Homecoming weekend is designed to be an event where students and alumni come together to celebrate their school and its successes.
Saturday, though, those returning will witness something unfamiliar for the past few seasons: a team on the brink.
The Sun Devils (4-5, 2-4 Pac-12) now need two wins in their final three games just to maker a low-tier bowl game and make their season even a slight success.
Up next is the Washington Huskies, a program the Sun Devils have handled with relative ease since the turn of the century. ASU has won the last nine meetings, including a 53-24 thrashing the last time Washington was in Tempe, coincidentally also Homecoming weekend for ASU.
This UW team is vastly different from the one that traveled to Tempe two seasons ago, with a pair of freshmen leading the way for the Huskies.
When Bishop Sankey rolled in to Tempe in 2013, the Sun Devils were reading, holding him to just 22 yards and keeping Washington in negative rushing yards for the game. With a rush defense that is the best in coach Todd Graham's tenure, Sun Devil fans may expect a similar result.
Freshman Myles Gaskin presents a different problem for ASU, though. In an offense that has had trouble with stability, Gaskin has averaged over 80 yards per game this season, including four games over 100 yards. Fresh off a 93-yard effort against Utah, the 5-9 back has been as steady as they come for the Huskies.
Freshman quarterback Jake Browning flew under the radar for the most part coming out of high school, but burst on to the Pac-12 scene in 2015, being an efficient "game manager" for Washington. Browning completes 62 percent of his passes and has thrown 11 touchdowns.
But, while Browning has been efficient, that rating goes way down on the road. In his two road games, he has completed just 54.5 percent of his passes and has been intercepted twice with no touchdowns.
Defense is where the Huskies make their money though, sporting one of the best units in the Pac-12. Washington holds opponents to 18.8 points per game and have forced 18 turnovers.
Despite losing four draft picks from a season ago, Washington's defense has improved, led by senior linebacker Travis Freeney's 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. In the defensive backfield, junior Kevin King and sophomore Sidney Jones have swarmed, each grabbing three interceptions.
This ability to hold on to the ball and force opponents to give it up has led to a large scoring margin in favor of Washington, despite being under .500. Through nine games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by 71 points, including a plus-83 margin in the third quarter alone, making them a dangerous team to fall behind.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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