Last year, this was a different answer. Despite it being a matchup of the same two quarterbacks, much has changed elsewhere that's impacted them, especially OSU senior Sean Mannion. He lost more than 2,500 receiving yards from last season between Brandin Cooks' move to the NFL and Richard Mullaney's elbow injury. Meanwhile, Taylor Kelly's weapons have an extra year of maturity under their belts, and last week he seemed to shake off the last of the rust from his six-week absence.
Similar to the Sun Devils, the Beavers rely on multiple players in the backfield. For them, it's Storm Woods and Terron Ward. The two get about equal carries and bring similar qualities to the table. ASU's tandem of running backs has a diverse set of talents, which sets them apart from the Beavers' duo. Although there was some turnover at running back, with the loss of Marion Grice, ASU is right back where it was a year ago because of the contributions from freshmen Demario Richard — a well-rounded back — and Kalen Ballage — a physical runner — joining junior D.J. Foster, who continues to be used both in the slot and the backfield.
Oregon State has a player it likes to use in the running and passing games, too. But his primary position is wide receiver. That would be Victor Bolden, who's playing a similar role to the one Brandin Cooks did last season, just to a much lesser extent. In addition to his 1,700 receiving yards, Cooks also ran for about 200. Bolden has 568 yards receiving and 115 on the ground, third on the team. What Jaelen Strong means to ASU this season is what Cooks meant to the Beavers last season. Without him (and now Richard Mullaney), the Beavers are stick-thin at receiver and without a true No. 1 target.
Sean Mannion has been on his back after plays far too often this season. The Beavers on average allow more than three sacks a game. It's been far from the only factor in Mannion's regression, but the Beavers lost three starting offensive lineman from last season, and it's taken a toll. The Sun Devils continue to play solid in the trenches. Coach Todd Graham recently called it the best group he's had at offensive line since he got here. Certainly haven't heard Mike Riley say the same thing about his group.
This is the position group that just keeps getting better for the Sun Devils. It was easily their weakest point early in the season, but it's rebounded and responded under adversity. Now, just like the rest of the defense, no team is looking forward to facing them, especially the Beavers. Oregon State struggled tremendously on the ground last season. Ward and Woods have picked up some of Mannion's slack, but should be hard-pressed to find much success against the Sun Devils front-seven.
If there's a strong point of Oregon State's defense, this is it. As a unit, the Beavers are allowing 29.8 points per game, 86th in the nation. But the defense has some individual standouts, including two of the three linebackers. Michael Doctor and D.J. Alexander are two players to watch out for. Each should be vying for an All-Pac-12 selection after the season. They rank second and third on the team in tackles, while wreaking havoc in the backfield and also helping out in pass coverage. Once again, Laiu Moeakiola was limited in practice this week — or at least wearing the jersey indicating so. But he's expected to play at 100 percent, which is crucial for the Sun Devils, who rely on him to be the defense's stabilizer.
It would have been a lot easier to make this a tie if the Beavers weren't allowing nearly 30 points a game as a team (ASU is at 24.9, and less recently). Once again, this unit has a standout player in it, but as a whole hasn't been especially effective. Safety Ty Zimmerman leads the Beaver defense, which has more interceptions than ASU (nine to eight). The teams compare favorably in passing yards allowed per game, too. ASU allows 231.2 and Oregon State is next on the list, allowing 232.3. But remember, the Sun Devils have played much better as of late, and that should continue Saturday against a quarterback with few weapons.
Neither team does anything spectacularly. ASU sophomore kicker Zane Gonzalez is among the best in the nation, but the other facets of the Sun Devil special teams don't come close. Oregon State is amidst a battle for the starting kicker spot. Senior — and wonderfully bearded — Trevor Romaine was suspended for the Beavers' loss to Washington State, and redshirt freshman Garrett Owens hit 4-of-4 field goals. On the depth chart, they are listed with "OR" between them. Neither is better than Gonzalez, but both are respectable kickers. Owens is 10-of-12 this season with a long of 46 yards, while Romaine is 8-of-9 with a long of 49.
On paper, this game shouldn't be close. ASU has the EDGE at every position but special teams and linebacker, and even those are ties. The Beavers have four wins, but none of them are impressive. They've come against Portland State (FCS), Hawaii (2-8), San Diego State (5-4) and Colorado (2-8) by an average margin of less than two touchdowns. Throw in OSU's five losses — all in conference — and the resume looks even less impressive. Still, Oregon State could give the Sun Devils a fight. It's a late-night road game against a well-coached team, coming off a big win. Based on his track record, however, there's no reason to believe Todd Graham won't have his team ready to play.
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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