ASU Football: Offense will be the key against Washington

Coming out of a bye week, ASU football has its hands full with a matchup against No. 5 Washington, the best team the Sun Devils have faced since 2015.

In four years, Washington head coach Chris Petersen has transformed the Huskies (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) from a middle of the pack team into a national contender. Much of the team’s success comes from its efficiency on both sides of the football.

Washington concedes just 10.2 points a game while putting up 43 points per contest. Nationally those marks rank third and eleventh and does not bode well for Arizona State (2-3, 1-1 Pac-12).

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The Sun Devils have continued to struggle defensively this season, allowing 190 yards per game on the ground, despite noticeable improvements in pass coverage under first-year defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. To compete with Washington, all eyes are on the offense.

Against a stout, run-stuffing unit like Washington, ASU will have more difficulty executing options and trick plays which places more pressure on Manny Wilkins to carry the offense.

Now in his second year as the Sun Devils signal-caller, Wilkins has taken steps in the right direction. He looks confident in the pocket which has resulted in an improved completion percentage and yards per attempt as well as fewer interceptions.

A mature Wilkins and a crop of receivers loaded with talent gives ASU its best opportunity to compete with a top-5 team.

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Kickoff between the Sun Devils and Huskies will be at 7:45 p.m. from Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday. The game can be viewed on ESPN and will be the first nationally televised game of the season for ASU.

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