Undefeated Washington up next for last-place Arizona State football team
The Arizona State Sun Devils will take another shot at picking up their first Pac-12 victory but it will be a tall order for the injury-plagued squad as it travels to Seattle for a showdown against No. 5 Washington, a team it upset last season.
The Sun Devils practiced team portions in the bubble this week with piped-in crowd noise to try and replicate the environment it is sure to see come Saturday. This is just the second road game of the season and the first was three weeks ago at Cal in a largely empty stadium.
"This is one of the loudest environments not just on the West Coast but in college football," coach Kenny Dillingham said. "And if you watched the game last week (against Oregon), the way those defensive ends were getting off the ball, utilizing the crowd noise to their advantage, was a distinct advantage. And they were getting off before the offensive line so we've got to be elite. That's one of the hidden things in a game, is not letting them get off on the snap count and not letting the noise get to us."
Let's take a closer look at the matchup:
Arizona State (1-5, 0-3) at No. 5 Washington (6-0, 3-0)
Time/site: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Husky Stadium
TV: FS1 (Jeff Levering, Mark Helfrich). Radio: ESPN 620 AM. SIRIUS XM 380
Last time they played: Last season ASU defeated then No. 21 Washington 45-38 in what was considered a monumental upset, kept the Huskies out of the Pac-12 title game and prevented them from being a part of the CFP discussion.
Series history: ASU is 22-17 against Washington all-time, with wins in the last two. That includes a 35-30 win in 2021, the last time the teams played in Seattle. At one point, the UW led the series 15-8, but ASU has had the better of it in recent years, winning 13 of the last 15.
Coaching matchup
ASU: Kenny Dillingham (first year). At 33, Dillingham is the youngest head coach at an FBS school. He served as offensive coordinator at Oregon last season. His first win as head coach came in ASU's season opener against Southern Utah, 24-21.
Washington: Kalen DeBoer (second year, 17-2, 96-11 overall) DeBoer, who turns 49 next week, is in his second year heading the program, coming over from Fresno State which he headed for the previous two seasons. That was his second stint at Fresno State having served as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in 2017 and 2018. He was a wide receiver in his playing days at the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.), setting several records there.
Storyline
Washington comes in not having lost a game in more than a year. The last team to beat them - Arizona State. The Huskies came to Tempe last October ranked No. 21 while ASU was only 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Pac-12 play. It marked the first win under interim coach Shaun Aguano who took over after Herm Edwards departed three games into the season.
After the 45-38 loss to the Sun Devils, the Huskies ran the table, winning seven straight games and working their way up to No. 8 in the final college football poll. Many think the team might have been in the hunt for a CFP berth had it not been for that loss to ASU.
That was also a win that really propelled Trenton Bourguet into the quarterback picture because he turned in a stellar performance in relief of injured starter Emory Jones. Bourguet got his first start two weeks later and never relinquished that role starting the last five games.
This will likely be the last game between the teams with the teams headed to different conferences, ASU to the Big 12 and Washington to the Big Ten.
Arizona State will win if . . .
1. It can sustain some drives on offense: What is the best way to prevent the other team from scoring? Keep the ball yourself. ASU does not have the personnel to be able to get into a high-scoring game so its best bet is to have some five-minute offensive drives and try and keep Penix Jr. & company on the sideline. That would also help keep the ASU defense sharper too because it has spent much of the season with its backs to the wall because of the struggles offensively.
2. It can come up with some explosive plays: While ASU has been able to move the sticks at times, they have been lacking the so-called "explosive" plays which Dillingham has acknowledged on multiple occasions. The reasons are many. The passing game has not managed to go deep very often, with quarterbacks not having enough time to look deep due to the offensive line which has been hit with injuries. Also, Cam Skattebo is more of a bruising, run-through-you-back rather than the more traditional one with breakaway speed.
3. It wins the turnover battle: Six games in, ASU remains last of all 130 FBS teams with just one, yes one takeaway. It has 13 turnovers, although that is skewed because it had eight of those in one game. Washington is on the other side of the ledger with just six turnovers and eight takeaways. One of the big keys in last year's game was a pick-six ASU had on an interception return by Jordan Clark in the first half.
Washington will win if . . .
1. It can avoid a letdown: The Huskies are coming off a dramatic win over regional rival Oregon in a battle of top 10 teams so it might be natural that the team has a bit of a letdown against a lesser foe that is coming in having lost five straight games. The coaching staff will likely keep reminding players about last year's game against the same team and how costly it was.
2. Michael Penix Jr. has his usual game: The Huskies' QB leads the country in passing yards per game (383.50), and is second in passing yards, third in efficiency and fourth in passing touchdowns. He has a strong arm and quick release and has the benefit of good wide receivers and a solid offensive line so that makes for a formidable task for opposing defenses. The Sun Devils have held their own against USC's Caleb Williams and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. This is just the latest talented Pac-12 quarterback to cone at them.
3. It can pressure the quarterback: Surprisingly, Washington has just seven sacks on the season, tied for the fewest in the Pac-12 with Cal. The Huskies might be able to do better in that regard this week because it will be facing an ASU offensive line that is plagued by injuries and could be missing as many as five starters this week. Who wins this battle in the trenches could loom large.
Pac-12 football power rankings: Washington the team to beat after win vs. Oregon
Personnel notes
Washington: C Matteo Mele (upper body) and CB Davon Banks (upper body) are out. WR Jalen McMillan (knee) and WR Germie Bernard (ankle) are questionable . . . There will be one familiar player suiting up for the Huskies in RB Daniyel Ngata who was a reserve back and kick returner for two years for the Sun Devils. He is not getting much playing time at Washington, having played in just two games with 23 yards and one touchdown on seven carries.
Arizona State: OL Bram Walden, OL Ben Coleman, OL Emmit Bohle, DB Montana Warren, QB Jaden Rashada, QB Drew Pyne, WR Jordyn Tyson, LB Travion Brown, RB George Hart, and P Josh Carlson are out. OL Isaiah Glass, OL Joey Ramos, OL Sione Finau, and RB DeCarlos Brooks are questionable . . . Junior DB Ed Woods will miss the first half after getting called for a targeting call in the second half of last week's game.
They said it
“His release is incredible. The ability for him to get the ball out to somewhere where he’s not looking. He had to throw this Saturday, throwing the ball to his left on the third down where he was looking to his right and there was a free hitter on his left and I mean he got the ball from the moment that he wanted to release the ball into the receiver's hands, it was 12 yards away down on the field for a first down. I could’ve sworn it was two seconds. It was throw, catch because he had strong arms, a quick release and I think that one of his greatest skills is he doesn’t get sacked. He’s a vet and he’s a freakish talent. He’s really good.”
—ASU coach Kenny Dillingham on Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
"He's a great quarterback. We have a hard task ahead of us but I'm excited. This is exactly why I came to Arizona State to be able to play in a game like this. As a D line, we take great pride in getting after the quarterback so we're going to try and do that."
—ASU defensive lineman Prince Dorbah on playing against Penix Jr. and Washington
More Sun Devils: Several injured ASU football players set to return after week off
By the numbers
13 — Consecutive wins by the Huskies. That streak consists of the last seven games last season and the first six this season.
18 — Sacks by the ASU defense this season. That is one more than it had in 12 games last season. Junior Prince Dorbah has six and junior B.J. Green has four. Dorbah leads the Pac-12 and ranks tied for fifth among all FBS players at sacks per game.
47 — Number of plays from scrimmage Washington has that have gone for 20 or more yards over its first six games, the second-highest per-game average in the nation. UW also leads the nation (on a per-game average) with 26 plays of 30 yards or more. Those totals include 39 passes of 20 or more yards, and 21 of 30 or more, from QB Michael Penix Jr. Both of those averages are also tops in the nation.
151 — Receiving yards needed for ASU's Elijhah Badger to reach 1,500 for his career (currently at 1,349).
6,942— Passing yards for Penix Jr. in his 19 games with the Huskies. That puts him fifth on the school's career list with those ahead of him playing for four years. He is in striking distance of fourth place Jake Locker (7,639).
Who will win and why
Washington 42, Arizona State 14: This is the best opponent ASU has faced this season and it is doing so shorthanded, particularly on the offensive line which is so critical. It would be natural for the Huskies to have a letdown after their big win last week. But they will also remember last season's huge upset at the hand of the Sun Devils last season so that in itself is reason to not look past ASU.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU-Washington Pac-12 football game preview, prediction
