| Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly’s ability to establish a passing game will be key against Utah, which is coming off a dramatic win over BYU. (US Presswire) |
Utah (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) at Arizona State (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
Kickoff: Saturday, 10 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network)
Spread: Arizona State by 7.5
Watchability: For Pac-12 fans, pretty good. For those whose football tastes like East of the Rockies, maybe not so much. These are two sometimes-good, sometimes-decent teams, and the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act wears thin.
Shining stars: Utah: Junior linebacker Trevor Reilly is off to a big start for the Utes as he's filled up the stat sheet early. Reilly has a 18 tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFL, a fumble recovery, two passbreakups and a sweet goatee. Arizona State: In a crowded running game that features five players already with 20-plus carries, it appears Marion Grice is emerging. With Cameron Marshall and D.J. Foster relatively quiet, Grice has become the team's primary scoring threat, with five of the team's 12 rushing touchdowns.
Who could steal the show: Utah: Defensive back Brian Blechen is back after a three-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules. He'll be ready to go after the Sun Devils, and that's a good thing for the Utes, as he's been one of their most productive defenders for two years. Arizona State: Chris Young is making quite the immediate impact on the Sun Devils' defensive backfield. The junior college transfer leads the team with 24 tackles and six TFL, and he can feast on a struggling Utah running game.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Sure. The Utes came back from a surprising loss to in-state rival Utah State to defeat in-state rival BYU, while the Sun Devils should be fired up after a loss to Missouri. Plus, there's a bunch of good food and drink all around the town.
Magic number for Arizona State: Two. In a tough road interconference matchup with the SEC newcomer, the Sun Devils matched the Tigers first-down for first-down and yard for yard. But two fumbles cost them big.
Magic number for Utah: 15. Ding, ding, ding! Relevant stat alert! Utah has forced 15 fumbles, recovering four of them. Both are impressive numbers, and the Utes offense needs to capitalize.
This game comes down to: Utah's ability to pressure Taylor Kelly. The Utes always-sound defense should provide fits for the first-year starter, and if they get in Kelly's head quickly, the happy feet come sooner.
Prediction: Arizona State 23, Utah 20
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