Opponent Preview: Arizona State
The University of Utah football team is coming off quite a busy few days on the road. First, in Los Angeles and winning over the Trojans in LA for the first time since 1916 in dominant fashion, 42-26. Second, in Mesquite, TX just outside Dallas for the funeral services of Aaron Lowe.
An extreme high and low in just a couple of days can take a toll on an individual and team, but bringing it back to football, the Utes are 2-0 in Pac-12 play with greater goals still in focus. Next up, Arizona State travels to Salt Lake City as the only other school undefeated in conference play at 3-0. At the moment of this article, the betting line is even, leaning a little bit to ASU with the three point home advantage as the Pac-12 South is up for grabs.
ASU strength: Defense
While Utah’s defense is annually mentioned amongst the nations elite, Arizona State is making a strong case as the better performing defense on the season. The Sun Devil defense is only allowing 16.2 points per game and under 300 yards of total offense per game so far this season. In their 28-10 victory over Stanford last week, ASU held Stanford to just 13 yards on the ground and snagged three interceptions. Sophomore linebacker Darien Butler earned a mid-season All-America nod from ESPN alongside Utah’s Devin Lloyd, with 39 tackles, six TFL, two sacks, and two interceptions on the season. ASU is averaging 3.5 sacks per game this season, so not only have they been stopping the run, they are also getting after opposing quarterbacks. The Utah offensive line faces a tough test.
ASU question mark: Road resiliency
ASU is 5-1 on the season, with only two road games. Their only loss on the season was down in Provo, and while they beat UCLA handily on the road, it was in sunny southern California. It has been a cold and wet week along the Wasatch Front, and while the weather should be dry, it will drop into the 30s at night. Also, we’ll have to factor in the Rice-Eccles crowd on Saturday night, which always seems to turn it up for the late night kickoffs. The Utes have the defensive blueprint from the team down south, and the elements plus home crowd should make for a difficult trip for the Sun Devils. With the Pac-12 South lead on the line and an undefeated conference record, it will be interesting to see how ASU performs in this road test.
ASU X-factor: Quarterback Jayden Daniels
Utah fans will fondly remember Daniels’ first and only performance against the Utes. Back in 2019 and his freshman year, Daniels went 4-18 and 25 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, and he was sacked 3 times at Rice-Eccles. This season, he averaging 211.5 passing yards with a 70% completion rate with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He has thrown for as high as 286 yards and as low as 132 yards, but Daniels’ dual-threat ability is what makes him a special quarterback. The games where his passing numbers have been lower, his rushing yards are higher, showing he can beat opponents with his arm or legs depending on what the defense gives him.
Which Jayden Daniels performance will Ute Nation see Saturday night? His worst game of the season was in the BYU loss, where he threw for 265 yards, but zero touchdowns and two interceptions with only eight yards rushing. However, since the BYU game, his QBR has been 89 or higher in each of the three games, meaning he has been extremely efficient in wins over Colorado, UCLA, and Stanford.
Prediction: Utah 31, ASU 24