No. 16 Utah at Arizona State preview: 3 storylines to follow
Arizona State (4-1,1-1) hosts No. 16 Utah (4-1,1-1) Friday night in a nationally televised matchup on ESPN.
The former Pac-12 foes will meet for the first time in the Big 12. The Sun Devils are riding the momentum of a thrilling 35-31 win over struggling Kansas, while the Utes are looking to bounce back from a surprising loss to the Arizona Wildcats.
Here are three storylines to follow:
SAM LEAVITT HEATING UP
Arizona State redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt seems to have finally gotten used to the desert heat and may be catching fire himself. The Michigan State transfer has shown that he can run the ball, averaging 51.4 yards on the ground per game to go along with four rushing touchdowns. But he hadn’t truly broken out as a passer until last week.
His 157-yard performance in Arizona State’s win over Kansas isn’t comparable to his three 225-plus-yard games this season; however, his four passing touchdowns were a career high and exceeded his total in the previous four games combined. He could have easily had five touchdown passes if not for Jordyn Tyson's drop at the 3-yard line.
While he had a great performance against the Jayhawks, replicating that against the Utes will be not be an easy task. If Leavitt can get the ball out quickly and use his legs to keep Utah's defense honest, we may be witnessing the emergence of ASU’s young leader.
CAM RISING RETURNS
Seventh-year senior quarterback Cam Rising is expected to start for the Utes for the first time since Sept. 7 after suffering a hand injury in a win over Baylor. Rising was replaced by true freshman Isaac Wilson, who won two out of three games in Rising’s absence, but struggled with turnovers and red zone opportunities.
In Rising’s two games this season, the Utes’ leader completed 18-of-29 passes (62.1 %) for 346 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions. While this game will ultimately be decided in the trenches - both teams are determined to establish the run - the return of Rising will make for an interesting matchup for an ASU defense that has allowed more than 250 passing yards in three games this season. The Sun Devils will need to prevent big plays from Rising and force some turnovers - something they haven't done since their win over Texas State.
CAM SKATEBBO VS. MICAH BERNARD
The battle between the quarterbacks will be interesting, but if both pass throwers are at full tilt (or not), being able to stop each team’s dynamic running backs will make the difference.
Arizona State senior running back Cam Skattebo rushed for over 150 yards for the second time this season against Kansas, totaling 182 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He's the sixth-leading rusher in the nation in both yards and carries and he sets the tone for the Sun Devils offense.
Utah senior running back Micah Bernard is just as good. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in three games, and just missed a fourth 100-yard game in the Utes’ loss to Arizona with 91 yards. Stopping Bernard will be a big key for ASU's defense.
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Jordyn Bennett is a staff reporter for Arizona State On SI.