ARIZONA STATE FOOTBALL

Arizona State football preview: ASU looks to upend 6-0 Washington

Oct 13, 2017, 12:11 PM | Updated: 1:12 pm

Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) motions to fans in the student section after scoring a ...

Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) motions to fans in the student section after scoring a touchdown against Oregon during the first half during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

LISTEN: Todd Graham, ASU football head coach

After an impressive win over Oregon, the Arizona State Sun Devils (2-3, 1-1 Pac-12) came crashing back down to reality.

Quarterback Manny Wilkins threw his first two interceptions of the season and the team fell to the Stanford Cardinal 34-24.

Next up for the Sun Devils are the undefeated Washington Huskies (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12), who handed out a 38-7 beatdown last Saturday.

ASU leads the overall series between the two with a 19-15 record, but the Huskies did snap ASU’s 10-game head-to-head winning streak last year.

Essential Info

What: Washington (6-0, 3-0) at ASU (2-3, 1-1)

When: 7:45 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Radio: 98.7 FM, Arizona’s Sports Station

Storylines to follow

How will Wilkins bounce back?

It was a rough one for Wilkins last Saturday. In the loss to Stanford, Wilkins failed to surpass 300 passing yards (181) for just the second time this season — the other being a 298-yard effort against San Diego State — and failed to find the end zone, both in the air and on the ground. He also threw two interceptions, his first two of the season. Up next is a Huskies team who has allowed just seven points in three games and hasn’t allowed more than 16 points in a game all year.

Can ASU’s defense cause enough problems for QB Jake Browning and the Huskies’ offense?

Browning has impressed this season. He’s completed more than 80 percent of his passes in two games so far and has thrown for 14 touchdowns while only throwing three interceptions. As a team, they have yet to put up anything less than 30 points in any game this year.

The Sun Devils defense will need to get by the offensive line and cause mistakes on the field. That’s something ASU has struggled to do this season and something head coach Todd Graham has worked on all week in preparation for Saturday.

“Whatever team wins the turnover battle, that’s the team that wins; that’s the way it is and we are not getting takeaways,” Graham told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station. “We don’t want one-play touchdowns. We want to defend against the cheap one, but you got to get takeaways.

How those happen is playing on the offensive side of the ball.”

That means the Sun Devils need to get sacks, tackles for losses, population around the football and bring physicality to the football field to get takeaway opportunities, Graham added.

Can Washington limit the success of ASU’s passing game?

Wilkins has been able to find his receivers early and often this season. In five games, the Sun Devils have had five different receiver eclipse 100 yards, a mark that hasn’t been reached in an entire season up until this point.

How will Humphrey fare on defense?

One of the big things this week out of Sun Devils camp is the return of wide receiver John Humphrey to the field. After having an impressive stat line in the team’s season opener, seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, Humphrey went down with a knee injury against San Diego State.

But Humphrey isn’t going to be used for just his offensive abilities.

Graham has gone on to say that the team will utilize Humphrey on the defensive side as well as the offensive side of the ball. The move comes after ASU lost starting cornerback Joey Bryant with an ACL injury.

Key Players

Dante Pettis: The Washington return man has been electric on special teams. This season, he has three punt return touchdowns in consecutive games, tying an NCAA record, and leads the nation in punt return yards per game with 31.8. In total, he has eight career return touchdowns, which ties him with Wes Welker and Antonio Perkins for the NCAA record.

Jake Browning: The junior quarterback continues to show why he’s the starter in the pacific northwest. This season, he’s posted 14 touchdowns and 1,466 yards while only giving away three interceptions. His best game of the season came in Week 3 when he shredded Fresno State for 255 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 19 of his 22 passes for an incredible 86.4 pass completion percentage.

Manny Wilkins: Wilkins has been solid this season for ASU. Through five games, he has found success through the air, amassing 1,452 yards for eight touchdowns and two interceptions. In the team’s season opener, Wilkins completed 81.5 percent of his passes, going 22-of-27 for 300 yards and two scores.

N’Keal Harry: The standout wide receiver has set the pace for the Sun Devils receiving corps in 2017. He has 34 catches — 14 more than the next closest receiver — for 476 yards and three touchdowns. In the team’s 37-35 upset win against Oregon, Harry shined, reeling in seven grabs for 170 yards and a score.

Stats to know

19-15: ASU holds the the overall advantage over the two schools with a 19-15 record. Washington has had the last laugh recently when they blewout the Sun Devils 44-18 at home last season, snapping ASU’s 10-game winning streak over the Huskies.

100: The Huskies are an incredible 209-65-3 when they have a 100-yard rusher. They went 8-0 last season and are 2-0 this season when a player hits the century mark on the ground.

16: Washington has been stingy on defense. The most points they’ve allowed to opposing offenses is 16. They’ve held opponents to seven points in three games this season. ASU hasn’t scored less than 20 points all year.

0: D.J Calhoun is the only linebacker in the Pac-12 — and fourth in the nation — to not miss a tackle this season. He has 48 tackles on the season and is averaging 9.6 per game.

2001: The last time ASU lost to Washington at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils have won six in a row at home against the Huskies.

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