ASU Football: Sun Devils prepare to utilize momentum against No. 16 Utah

After its first road win of the season, ASU football looks to ride the wave of momentum as No. 16 Utah comes to Tempe on Saturday afternoon.

The Sun Devils have had a tough go throughout the 2018 season thus far with three road losses each coming by just one score. But that all changed in Los Angeles as ASU knocked off USC, 38-35, and changed the direction of the season for Herm Edwards and his team.

“Well, I think any time you’ve lost the way we have lost games, it’s easy to reflect on those things and when it gets tight thinking, ‘Uh oh, here we go again’,” Edwards said. “That was not the case and any time you can beat USC there, it’s always good.”

Now, the Sun Devils are right in the thick of the hunt for the Pac-12 South title after beating the Trojans and Colorado losing its third-straight conference game. However, ASU is preparing to host one of its biggest opponents yet in the No. 16 Utah Utes.

“They’re a very physical football team,” Edwards said. “Big, physical football team. Reminds me a lot of Stanford as well as Michigan State, a big, powerful football team. Very well coached.”

The Utes are 6-2 overall and are leading the South division outright with a 4-2 Pac-12 record. They are on a four-game winning streak, averaging 41 points a game in that span.

Edwards and company hit the stride they’ve been looking for on offense against the Trojans. The running game was established well and the Sun Devils had big plays from their best players.

“I felt like we had to run the ball,” Edwards said. “Going on the road, you have to be able to run the ball. You can’t let those guys (USC) tee off on the quarterback (Manny Wilkins). We needed to protect our quarterback, which I thought was marvelous.”

Junior wide receiver N’Keal Harry had one of the best performances of any college football player this year. Harry returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and hauled in an unbelievable one-handed catch that was featured as SportsCenter’s No. 1 Top 10 play.

“He’s special with the ball in his hand,” Edwards said. “He’s a tough out, he’s tough to bring down and he’s competitive, that’s what I love about the kid.”

True sophomore Eno Benjamin continued his strong season on the ground with 185 yards on 29 carries and two scores. Wilkins even exploded with a 45-yard run for a touchdown to seal the game for the Sun Devils.

“That’s what I love about them to be honest, that they continue to compete,” Edwards said. “Our slogan is real simple: ‘Leave it on the grass.’ Just leave your effort on the grass and you never have to worry about when you walk in the locker room what the score is.”

Edwards, however, did note that redshirt freshman defensive lineman D.J. Davidson is “probably done for this year” after he had his ankle rolled up on. Tillman safety and senior Jalen Harvey‘s status is still questionable for the match-up against Utah as he is bothered by a shoulder injury.

The Sun Devils will have to leave it all on the grass when the rolling Utes come to Tempe on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT at Sun Devil Stadium and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.