(Photo: Brendan OKeeffe/WCSN)
Last Saturday against Colorado marked the first time that Arizona State Football has started 1-0 in Pac-12 Conference play under head coach Herm Edwards, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 2017.
The 35-13 victory was arguably the Sun Devils’ most complete win this season, with 439 yards of total offense supported by junior quarterback Jayden Daniels and redshirt senior running back Rachaad White, among others. Defensively, the Sun Devils’ front seven pushed their way into the Buffaloes’ backfield with consistent ease, forcing perhaps the most pressure that they have all season.
Yet, at 3-1, ASU still has work to do as they get into the thick of their conference schedule, starting with an important duel with No. 20 ranked UCLA in Pasadena.
The Sun Devils are 0-2 over the last two seasons against the Bruins, and in both of those losses UCLA beat ASU at what they do best: running the football. The Sun Devils have given up an incredible 492 yards on the ground and six touchdowns against UCLA since 2019.
“They are a very complimentary football team,” Edwards said. “They won’t allow you to run the ball but they can really run the football. They’re on a roll right now so we have to muster up our ability to stay focused.”
Their talented backfield mirrors the Sun Devils in a lot of ways, featuring dual-threat senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson – who has 11 total touchdowns through four weeks – and junior running back Zach Charbonnet, who is tied for first in the conference with seven rushing TDs.
When they aren’t running, Thompson-Robinson and the offense use the deep ball to exploit opposing secondaries. With just 91 pass attempts on the year by the Bruins, only Colorado has thrown the ball less in the Pac-12 this season. Yet, UCLA is averaging 17.7 yards per completion, which is good enough for first in the conference.
ASU’s secondary has surrendered a shade under 500 yards through the air this season, and after facing a run-heavy Colorado offense without star graduate defensive back Chase Lucas, who is expected to be ready for Saturday, ASU will have their hands full on defense against the Bruins.
“Anytime the quarterback can extend plays you have problems,” interim defensive backs coach Donnie Henderson said. “We got to do things up front to keep him in the pocket and make him go lateral if he wants to run. With play action, they suck you up and the next thing you know, the ball is over your head. If we can keep it in front of us and stay on top we should have a chance.”
The Bruins’ lone blemish this season came in upset fashion at the hands of Fresno State. After a statement win against LSU at home the week before, the Bulldogs shut down the UCLA run game and walked away with a 40-37 win on the road.
Still, UCLA boasts one of the most prolific threats offensively to the Sun Devils. The ASU defense has done well with adjusting in the second half this season, which has been an X-factor through the first four weeks, but a momentous start will almost certainly be necessary against the Bruins.
“We got a lot of players from Los Angeles and they have to get their mind set to go back home,” Edwards said. “A lot of times they get excited about going back home but they have to keep their poise and make sure that this doesn’t get away from them.”
Defense, particularly in the run game, hasn’t been much of an issue for UCLA either. So far this season, the Bruins have held opponents to a conference-best 64 yards per game, but they haven’t yet faced a backfield that is as threatening as ASU’s.
“It’s a very good defense, they keep you guessing,” offensive coordinator Zak Hill said. “They’ve got a good veteran crew and they’re experienced. It’s a physical group and they do a good job with the run. It’s gonna be a challenge for us.”
Against Colorado, the Sun Devils showed that they didn’t need to rely as heavily on their run game to win, balancing their air and ground attack throughout. With sophomore running back DeaMonte Trayanum expected to be back in action for the first time since Week 1, the backfield will get a needed boost for their big test.
Even without Trayanum, Daniels and White have both been effective and efficient rushers, with last Saturday being an example of that especially for Daniels.
“The unscripted runs that just pop up, those are the ones that scare you,” Edwards said. “Jayden’s that kind of quarterback. What I liked about Jayden last week was he understood when the journey was over. That’s what we talk about: knowing when the journey is over and don’t take an unnecessary hit.”
Getting Trayanum back to pair with White and redshirt freshman Daniyel Ngata will be a handful for UCLA, but it won’t matter if ASU doesn’t stay balanced like it did against Colorado.
The passing game has been of intrigue since the beginning of fall camp, and four weeks into the season it’s still a looming question mark, but it has unmistakably improved. Last week, three different pass catchers combined for 13 catches and 216 yards.
“From the second game on I feel like we’ve just been clicking,” Daniels said. “We’re keeping it simple with what the receivers like and what I like. We’re on the same page and it shows up on Saturday nights.”
Getting the ball into the hands of wide receivers like redshirt freshmen Johnny Wilson and LV Bunkley-Shelton and junior Ricky Pearsall will be a continued focus, especially against a UCLA secondary that has given up the most passing yards per game in the Pac-12 this season.
With the Pac-12 South still far from being decided, the Sun Devils have a real chance to take a massive step toward finishing atop the division. UCLA has the same motive in mind, and Saturday has a chance to show who creates their own destiny.
“It’s a Pac-12 game and they’re all important – that’s what you learn when you’ve been in this conference,” Edwards said. “That’s the bottom line, you’ve got nine Pac-12 games. How many can you win?”
