What in the world is happening to Arizona State? The Sun Devils crashed to their fourth consecutive defeat with an embarrassing 49-26 loss to the Utah Utes on Saturday. The Sun Devils simply had no answer for Joe Williams who ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns. It was another disappointing display by Arizona State who dropped to 2-5 in conference play this season.
They will look to get their season back on track when they lock horns with Washington this coming weekend. It won’t get any easier for them against a Huskies side that possess one of the nation’s best defenses. The Huskies are ninth in the FBS in scoring defense, surrendering just 17.9 points per game this campaign. The pressure then is on quarterback Manny Wilkins to deliver the goods in this pivotal clash. He completed just 19-of-31 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown with two costly interceptions in the loss to Utah.
That being said, the Sun Devils will still fancy their chances against the Huskies as they have fared extremely well against them of late. The Sun Devils have won each of their last 10 meetings with the Huskies. Arizona State defeated Washington, 27-17, in their lone clash last season. Kalen Ballage starred for the Sun Devils in that victory, rushing for 92 yards and a pair of scores. He is coming off his second straight game with 200-plus all-purpose yards, racking up 244 against the Utes (career-high 118 receiving, 46 rushing and 80 in the return game) on Saturday.
Arizona State is 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS on the road this season.
Washington’s playoff hopes were dealt a major blow on Saturday when it suffered a gut-wrenching 26-13 loss to the USC Trojans in Seattle. USC quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns to send the Huskies crashing to their first defeat this season. It was a disappointing result for Washington who had their nine-game winning streak snapped.
The main reason behind the Huskies’ defeat was their abysmal ground game. They rushed for only 17 yards against USC after putting up 287 the previous week against California. The onus then is on Lavon Coleman and Myles Gaskin to get Washington’s running game going once again against Arizona State. Coleman rushed for only six yards on two carries against the Trojans after exploding for 108 against the Bears. Gaskin, on the other hand, rushed for just 51 yards against USC. They will need to be at their best, though, against an Arizona State defensive line that’s allowing just 124.5 rushing yards per game this season, 25th in the FBS.
It would be wise for Washington to attack Arizona State via the aerial route instead. The Sun Devils have conceded 64 plays of 20-plus yards (tied for 121st out of 128 teams nationally), 34 plays of 30-plus yards (123rd), 24 plays of 40-plus yards (127th), 16 plays of 50-plus yards (127th) and 11 plays of 60-plus yards (tied for 126th). That’s great news for Heisman candidate Jake Browning who’s third in the nation in passing efficiency with a solid 189.1 rating. Browning struggled in the game against USC, completing just 17-of-36 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown with two picks.
The Huskies are 5-1 SU and 3-3 ATS at home this season. They are pegged at +2,500to win the national championship this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Washington not only wins but also covers the -27spread.
