With every game mattering for the rest of the season, No. 21 ASU was able to prevail in a 24-14 win over Kanas State and increase its chances at making the Big 12 title game.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!If they want to continue to disrupt the college football landscape, the Sun Devils have a difficult opponent who they can upset in No. 14 BYU which is coming off just its first defeat of the season. Going into last weekend, the Cougars were 9-0 before they fell to Kansas 17-13.
Many stipulations will come from this battle and whoever wins will be one step closer to a spot in the conference championship or maybe even a bid in the College Football Playoff. If BYU wins, it will have the head-to-head tiebreaker over ASU and will be in the driver’s seat for the title game. If Arizona State wins, however, it opens up many different scenarios with how the postseason will shape up.
Here are four keys to the matchup for the Sun Devils to win on Senior Day, Homecoming and the final home game of the 2024 season:
Crack through BYU’s stout defense
One of the main contributors as to why BYU has been as successful as it has been this year can be accredited to its defense. On the season, the Cougars’ defense ranks first in the Big 12 in yards allowed per game (315.3) and has carried its offense which is the 12th best out of 16 teams. Standing out from the rest, linebackers Harrison Taggert and Isaiah Glasker have been the leaders of BYU’s defense under defensive coordinator Jay Hill, combining for 112 tackles, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles and six quarterback hurries.
From being one of the most successful FCS head coaches when he was at Weber State to transitioning to the Big 12 with BYU, Hill’s resume speaks for itself and it is not shocking that the Cougars are dominant in that area of the game. Coaching the Wildcats from 2014-22, Hill led Weber State to four consecutive Big Sky championships (2017-20) before joining Kalani Sitake’s staff in Provo last season.
Run game obliterates Cougars
After missing Arizona State’s 35-31 win over UCF two weeks ago due to an undisclosed injury, running back Cam Skattebo returned last Saturday against Kansas State. While he was unable to score in Manhattan, Skattebo rushed for crucial first downs for his teammates to produce. The 5-foot-11 back had 25 carries for 73 against K-State and because the Wildcats’ defense focused on him, his teammates were open to make receptions.
With BYU’s pass defense being one of the best in the country, ASU coach Kenny Dillingham and offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo will need to keep that in mind. It could be a big day for Skattebo if he is given the ability to run and attack the Cougars, but it remains to be seen how the Sun Devils will go about taking on BYU’s defense.
Blitz Retzlaff
One of the revelations of the season for the Cougars has been quarterback Jake Retzlaff. This year, the junior has completed 170-of-290 passes for 2,283 yards and 18 touchdowns. Even though these stats are impressive and his play on the field has contributed to a 9-1 season to this point, the underlying numbers suggest that the Sun Devils’ defense needs to blitz Retzlaff because if they do, it is going to be a rough day for the California native.
When under pressure, Retzlaff is the 86th-best quarterback in the nation but if he is kept clean in the pocket, he is 14th. Additionally, when opposing defenses blitz, he ranks No. 117 compared to being the fourth-best when not blitzed. What may hurt the Sun Devils is that their pass rush grade is the second-worst in all of college football (56.9) and are 110th in blitz rate at 27%. Arizona State has to blitz far more than it has ever had to this year to throw Reztlaff off his game or else the game could turn ugly real quick.
Leavitt takes care of ball
BYU is tied with California and James Madison for the most interceptions in the country with 17 each. As a collective, the Cougars have seen 11 different players pick off a pass, including cornerback Jakob Robinson who currently leads the team with three. Through 10 games this season, ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt has only thrown four interceptions, not being too risky with the ball in and out of his hands.
The Cougars are second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in passing defense (176.1 ypg), so Leavitt will have a tough task in front of him since BYU will key in on his No. 1 target, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. If Leavitt stays patient and is smart when in possession, it will give him a better chance of not being the latest victim that BYU dominates over.
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham expects BYU to be hungry after suffering 1st loss of season
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
