Arizona State football vs. Kansas: 5 keys to victory for the Sun Devils
Welcome to the new world of college football, where fans get treated to yet another matchup that has never before happened.
Instead of a typical early October Pac-12 matchup against Cal or Washington State, the Arizona State Sun Devils are hosting the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday in their second Big 12 game ever. It is the first-ever matchup between the Jayhawks and Sun Devils.
Here's a look at the keys to victory for Arizona State on Saturday.
BYE WEEK: ADVANTAGE DILLINGHAM
Arizona State (3-1, 0-1) is coming off its bye week, which means mad scientist Kenny Dillingham has had extra time to prepare for the Jayhawks. The 34-year-old Dillingham has quickly established himself as one of the best young offensive minds in the game, and he has one of the most versatile weapons in college football at his disposal in Cam Skattebo.
Skattebo has 433 rushing yards and 190 receiving yards through four games. Against Texas Tech he caught 6 passes for 117 yards, including a 66-yard catch-and-run down the sideline where he showed off his speed.
Kansas (1-4, 0-2) allowed over 500 yards of offense in its 38-27 loss to TCU, including 356 yards through the air. Look for Dillingham to exploit matchups against the Jayhawks' linebackers and feed the ball to Skattebo coming out of the backfield.
🚨Skat Attack
— Gabriella Chernoff (@gabbyjchernoff) September 21, 2024
Cam Skattebo rushes from the 3️⃣ for 6️⃣, following a 66-yard reception that put the Sun Devils in scoring position. The PAT was blocked.
3Q: ASU-16 | TT- 24
@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/ea18ATlFyo
SAM LEAVITT'S LEGS
UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka torched Kansas for 124 yards rushing in the Rebels' 23-20 win on Sept. 13. You can bet Dillingham has watched that tape and plans to take advantage of his quarterback's athleticism against the Jayhawks.
QB Sam Leavitt is Arizona State's second-leading rusher with 180 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Expect more big plays on the ground from Leavitt on Saturday.
RALEEK BROWN IS BACK
One of the most explosive players in the country in the class of 2022 out of Mater Dei High School, Raleek Brown is finally poised to make an impact in college. After transferring from USC, Brown made his Arizona State debut against Texas State on Sept. 12. Still nursing a hamstring injury, he had just two carries and one reception for a total of three yards.
Dillingham said Brown is now healthy and he's looking for more explosive plays in the running game going forward. With defenses keying on Skattebo, Brown is the x-factor for the Sun Devils. He ran a 10.82 100-meter dash in high school and is a nightmare matchup for linebackers coming out of the backfield.
CAN ASU GET TO JALON DANIELS?
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, a fifth-year senior, has thrown eight interceptions in five games and has completed just 53.1% of his passes. He has thrown at least one interception in every game, including three in the Jayhawks loss to Illinois.
For the Sun Devils to win on Saturday they need to put pressure on Daniels and take advantage of some of his errant throws. In Kansas' losses to UNLV and Illinois, Daniels threw interceptions at the end of the first half that led to touchdowns for the Rebels and Illini and were essentially the difference in the games.
WHO WANTS IT MORE?
Kansas is coming into this game desperate. After finishing 9-4 last season and winning a bowl game, the Jayhawks were picked by some to win the Big 12.
Sitting at 1-4 with games against No. 20 Kansas State, No. 16 Iowa State and No. 17 BYU looming, this is a must-win game for the Jayhawks. Arizona State will have to match the Jayhawks' desperation and play a clean game to emerge with a win.
Prediction: Arizona State 34, Kansas 28
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.