too, racking up 69 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss. Junior Nate Orchard has chipped in seven TFLs, including 3.5 sacks. The Utes rank 38th nationally in run defense, allowing just 141.5 yards per game.
Linebacker
EDGE: Even
Senior Chris Young continues to lead the way and was the only Sun Devil linebacker to record a TFL against Washington State. Other than Young, no other Sun Devil linebacker recorded more than two tackles against the Cougars and senior Anthony Jones was beaten in coverage for a touchdown. There should be more opportunities for big plays this week against a Utah team that doesn’t pass the ball nearly as much as the Cougars.Junior Jacoby Hale had a stellar game against USC, recording three TFLs, including two sacks. Hale and sophomore Jared Norris, who is second on the team with 63 tackles, provide a stellar duo in the middle of the Utes' defense.
Secondary
EDGE: ASU
The Sun Devil secondary did a nice job limiting Washington State redshirt junior quarterback Connor Halliday to 300 passing yards. Senior cornerback Robert Nelson had an interception, boosting him into the team lead with three. Nelson also recovered a fumble caused by senior safety Alden Darby. The numbers aren’t as pretty as last season, but opponents have been forced to throw the ball recently with the Sun Devils building big leads early in games.Senior Michael Walker is third on the team with 49 tackles and has an interception on the season. The Utes secondary struggles with creating turnovers, intercepting just two passes in eight games. They also rank 95th in the nation in pass defense, allowing 251.9 yards per game.
Special teams
EDGE: Utah
Coach Todd Graham said special teams had their best performance of the season against Washington State and it’s hard to argue that. The Sun Devils faked two punts for first downs, which led to 10 points. Freshman kicker Zane Gonzalez continued his perfect form, hitting two more field goals to extend his streak to 13 consecutive makes.Redshirt freshman kicker Andy Phillips is 13 for 16 on field goals this season, with two of his misses coming from more than 40 yards out. Meanwhile, sophomore punter Tom Hackett has had a great season, averaging 43.1 yards per punt on his 45 punts.
Overall EDGE: ASU
The Sun Devils have made easy work of the Utes the past two years, outscoring them 72-21. ASU is also on the upswing, winning its past three, while the Utes are on the downswing, losing their past two. If this game was in Tempe, the Sun Devils would be heavy favorites. Instead, they will be playing in Salt Lake City, where the Utes are capable of pulling off an upset. This game seems much less daunting than it did a few weeks ago but make no mistake: The Utes will come ready to play. But if the Sun Devils come out like they did against Washington State, it will be a long day for Utah.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @DsShapi
