The University of Utah takes on the Arizona State Sun Devils at 8:30 PM MST on Saturday on ESPN. Arizona State has already had a season to forget, as Herm Edwards was fired after their embarrassing defeat to Eastern Michigan. With the ongoing investigations into their football program, ASU lost a lot of players to the transfer portal before the season. However, there’s still some impressive talent on their roster.
Let’s take a look at the position battles:
Quarterback
ASU quarterback Emory Jones transferred from Florida after their coaching change and he’s been inconsistent so far in 2022. Cam Rising has had his moments of struggles in 2022, but he’s also had his moments of dominance. Add all of Rising’s intangibles, and there’s little debate that he wins this battle.
Running Backs
Tavion Thomas has 12 straight games with a rushing touchdown, but he’s nowhere near the threat he was last season. Something has been off. As of the time of this being published, there are also rumblings that he might not play against ASU.
Micah Bernard had been Utes best running back, but he battled cramps until last game. Utah had also had Thomas take the red zone carries after big Bernard plays.
Both Xazavian Valladay and Daniel Ngata average over six yards per carry. With 6.9 and 6.2 respectively.
Advantage ASU.
Wide Receivers
ASU’s receivers are solid, but not dominant. Elijah Badger leads the way with 217 yards and one touchdown on 17 receptions. Utah’s receivers were non-existent until last week, and when they had their opportunities, Solomon Enis and Devaughn Vele made clutch plays and touchdown grabs.
The fact that Brant Kuithe is a hybrid that lines up a lot at receiver, Utah might have the edge. But since Kuithe also lines up at tight end, we’re giving this one a push.
Tight Ends
Utah. All Utah on this one with Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid. If anyone wants to argue, they’re just writing it to troll.
Offensive Line
The Sun Devils are stout in the middle, but they struggle at tackle. Utah’s offensive line struggled early against SDSU, but that had a lot to do with the Aztecs’ unique defensive scheme. Aside from a portion of the SDSU game, Utah’s hogs up front have had a solid season so far.
Defensive Line
This one could easily go be a push, as the Utah defensive line needs to prove they’re for real and that they’ve made the necessary adjustments, when they play P5 teams. For now though, they get the benefit of the doubt, as the Sun Devils don’t seem to have any real standouts like Utah has with Junior Tafuna.
Linebacker
ASU linebackers have really struggled in 2022, including Merlin Robertson—a once highly rated recruit. Utah has already had their depth tested, and after a rough game against Florida, Lander Barton, Karene Reid and crew seem to be rounding into form.
Secondary
The Sun Devils’ secondary has major tackling issues while Utah’s secondary is by far the most impressive unit on their defense.
Special Teams
Neither team is really standing out on special teams.
