| Arizona State coach Todd Graham has his Sun Devils playing well. (US Presswire) |
Arizona State (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) at Missouri (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
Kickoff: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Spread: Missouri by 6.5
Watchability: A strong interdivisional matchup between the new-look Sun Devils and the SEC first-timers? Definitely worth watching.
Shining stars: Arizona State: In the mold of a Dallas Clark, Chris Coyle looks to be turning into a fine H-back. The tight end/receiver hybrid had a monster game for the Sun Devils last week and has become one of Taylor Kelly's favorite targets. Missouri: Kendial Lawrence had a fantastic start in Week 1 with 121 yards on 10 carries, but he regressed last week to manage just 41 yards on eight carries against Georgia. If he can recapture the magic, the Tigers' offense will be hard to stop.
Who could steal the show: Arizona State: Cameron Marshall has been a bit quiet through two weeks, and he should finally wake up against the Tigers. Missouri: Defensive end Brad Madison is a sack-master and the Sun Devils will face real pressure for the first time. Can Kelly handle it?
You going? Ranking the road trip: The Pac-12 and the SEC play each other so rarely it seems, that any matchup is worth considering. The fact that Arizona State is playing so well, albeit against lesser competition, piques the interest.
Magic number for Arizona State: 54. The Sun Devils' 54 points per game ranks seventh in the country, but coming against Northern Arizona and Illinois, that's not saying too much. An outburst against Missouri? Then it means something.
Magic number for Missouri: 138.59. A passing game that ranks 11th in the SEC in passing efficiency has no one thinking about Blaine Gabbert. James Franklin needs to get something going.
This game comes down to: Arizona State's legitimacy. If the Sun Devils can stay grounded and play the kind of football they've played, they'll win. If they revert to bad habits, they won't.
Prediction: Arizona State 31, Missouri 27
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