Sun Devils preparing for rain, fight in trenches during Week 7 in Utah

The Sun Devils are prepared for a rainy matchup in Salt Lake City and a game that will be headlined by two strong offensive and defensive lines.

BY ERIC MATSUMOTO

Oct 8, 2025, 3:55 PM Updated: Oct 9, 2025, 11:06 am

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Rain is expected in Salt Lake City on Saturday night during the Week 7 matchup between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Utah Utes, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite not often having to deal with wet conditions, Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham doesn’t want the weather precautions to become a distraction for the team.

“I think whether there’s rain, whether there’s not rain, we’re going to do what we can to prepare for it,” Dillingham said Wednesday. “We live in a desert. We don’t get much of it naturally. We have to play some wet ball drills, but we’re not focused on that. We’re focused on the task at hand which is Utah.

“At the end of the day, weather can affect how you get that accomplished, but you still have to take care of the football, and you still have to move the person in front of you the other direction.”

Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo emphasized working on what the team has control over and being aware of what it doesn’t.

“It’s something you can’t control,” Arroyo said. “You just constantly prepare for what you can do. Environmental factors are ones that you’ve got to be delicate with. You’ve got to get your guys locked in and understand them, but then you can’t be too carried away where all of a sudden you just bog everything down.”

‘The line of scrimmage is key’ on both sides for Sun Devils

The Sun Devils (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) and Utes (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) come in only eight spots apart in the AP rankings at Nos. 21 and 29, respectively.

The tight matchup means all of the little things are going to matter, and that starts at the line of scrimmage.

“The line of scrimmage is the key,” Arroyo said. “You’ve got to be dialed in to how you’re going to get off the ball. You got to be dialed in to where you’re supposed to be and reduce negative plays and things that can hurt you pre-snap.”

Arizona State’s Raleek Brown is second in the Big 12 in rushing yards with 506, but Utah’s John Henry Daley is tied for fifth in the nation with 8.5 tackles for loss this season.

“They’ve been a team that’s dominated the line of scrimmage for a lot of years and it’s a good challenge for our guys,” Dillingham said. “I think they got really good talent up front in the box and it’s a good challenge for our guys to try to match that.”

The other side of the ball may be even more impressive.

ASU comes into the matchup with 19 sacks, tied for fourth in the nation, but Utah has only allowed three sacks as a team according to ncaa.com, which is tied for sixth fewest in the country.

“You got five guys that could all play in the NFL on their offensive line and that have a great future ahead of them,” Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward said Tuesday. “When you put them up against our front four and the depth that we have at the D-line, it’s going to be a great battle.”

The battle on both sides of the ball will be fierce, but rather than shy away, the team is embracing the challenge.

“We’re excited about the matchup,” Ward said. “It’s going to be a heavyweight battle, get your popcorn ready.”

Both teams are coming off a bye week. During Week 5, ASU bested TCU, 27-24, while Utah took down West Virginia, 48-14.

The matchup will air on ESPN on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. MST.