3 keys for success: ASU should be able to ‘drop the hammer’ on Kansas in London

Arizona State football’s Big 12 opener against Kansas in England on Saturday could be a huge swing point for the Sun Devils’ season.

A win could help show that ASU’s fourth quarter collapse at Texas A&M was more of a fluke than the three quarters of effective football that preceded it, but a loss could leave the Sun Devils facing serious reflection entering their only bye week of the season at 1-2.

“We can’t treat this like we’re just going to have fun in London. We got to lock in and then go drop the hammer on Kansas,” wide receiver Reed Harris told reporters after the loss.

ASU has the talent and coaching advantages that could make this a runaway victory, which would give the Sun Devils a happy flight back across the pond and into the bye week.

What are the biggest keys for ASU to beat Kansas in London?

Offense: Keep the Cutter Boley-Reed Harris connection firing against a spotty Jayhawks pass defense

Coming off 189 yards and two scores on Saturday, Cutter Boley and Harris make up one of the most productive quarterback-wide receiver combinations in the nation through two games.

Harris has 326 receiving yards (fourth in the nation) and four touchdowns (tied for fifth) on 15 receptions. He’s also fourth in yards after catch (146).

Both players are graded by PFF as the top players at their respective positions in the Big 12, while Harris ranks second nationwide and Boley seventh (among signal-callers with at least 50 dropbacks).

They’ve been very impressive while the pass defense they’re facing has been not very impressive at all. The Jayhawks are 62nd out of 67 Power Four teams in coverage defense, per PFF.

Kansas also lacked disruption in the backfield against Missouri, coming out with no sacks and just 0.5 tackle for loss. One of its three players who had a sack against Long Island University in its opener, linebacker Bam Crouch, is questionable after he missed the Missouri game.

Defense: Make it 2 straight weeks of effectively containing a mobile QB

ASU executed an outstanding game plan against Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, keeping the elusive runner confined to the pocket. Reed had just one rush of more than three yards, a 19-yard gain that moved the chains on second down.

asu did an outstanding job at texas a&m keeping qb marcel reed confined to the pocket for the most part. only had one rush of more than three yards (went for 19).

expect a lot of the same against kansas qb isaiah marshall, whom you’d prefer throwing the ball than running. pic.twitter.com/UJZTK6n8o6

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 16, 2026

The Sun Devils forced him to beat them with his arm and capitalized when he made a mistake, an interception to start the second half. The Aggies went away from the passing game with just eight attempts the rest of the way, as ASU beating itself took away the need for plays to be made through the air.

Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall is similarly elusive, but the first-year starter lacks the maturity and polish that Reed has with two more seasons worth of play under his belt.

Marshall was 13 of 30 for 168 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions against Missouri, but one of his completions was a turnaround fadeaway falling out of bounds where he wasn’t even looking down field before leaving the ground. It was certainly a highlight you don’t see every day, and likely one that his coach didn’t love as it transpired.

Isaiah Marshall SOMEHOW gets this throw off 😳

What a play for @KU_Football! pic.twitter.com/CdlTbBIuWr

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 12, 2026

But, like Reed, Marshall will beat himself if he has the opportunity to.

He has four turnover-worthy plays so far (second most in Big 12 behind Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker’s five) and is second worst in the conference in adjusted completion percentage (which accounts for drops) at 58.3%.

Special teams: Polish up the miscues, because Kansas can force them

ASU had two key miscues on special teams in its loss to Texas A&M that gift-wrapped a halftime lead when it was otherwise the more dominant team in the opening minutes.

Cory Butler Jr. muffed a punt that he lost in the sun, setting up the Aggies inside the Sun Devils’ 10-yard line. Then, tight end James Giggey was stopped short of a first down on a fake punt direct snap in ASU’s own territory.

Those sorts of things can’t happen again, especially against a Jayhawks unit that just blocked two Missouri field goals.

They paid it off with points, too, as one of Kansas’s three touchdowns on the day came on the return of one of the blocks.

After ASU watched Texas A&M pull away with multiple defensive touchdowns, it would hate to surrender points in a similar way again.

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