UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley will have his hands full on Saturday with an Arizona State pass defense that ranks No. 1 nationally. (US Presswire) |
UCLA (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) at Arizona State (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12)
Kickoff: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (FX)
Spread: Arizona State by 6.5
Watchability: If you don't know where FX is on your cable dial, now's a good time to look it up. This should be an entertaining game between two teams that could still win the Pac-12 South Division.
Shining Stars: UCLA -- RB Johnathan Franklin. Franklin has been nearly unstoppable this season. The senior running back has gone over 100 yards in five of UCLA's seven games, including two games over the 200-yard mark. Franklin could cause trouble for a depleted Sun Devils defense that gives up 168.1 rushing yards per game. Arizona State -- QB Taylor Kelly. How pivotal has Kelly been to the success of Arizona State this season? In ASU's five wins, Kelly has averaged 284.4 passing yards. In the Sun Devils' two losses, Kelly has averaged only 135.5 yards. If Kelly's on, there's a good chance Arizona State is going to win.
Who could steal the show: UCLA -- QB Brett Hundley. Arizona State has the No. 1 pass defense in the country, but that statistic is kind of deceiving because the best passing offense the Sun Devils have seen this season belonged to 1-6 Colorado. Hundley could surprise an ASU secondary that really hasn't been tested. Arizona State -- DL Will Sutton. Sutton's 8.5 sacks rank third nationally and his 14 tackles for a loss rank fifth. The reason he could steal the show is because there's a good chance he won't play. Sutton injured his knee against Oregon and is currently day-to-day. He was walking around in a brace on Thursday, suggesting his injury is more than a bone bruise, as coach Todd Graham has said. If the junior defensive lineman plays, he'll be a tough matchup for the Bruins.
You going? Ranking the road trip: The Bruins arguably haven't been in a game this big since 2007, so if you're a UCLA fan, you should make the six-hour drive from Los Angeles to Tempe for the first afternoon game at Sun Devil Stadium this season.
Magic number for UCLA: 505.3. UCLA is one of three teams in the Pac-12 -- along with Arizona and Oregon -- that averages more than 500 yards per game. Arizona State didn't fare too well against the Ducks, so if UCLA gets close to this number, it could turn into a blowout.
Magic number for Arizona State: 247. When Kelly passes for more than 247 yards, the Sun Devils are 5-0 this season; when he's under that mark, they're 0-2.
The game comes down to: Home field. UCLA and Arizona State are two evenly matched teams, but we're going to give the slight edge to the Sun Devils because they should have something to prove after being blown out at home on national television against Oregon.
Prediction: Arizona State 34, UCLA 31
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