It has been a season that has gone beyond expectations for ASU as the Sun Devils are 7-2 on the season and have secured bowl eligibility, but their upcoming game against No. 16 Kansas State has turned from just another game in November to the ultimate decider of how far they can go.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Finished 3-9 back-to-back seasons, Arizona State was projected to finish dead last in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll. Defying what the doubters had to say, however, ASU is now in the conversation of both being in contention for the conference championship and even squeaking into a College Football Playoff spot.
Kansas State, which was projected to be second in the poll, is relatively where the program was expected to be. With an identical record along with ASU and Iowa State, the Wildcats are in the middle of a three-way tie for third 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12 standings.
In a clash between two teams who are vying for a chance at making the CFP and putting pressure on the Big 12 leaders BYU and/or Colorado to win out, only one team will win while the other will leave empty-handed.
Here are four keys to the matchup for the Sun Devils to pull off the biggest victory of the season against K-State:
Skattebo plays, balls out
ASU star running back Cam Skattebo has taken the Big 12 by storm with his physical strength, elusive agility and speed all being used to torch opposing defenses this year. While the quarterback play of Sam Leavitt has been crucial for Skattebo, the Sun Devils’ 5-foot-11 route runner dictates the team’s offense both as a rushing and receiving threat. Before his undisclosed injury he sustained in the 42-21 win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 2, he became the third player in the Big 12 to rush for 1,000-plus yards this season (1,001), joining UCF’s R.J. Harvey (1,328) and Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks (1,184).
Skattebo is listed as questionable but practiced this week, showing all of the signs that he will be ready to go for Arizona State. Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham went as far as to say on Wednesday that unless something changes, “Skat” will play vs. Kansas State. If he does play, it will be a massive boost for the Sun Devils when they go up against the Wildcats’ defense which is the top unit in the Big 12 in defending against the run, allowing only 99.4 rushing yards per game.
Hault Giddens at all costs
Not far behind Skattebo, Kansas State running back DJ Giddens has not received nearly as much notoriety as he deserves. On 163 carries through nine games, Giddens is closing in on rushing for 1,000 yards, as he has rushed for 995 yards and 10 touchdowns. ASU has gone up against the premier running backs that the Big 12 has to offer like Harvey, Brooks, Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State), Corey Kiner (Cincinnati), Micah Bernard (Utah) and Devin Neal (Kansas) this season, but still ranks third in the conference in defending the run.
Guarding Giddens will be no different from the other rushers in the Big 12 as he can turn nothing into something and has looked like one of the top running backs in the country at times. K-State is mightily struggling while rushing as of recently, mustering just 89 yards from 34 carries as a team in the shocking 24-19 loss to Houston (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) on Nov. 2. The Sun Devils have to keep Giddens’ production low because quarterback Avery Johnson also is a force when rushing.
Solving Kansas State’s stout defense
For a majority of the season besides the struggles lately, Kansas State has been like a well-oiled machine with how impactful both its offense and defense complement each other. In almost every defensive statistic, the Wildcats rank among the best in the conference. Austin Romaine is No. 8 in tackles (69), Brendan Mott leads the Big 12 in sacks (eight) and Marques Sigle is in a six-way tie for No. 5 in interceptions (three) in the Big 12.
Up against arguably the best defense they have faced since Utah, the Sun Devils’ offensive line play will be key for Leavitt and Skattebo to work their magic. Let Skattebo find a pocket of space through the Wildcats’ defensive line and give Leavitt adequate time to make a play either by throwing or scrambling.
Force Johnson to make mistakes
Johnson may not put up the most impressive number passing, but he is the strongest all-around quarterback that Arizona State will face this year. As a dangerous duel-threat quarterback, Johnson has passed for 17 touchdowns from completing 153-of-251 passes and 1,892 yards, but is the No. 18 best rusher in the Big 12 overall with 73 carries for 391 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
ASU struggled last week to contain Harvey from UCF who had three touchdowns, but the Sun Devils negated quarterback Dylan Rizk from scoring a single touchdown from 24 passing completions and 229 yards. Johnson going to be a huge level up from Rizk and ASU will have to stay on its toes because Johnson can run like a running back while also being an effective thrower when needed.
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman praises ASU before high-stakes matchup
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HEREÂ to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
