ASU Football: Arizona State at Oregon Preview

After a lackluster offensive showing versus Washington State, Arizona State will look to get back on track in Eugene where they will face the Oregon Ducks.

The Sun Devils (5-3) are coming off a 37-32 loss versus Washington State. After Manny Wilkins left the game with an injury after the opening scoring drive, freshman quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole struggled to keep ASU’s offense on the field. For the third straight game, Arizona State had an anemic offense, finishing with only 280 total yards. While the running game gained a solid 113 yards, Wilkins and Sterling-Cole combined for only 167 yards passing.

Sterling-Cole, in his first time seeing extended playing time, finished 7-for-16 with 86 passing yards. The Sun Devils relied heavily on trick plays to gain yardage and it helped set up a couple of scoring plays.

The impact was greatly felt when Wilkins left the game with an injury. Wilkins led ASU down the field with an 11-play, 59-yard touchdown drive to begin the game. After he left the game, Sterling-Cole had trouble with his accuracy, as he kept throwing while rolling out of the pocket.

The offense couldn’t match Wazzu’s high-powered offense. Quarterback Luke Falk completed 42 of 53 passes, throwing for 398 yards and three touchdowns. Despite those numbers, Arizona State had a lot of success getting to Falk, sacking him seven times. Koron Crump led the way for the Sun Devils with three sacks and a forced fumble, while D.J. Calhoun finished with two sacks and three tackle for losses.

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Overall, it was not a bad performance from Arizona State. With the amount of injuries on this team, especially at quarterback, the Sun Devils performed admirably with Sterling-Cole on offense. In the end, they just did not have enough explosive plays to beat the Cougars. While the passing defense allowed a lot of yards, the rush defense was stout with the Cougars finishing with -52 rushing yards.

Arizona State’s opponent Saturday is Oregon. The Ducks (2-5) are coming off a 52-49 double overtime defeat at Cal. In just his second start, quarterback Justin Herbert brought Oregon back from a 31-14 deficit to force overtime. Herbert threw for 258 yards and six touchdowns, but threw the game-ending interception in double overtime. In two starts, Herbert is 43-for-74 passing with 437 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

While Arizona State has received criticism for their poor defensive performances, Oregon boasts a more porous defense. The Ducks feature the third worst scoring defense in FBS, allowing 43.3 points a game. Oregon also allows 538.6 yards a game, the most in the Pac-12. While ASU and Oregon have the two worst pass defenses in the conference, Arizona State has the edge when it comes to rush defense, leading the Pac-12 allowing 99.9 yards a game. On the flip side, Oregon has the second-worst rush defense allowing 248.4 yards a game.

The Sun Devils will need their rush defense to continue to deliver facing Oregon running backs Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James. Brooks-James got the majority of the work last week versus Cal, finishing with 15 carries, 109 yards and one touchdown. Freeman was limited and didn’t look 100 percent as he finished with 15 carries for 10 yards. Even with Freeman’s questionable status for the game, ASU will want to limit the run game and force Herbert to throw the ball.

Oregon is known for their speed, and it will be crucial for the defense to stay on their assignment and to communicate effectively. Autzen Stadium is one of the most hostile environments in college football, and the Sun Devils have to be on the same page to succeed. As it is each week, Arizona State has to tackle Oregon on initial contact. ASU can not let Oregon break multiple tackles, because the Ducks will burn them with their speed. They have to take good angles on their tackles.

For the offense, Sterling-Cole should be a lot more comfortable with the system. With Wilkins doubtful for Saturday’s game, he’s had the majority (if not all) of reps at practice this week, giving him more familiarity with more plays and his receivers. Considering how bad Oregon’s defense has been this season, Arizona State should have no problem running the ball as running backs Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage should have their way. If they can be effective running the ball, that will take the pressure off Sterling-Cole and allow him to ease into the game. This will be his first career road game, so just like the offense, communication will be key for the Sun Devils with the crowd noise.

Next: ASU Football: Scouting Report, Oregon Ducks

Prediction:

Oregon 38, Arizona State 31. This game is a toss up, but the slight edge goes to Oregon because their offense is more in-sync than ASU’s, and the home-field advantage will be huge for the Ducks disrupting Sterling-Cole and the offense.

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