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The EDGE: ASU football looks for an upset against Utah

Can ASU knock off the Utes again?

Head coach Todd Graham shakes hands with Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre after the game against Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. The Sun Devils defeated the Buffaloes 48-23.
Head coach Todd Graham shakes hands with Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre after the game against Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. The Sun Devils defeated the Buffaloes 48-23.

Quarterbacks

Edge: ASU

Add ASU redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici near the top of the list of the Pac-12's most improved player list since  Week 1. Bercovici's numbers haven't changed dramatically, but the signal-caller is as comfortable as ever in the offense and appears to have added a running element to his game in recent weeks. 

He played one of his best games as a starter last week against Colorado, controlling the offense well and matching a career-high with five touchdown passes. He has thrown for 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions thus far this season. 

Utah senior quarterback Travis Wilson has limited turnovers ways as the offense has focused on the run, but he is susceptible to making mistakes under pressure and could do more harm than good.

Running backs 

Edge: Utah

ASU head coach Todd Graham said it — there's not a running back not named Paul Perkins who is better in the Pac-12 than Utah's Devontae Booker. 

Perhaps that's the reason why Booker, a senior, is responsible for more than 40 percent of the Utes' offense this season. Booker has rushed for 665 yards and six touchdowns on 140 carries this season, and could very well be the most important player on the field on either side come Saturday.

ASU does boast some talented depth of its own, but it could be tested Saturday. Sophomore Demario Richard's status is unknown for Saturday's game despite Graham saying he expects him to play, leaving many of the carries to sophomore Kalen Ballage and potentially forcing senior wide receiver D.J. Foster to move back to running back.

Wide receivers

Edge: ASU

Redshirt junior Tim White has my early vote for Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year. He missed most of the team's first two games, but he has been that good. White had seven catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado last week and is the team's leading receiver with 20 catches for 278 yards and five touchdowns thus far.

Surrounding him are more pieces that are adjusting to their roles in Foster, redshirt senior Devin Lucien, redshirt senior Gary Chambers and redshirt junior tight end Kody Kohl.

The Utes have similar balance amongst their receiving corps, but it's clear that the focus of the team is not on the vertical passing game. Booker is actually their leading receiver, hauling in 19 passes for 194 yards so far this year. 

Offensive line

Edge: Utah

Booker cannot do the heavy lifting on his own, as the Utes' offensive line has been vital to opening up holes and running lanes. They've done a good job of keeping Wilson on his feet as well, allowing just two sacks all season.

ASU's offensive line is much-improved, but face a tough task on the road in the hostile environment of Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Defensive line

Edge: ASU

The Utes' defense has been one of the best in the country this season, but much of their success has come on the back end. ASU's defensive line, however, has been vital to a team that has held opponents to less than 100 yards rushing in each of their last three games. Much of ASU's success defensively can be credited to the improvements of redshirt senior Demetrius Cherry, sophomore Tashon Smallwood, junior Ami Latu and freshman JoJo Wicker.

Linebackers

Edge: ASU

ASU redshirt junior linebacker Salamo Fiso currently leads the nation in solo tackles. Oh, and he was just named a team captain. Fiso, and ASU linebacker group have flexed their muscles this season. Redshirt senior Antonio Longino is coming off of what Graham called the best game of his career  where he had eight tackles and 2.5 sacks against Colorado.

Defensive backs

Edge: Utah

Utah has been a turnover-forcing dynamo on the defensive end this season, and last week was no exception. They forced Cal quarterback Jared Goff, one of the most highly-touted players in the nation, into six turnovers (five interceptions, one fumble). Much of the success can be attributed to players such as sophomore safety Marcus Williams, who currently leads the team with four interceptions.

Special teams

Edge: Utah

ASU's special teams unit has shown improvement in recent weeks, but Utah's group is among the best in the nation.

Kicker Andy Phillips, whose miss opened the door for ASU junior kicker Zane Gonzalez's game-winning try last year, is 8-for-11 thus far with all three misses coming from more than 40 yards away. Punter Tom Hackett has already downed eight of his 19 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and the team already has three return touchdowns.

Overall

Edge: Utah


Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.

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