Three things the Sun Devils must do to beat the Wildcats
Nov 24, 2017, 6:33 AM | Updated: 3:49 pm
(AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
It’s been quite a roller coaster year for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
After looking like a team that was going to be toward the bottom of the barrel in terms of the Pac-12, and a team who was rumored to be facing a coaching change, ASU has shown it still has some fight.
They head into the Territorial Cup tied with the Arizona Wildcats for second in the division at 5-3 against conference foes.
Junior quarterback Manny Wilkins improved his numbers from last season — from a 12-9 touchdown to turnover ratio and 133.2 quarterback rating to a 14-4 and 139.8 — while senior running back Demario Richard enters the contest with three straight 100-yard performances under his belt.
With a win, the Sun Devils can make the case for a legitimate bowl game and have some momentum heading into the offseason.
In order to get to that point, ASU will need to do three things Saturday:
Limit Khalil Tate’s playmaking abilities
Tate seemed to crash back down earth last Saturday when the Oregon Ducks stopped him on the ground. He carried the ball 14 times for a pedestrian 32 yards, averaging 2.3 a tote as the Ducks won 48-28. It was his worst performance as a runner since his 24 yards against Houston in Week 2.
Another thing to look at is his interceptions. In both of the Wildcats’ most recent losses to USC and Oregon, Tate accounted for two interceptions. If the Sun Devils can force a few turnovers from Tate, they could have a legitimate shot at taking home the Territorial Cup.
ASU’s defense has recorded 10 interceptions this season with Chase Lucas and Chad Adams leading he way with two a piece.
Manny Wilkins can’t make costly mistakes
Since throwing nine interceptions on 311 pass attempts last season, Wilkins improved tremendously in 2017. Through 353 attempts this season, Wilkins has thrown just four interceptions, which ranks him at the top of the Pac-12 among starting quarterbacks.
Other than the win against Utah, Wilkins has not thrown an interception in a game the Sun Devils won. On the season, he’s only thrown a pick in three of the 11 games ASU played.
Arizona has capitalized on their opponents’ mistakes this year. In six out of seven wins, Arizona’s defense has recorded at least one interception, including a three and four-pick effort against UCLA and Washington State. They bolster the worst pass defense in the conference, but have also accounted for the most interceptions in the Pac-12. If Wilkins can exploit the defense’s weaknesses and play smart with the football, ASU could have a leg up on Arizona.
ASU’s running game continues to roll
In five out of the six wins for the Sun Devils, their running game has contributed in some way or another. Excluding the win against Washington, ASU’s running attack has had either a hundred yard rusher or a rushing touchdown. In the team’s three biggest wins of the season — 40-24 against Oregon State, 41-30 against Colorado and 30-10 against Utah — ASU bolstered two runners who either reached the 100-yard mark or came close to it.
The duo of Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage could be the deciding factor come Saturday. In their win over Oregon State, Both Richard and Ballage broke the 100-yard threshold, with Richard adding three scores in the win. Richard enters Saturday with three consecutive 100-yard efforts while Ballage has added 97 and 103 in the past two games, respectively. Wilkins could also be in the mix as well. He has six touchdowns on the ground this season, scoring in four of the last five games and averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
