A critical Big 12 showdown takes place on Saturday evening in Salt Lake City, Utah, as Utah plays hosts to Arizona State. Kickoff is set for 10:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 11th, with both teams looking for a win to solidify themselves as a serious Big 12 contender for the upcoming season. Both teams are coming off a bye week, with Utah’s last time out in Week 5 beating West Virginia, while Arizona State had to come back to beat TCU on Friday night.
The Utes enter the game as 9.5 or 10-point favorites, and the over/under is set at 44.5 points. This spread has moved dramatically due to weather and injuries. Here are two key players to watch in this game, followed by the top storylines for each team, and a prediction from Heartland College Sports.
Two Key Players to Watch
Devon Dampier, Utah Quarterback
Devon Dampier goes up against an Arizona State defense that has been stout against the run this season, ranking second in the conference giving up just 2.6 YPC. So Dampier is going to win this game with his arm first, and then use his legs on a per-need basis.
Raleek Brown, Arizona State
Brown continues to grow his role following Cam Skattebo‘s departure to the NFL. The USC transfer has rushed for at least 134 yards in two of his last three games. He is the Big 12’s leading rusher in yards per game at 101.2. And his 6.6 yards per carry is the most in the Big 12 for a player with at least 43 carries on the season. Brown will be going up against Utah’s run defense that is allowing 140 rushing yards per game. Especially with Sam Leavitt out as quarterback, Brown needs a huge game.
Top Storylines
Can Devon Dampier Get the Passing Game Going?
Dampier can take advantage of an Arizona State passing defense that ranks bottom four in the Big 12 Conference this season. And while Ryan Davis leads the wide receiving corps with is 36 catches for 348 yards, mixing in the depth at tight end is going to be an important part of the Utah game plan. Senior Dallen Bentley has three touchdowns on the early season, and a 6’4”, 265, leads a group that has a great future, with two freshmen, JJ Buchanan and Hunter Andrews, already becoming important parts of the offense. Utah needs to utilize them more on Saturday as well.
Hello, Jeff Sims
When I first wrote this preview on Monday, I started off by writing, “This team will go as far as Sam Leavitt takes it.” Well now, it’s all on Jeff Sims, the former Georgia Tech and Nebraska quarterback who got beat out by Leavitt last season, but stayed with the ASU program and now has a great chance at redemption since Leavitt is going to miss this game. He isn’t Leavitt, but this is a guy with experience, who stayed with the program, knows the system and could surprise people with his dual-threat ability. The key will be to utilize his legs and not ask him to do too much through the air.
Also of note, there are some lingering injuries on defense for Arizona State (Zac Swanson, Xavion Alford), so if the Sun Devils are going to get this road win, the offense is going to have to have itself a big day, and it can’t fall behind early like it did at home vs. TCU two weeks ago.
Prediction: Utah 24, Arizona State 16
With rain expected on Saturday, along with the Sam Leavitt setback, I’m pulling my prediction back to a lower-scoring affair with the defense playing a bigger role for both teams. And I expect this game to slow down with the running game behind the highlight on both sides. Both teams are rested after a bye week, but as noted above, it’s Arizona State still dealing with some lingering injuries, plus the big one to Leavitt. Plus, the Sun Devils digging a whole vs. TCU, and having to come back in that game gives me pause for concern. While Arizona State’s run defense has been strong, they haven’t seen a rushing attack like Utah yet, which ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 at 242 rushing yards per game. Plus, putting this game in Salt Lake City gives a solid edge to the home team here in a game that will go a long way to determining the Big 12 race.
