Injury riddled Sun Devils will be hoping to keep up with highly ranked Texas Tech

"We're on to Texas Tech."

That should be the message in practice this week after Saturday's blowout loss at Utah.

Unfortunately, the road doesn't get any easier as the Red Raiders of Texas Tech come to Mountain America Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Entering ranked No. 7 in this week's AP Top 25, and they have been a juggernaut on their way to a perfect 6-0 record to open the season.

Texas Tech boasts the No. 3 ranked passing offense in the nation at 325.8 yards per game, however that passing attack took a hit when Behren Morton suffered a right leg injury in their 42-17 win over Kansas last weekend in Lubbock. His status is considered day-to-day as we get closer to kickoff, forcing the Sun Devils to prepare for the possibility of Will Hammond starting under center.

The secondary may get a slight reprieve with Hammond as the starter, but after seeing Devon Dampier have his way running the ball in Salt Lake, brace yourselves for more of the same with Hammond.

Speaking of the running game for the Red Raiders, good luck catching Cameron Dickey. His explosive speed in the open field resulted in 263 rushing yards against Kansas, giving him 591 yards on the season and a Big 12 leading 8 rushing touchdowns. He has shown to be adept at catching passes out of the backfield too, averaging 12.2 yards per reception (10 catches for 122 yards).

Wide receivers Caleb Douglas and Coy Eakin have been the top targets in the passing game so far this season, both with over 300 receiving yards through 6 games. Tight end Terrance Carter and wide receiver Reggie Virgil have found the end zone a combined 9 times on the season, and running back J'Koby Williams gives Texas Tech a total of five players with at least 200 yards on the season. No matter who is under center, this offense is incredibly skilled at spreading the ball around and forcing opposing defenses to prepare for the ball to go anywhere.

The offensive line is anchored by C Sheridan Wilson and LT Howard Sampson. At an average size of 6' 5" and 309 lbs, to say this line is an absolute unit is an understatement. Giving up just over 4.5 TFL per game, this line creates space in opposing defenses and allows their running backs to gash through the line, while also providing ample time for their quarterback to make his throws.

Defensively, Texas Tech went to the transfer portal and struck gold. David Bailey is the centerpiece of this defense racking up 8.5 sacks in 6 games, including 3 sacks alone against Kansas. Romello Height and A.J. Holmes have also recorded multiple sacks on the season (4.5 and 3 respectively), generating consistent pressure for opposing offenses. Linebackers Jacob Rodriguez, Ben Roberts, and John Curry have been tackling machines, combining for 116 tackles on the season. In the secondary, Brice Pollock has been the leader with 3 interceptions.

As a team, Texas Tech presents a heavy challenge to the Arizona State offense. If Sam Leavitt is sidelined for another week, the running game will be going up against the best rush defense in the nation, which has given up just 62.5 yards per game on the ground. The passing defense is no slouch either, ranked 41st nationally with 194.3 yards against per game.

With or without Sam Leavitt, this week presents a tall task for the Sun Devils. Stranger things have happened in Tempe in the month of October though, and we could find ourselves in for some improbable Mountain America Magic.

The Sun Devils and Red Raiders will kick off at 1pm on FOX from Mountain America Stadium. Stay tuned for all of our coverage leading up to kickoff.