After dropping its past two games, the University of Utah football team returns to the gridiron looking to snap its losing streak as it hosts Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 21. To prepare for the upcoming game, The Daily Utah Chronicle spoke to Joe Jacquez, a football reporter for ASU’s student newspaper The State Press, to get his thoughts on the Sun Devils.
Q: What did ASU’s upset against then ranked No. 5 Washington do for the Sun Devils?
JJ: It changed the narrative of the season. Before the Sun Devils pulled off the monumental upset, ASU’s defense was statically one of the worst defenses in the country and the team was not even mentioned as a possible contender in the Pac-12 South. Now, ASU could easily win a weak division and play for the Pac-12 conference championship. After back-to-back losses to San Diego State at home and Texas Tech on the road, many fans wanted head coach Todd Graham canned. Oh, how things have changed.
Q: What was working for ASU against the Huskies?
JJ: It is hard to find anything that did not work for the Sun Devils’ defense. When you hold the No. 1 scoring offense in the Pac-12 to seven points and 230 total yards, it is hard to even nitpick. That being said, ASU’s success started and ended with the defensive line. ASU controlled the point of attack and did not allow Jake Browning to get comfortable. ASU registered 5 sacks and 9 tackles for a loss. Now, give a lot of credit for the majority of the sacks to the secondary. The young group played their best game as a unit and forced coverage sacks. Washington receivers simply could not get open.
Q: How are the Sun Devils planning to keep their momentum going against Utah?
JJ: Graham talks about it every week, but winning the turnover battle will be key. Limiting penalties and getting the run game going to take control of time of possession will also be crucial. N’Keal Harry will have to put together a big game and to do that, the offensive line will have to continue to give quarterback Manny Wilkins time to throw. After struggling in the early portion of the season, the OL has only allowed four sacks in the last two games. ASU’s defense will have to find a way to stop senior wide receiver Darren Carrington II, sophomore wideout Siaosi Wilson and sophomore running back Zack Moss.
Q: Where does ASU stand as a team halfway through the season?
JJ: ASU is in a lot better shape than we thought in the early portion. After three non-conference games, the Sun Devils were 1-2 and were facing a tough stretch of tough Pac-12 opponents. Some wondered how ASU would even grab a win in the next five. Instead, ASU beat two Top-25 opponents at home and now the Sun Devils have an opportunity to move into first place in the South. The offensive line and secondary have to keep improving and special teams play has to avoid mistakes.
Q: What does ASU need to do this season to put an end to its two-year losing streak against the Utes?
JJ: Since I already talked about how they can beat the Utes, the biggest key is simple: ASU needs to show they can win on the road. In order to do that, the defense has to get off the field and not put the team down early.
Q: Who/What do the Utes need to be prepared for on Saturday?
JJ: Besides Harry and Wilkins, the offensive line needs to be prepared for Alani Latu and JoJo Wicker who are first and second on the defense with 4 and 3.5 sacks respectively. Christian Sam leads the team in tackles and is always involved in everything. Chase Lucas has played well lately in man-to-man coverage. Kalen Ballage can still break one off and Kyle Williams has done a little bit of everything. The Utes also have to be ready for the sparky formation. Teams have had a hard time stopping it.
Q: Who will win? And why?
JJ: Both teams are fundamentally sound, but until ASU proves they can win on the road, I will not pick them to do so. Prediction: Utah – 27 ASU – 17
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