(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
When No. 23 Arizona State travels to San Diego State to take on the Aztecs on Saturday, the Sun Devils will be faced with a familiar foe.
Not only was ASU defeated 30-20 in Tempe last year, but it is the first game back at San Diego State for both defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales and cornerbacks coach Tony White.
Gonzales and White left SDSU to join the Herm Edwards coaching staff.
“I wish we didn’t have to play this game,” Gonzales said. “I recruited most of those kids. I know them all and I love all those kids dearly.”
The Aztecs are coming off a week 2 victory over Sacramento State and will be without their starting quarterback, Christian Chapman.
Chapman was injured in the second quarter over the Aztecs’ 28-14 win over Sacramento State, meaning junior Ryan Agnew get the nod to start under center against ASU.
“He did a really nice job,” Gonzales said of Agnew’s fill-in performance. “Ryan is a very athletic kid. He’s a very confident young man…he’s fast, he gives them a different dimension.”
The Sun Devils entered the rankings this week for the first time since 2015 thanks to a hot start on both sides of the ball and a huge victory last Saturday over then No. 15 Michigan State.
But this week, ASU faces a different challenge their first road game of the season.
“We got to play really well,” coach Herm Edwards said. “This is our first road game.”
There were questions about the defense coming into the season however they’ve come out strong, allowing just 20 points this season and leading the nation in rushing defense through two games.
But this week, Edwards doesn’t know how his team will respond.
“We got to find out,” he said. “We haven’t played a road game.”
ASU is ranked for the first time since 2015, but will have its hands full with junior running back Juwan Washington.
“We got to be great tacklers,” Gonzales said. “Juwan is a very special back.”
Washington currently ranks third in the nation in rushing yards.
Offensively, the Sun Devils will be facing a defense that came over with Gonzales from San Diego State.
“Super disciplined,” senior quarterback Manny Wilkins said of the SDSU defense “The scheme that they run is obviously the scheme that we run.”
Wilkins added that Gonzales’ situation isn’t one that happens every Saturday. “It’s a very unique situation,” he said. “Not often do you get a coach that comes to a get that’s going to play his old team next year.”
The Sun Devils will put their No. 23 ranking to the test and look to add another victory to an already impressive start.
