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Despite a minor quarterback controversy in Tempe, the Arizona State Sun Devils have steadily climbed their way up the rankings.
The Sun Devils currently sit at No. 14 in the latest rankings. Following consecutive wins against perennial Pac-12 powers, USC and Stanford, ASU is making their case for a shot at a Pac-12 Championship. However, the Washington Huskies will enjoy the opportunity to upset the Sun Devils and make their own case for a place in the rankings. The 5-2 Huskies welcome the 5-1 Sun Devils to Husky Stadium in a matchup that is sure to deliver offense.
The quarterback controversy at ASU revolves around senior Taylor Kelly and junior Mike Bercovici. Kelly, a preseason Heisman candidate, was named the starter at the beginning of the season and led the Sun Devils to a 3-0 record. However, Kelly was injured against Colorado.
Prior to the injury, Kelly had thrown for three touchdowns and run for another. Bercovici came on and played the entire fourth quarter for ASU. The following week, Bercovici struggled early against UCLA, throwing two first half interceptions. Since the UCLA game, Bercovici has led the Sun Devils to back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, USC and Stanford. In the process, Bercovici has thrown for a combined six touchdowns, zero interceptions and 755 yards. This has led many to speculate that Bercovici should continue to start instead of a healthy Kelly.
Head coach Todd Graham stated on Monday that Kelly would be the starter. Fortunately for the Sun Devils, the offense has been clicking, regardless of the quarterback. The Sun Devils are averaging 37.8 points a game this season. The problem for the Sun Devils has been defensively. ASU is giving up 27.8 points per game. Expect another high-scoring affair in this matchup, as the Washington Huskies employ a similar philosophy.
The Huskies started the season 4-0, albeit against a relatively weak schedule. As the games got tougher, the results began to show. The Huskies lost two of the next three games. These losses came to ranked opposition, No. 16 Stanford and No. 9 Oregon. If Washington has hopes of a Pac-12 Championship this season, it must change its fortunes against ranked opponents. Luckily for the Huskies, they get the opportunity to do this against the Sun Devils.
Washington is led by its junior quarterback, Cyler Miles. Miles has thrown for 10 touchdowns and only one interception. His efficient play must continue if the Huskies want to spring the upset. Washington boasts a very balanced offensive attack, scoring 11 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns.
With all of this talk about offense, the key to this matchup could be defense. Both teams come into this matchup with defenses ranked outside of the top 50 in points allowed. If either team can hold their opponent under 30, they will likely earn the victory. The Sun Devils have only allowed their opponents to break the 30-point barrier twice.
One of these games they actually won, 38-34 over USC. For Washington, it has allowed two opponents to score 30 or more. Unfortunately, one of these opponents was Eastern Washington and they gave up 52. This is not a good sign for the Huskies as the Sun Devils will be a much tougher test than Eastern Washington.
As stated earlier, both offenses have demonstrated an ability to score points. Unfortunately, both defenses have demonstrated a tendency to give up a great deal of points. Expect a high-scoring affair, regardless of the starting quarterback for ASU.
In this matchup, it looks like the Sun Devil defense has faced much tougher competition and will be able to control the Husky offense. The ASU offense will likely be too much for a shaky Washington defense. If the Sun Devils can hold Washington under 30, and they should, they will win this matchup.
Prediction: Arizona State 42, Washington 27
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