(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
The Arizona State Sun Devils (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12) host the Stanford Cardinal (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12) Thursday night in a key game for both teams’ positioning in their respective divisions.
The Sun Devils are looking to improve to 2-2 in Pac-12 play, which would draw them level with Arizona and Utah in the South division, ½-a-game behind Colorado and a game behind USC ahead of Saturday’s matchups.
In the North, Washington leads Oregon, Washington State and- you guessed it- Stanford by ½-a-game, a deficit the Cardinal can temporarily erase with a victory Thursday night.
“They got a really good running back who’s been nicked up some (but) he’ll be well for us,” coach Herm Edwards said. “This’ll be a good test for us, I think our guys are excited about playing…it’s one that we need to win, we need to start winning some games here down the stretch if we’re going to make some hay for the rest of the season.”
The biggest factor for this nationally-televised clash still lingers in doubt, despite Edwards’ contrary expectation. The status of Stanford’s star senior running back Bryce Love remains questionable, according to head coach David Shaw, after he missed two of the team’s last four games- including last Saturday’s 19-point loss to Utah.
Love ran for a school single-game record 301 yards as well as 3 touchdowns in the team’s home victory over ASU a season ago.
“He’s a tremendous running back, there’s no doubt about it,” Edwards said. “You have to be gap-control responsible and you have to understand that because he’s a guy with great vision and they can start one way and if he sees any kind of daylight going somewhere else he’s going.”
The senior ran for 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2017 and has averaged 4.3 yards/carry through four games played this season. Even if Love suits up, the status of junior guard Nate Herbig is another big question mark.
The Cardinal, currently among the Pac-12’s bottom two teams in rushing yards/game (85.7) and yards/carry (3.1), will need the AP preseason All-American playing to have their best shot at an ASU defense that is tied for 42nd out of 130 FBS teams in yards/carry allowed (3.8) despite its inconsistencies.
Even though Stanford’s run game has been suspect in 2018, Edwards still believes Stanford is as tough a matchup as any other in the Pac-12 because of its physical advantage over ASU’s young defense.
“These 6’5, 6’7 receivers bother me,” Edwards said. “I mean you’re covering the guy- they don’t care, they’re going to throw it up to the guy…and if you can do that, then you know what, you win because you just out-jumped us.
“Hey, I wish I could make everybody jump like 43(-inch) verticals but everyone’s not a 43 vertical, and when you’re covering a 6’7 guy and you’re only 5’11- not good. So we better get a rush and we better find a way to play the ball.”
If Love plays an insignificant role, the Cardinal will look to beat ASU with its highly efficient passing game (14.1 yards/completion- 2nd in Pac-12, 8.6 yards/pass- 3rd) led by junior quarterback K.J. Costello (152.2 passer efficiency rating- 35th in nation, 4th in Pac-12).
The Sun Devil pass defense (222.7 pass yards/game- 6th in Pac-12) must step up behind junior Kobe Williams (18 tackles, 2 passes defended) and redshirt sophomore Chase Lucas (4 tackles-for-loss, 2 PD, INT) to have the best shot at victory. One thing the coaching staff wants to see more of is turnovers from the ASU defense, despite the team’s Pac-12 leading +5 turnover margin
“Haven’t done a good enough job taking the ball away,” Edwards said. “That’s another way to get the offense the ball…you have to be confident enough to play the ball. We’ve really worked hard on it this whole week I’ve been with the secondary every day, and I’ve really emphasized that with them.”
Edwards also said the defensive backs have been constantly doing ball drills, so they can capitalize on their opportunities for interceptions. This will be key in giving the offense every advantage it can get as both ASU’s run and pass games have been inconsistent- although the same could be said for Stanford’s defense.
ASU has lost three of its four games thus far against teams that currently are over .500 overall, and the common theme has been a disadvantage in time of possession.
“When (we) possess the ball and (we) go on long periods of drives then we become very, very good on offense,” Edwards said. “If we can go on those seven, ten-play drives, it’s fun to watch.”
The ASU offense will have to come off the bye highly improved to compete with Stanford even though its key defensive marks are below average compared to other teams in the conference.
Currently unranked, Stanford received the most votes to be ranked of any team outside the AP Poll and was ranked as high as No. 7 before its September 29 loss at Notre Dame. Plus, the Cardinal defense welcomes back starting outside linebacker and fifth-year senior Casey Toohill (14 T, SACK, 2 PD, 3 QB hits-tied for team lead), who has missed the last three games with an arm injury.
The Sun Devils will have their hands full, but if last season’s upset victory over then No. 5 Washington is any indication, this team plays pretty well coming off a bye week at home.
The game kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
