ASU Football: 3 Things to Watch for, Washington Huskies
The Arizona State Sun Devils will be looking to pull off the upset this weekend when they travel to the state of Washington to take on the University of Washington Huskies.
While most everyone is counting the Sun Devils out, there are a few things that ASU could focus on that would help them secure the win.
1. Keep pressure off of Quarterback Manny Wilkins
This should be a priority every week, but focusing on it against the Huskies will give ASU possibly their best chance to win. If Wilkins can stay upright and not be forced to throw the ball before a target is open then the offense will be in good shape. Also making sure that he doesn’t feel pressured will help begin to form a trusting relationship between the offensive line and Wilkins, a relationship that will go on for more than just the remainder of this season and a relationship that will be crucial to the success of future seasons.
2. Allow the run game to get going
These past few weeks have been awful for the Sun Devil backfield. All three backs have had a difficult time providing a much-needed running attack. These past games have made it evident that the Sun Devils thrive when they have a run game and crumble when they don’t. Allowing the backfield to establish a tempo to this game will help the Sun Devils gain control. The run game will take time off of the clock and it will force the Huskies’ air-raid offense to take more shots downfield. Forcing Washington to take more shots downfield will give ASU a higher chance of coming up with a takeaway, which is an area that the defense thrived in earlier in the season.
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3. Play as an underdog
The Sun Devils come into this game as the underdog, everyone knows that, but if ASU plays like an underdog is a different story. Playing with the tenacity and fight of an underdog is what ASU needs to embrace as a team. The underdog mentality worked last week for USC, why not for ASU? Knowing that you aren’t expected to win can sometimes be your biggest motivator, and when that mentality is fully embraced by a team it can lead to a very special game.