(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
After coming off its second victory of the season over then-No. 18 Michigan State in as many seasons last Saturday, newly ranked, No. 24 Arizona State opens Pac-12 play versus the Colorado Buffaloes. This will be another crucial game for the Sun Devils in order to keep their spot in the top 25.
Colorado defeated Arizona State last season 28-21 in Boulder in which Buffaloes’ quarterback Steven Montez threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns, and star receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. caught 13 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for two touchdowns. This talented duo is set to return to the field on Saturday.
“Shenault is one of the best players in the Pac-12, maybe even in the country,” ASU head coach Herm Edwards said during Monday’s press conference. “They are an explosive offense especially in the second half. [It’s] a very physical football team that can score points.”
Montez and company have outscored opponents 51-24 in the fourth quarter and 507-330 in total yardage. Shenault, a potential first-round pick next year, will be the target Arizona State must contain in order to prevent Colorado from putting points on the board.
The Buffaloes’ are averaging 36.3 points per game and are 2-1 to start the season. However, they are coming off a 30-23 lost to Air Force in overtime and stumble into an Arizona State team that has been capable of playing solid defense. Junior Tillman safety Evan Fields comes off a team-high 13 tackle performance last weekend, and Jermaine Lole was named Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week for his one sack and one tackle-for-a-loss performance.
Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils’ offense is continuing to search for a rhythm. Daniels threw for only 140 yards and no touchdowns against the Spartans while Eno Benjamin rushed the ball 11 times for 38 yards while also scoring the go-ahead touchdown late in the game.
“We need to start scoring points on offense if we want to be competitive,” Edwards said. “We continue to try and get better every week so that’s where we’re at as a football team.”
With the Devils fired up from beating the Spartans, it raises familiar questions about how ASU handles success. After beating the Spartans in 2018, the Devils lost four of their next five games.
“It’s a good test for us, again,” Edwards said. “You’ve had a little bit of success and how do you handle it? Last year, we were in a similar spot. We had some success and then we got our nose punched in. We’ll find out. All the warning signs are there. We’ll see how we handle it.”
The Buffaloes will be in search of their first ever win in Tempe on Saturday night. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. and the game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
