One game is in the books, as Arizona State took down FCS Northern Arizona to the tune of a 38-19 victory last week. The overall performance was a bit lacking, though, and it's prompted plenty of questions as the Sun Devils travel to SEC country to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Let's dive into our mailbag to answer a couple of those questions.
What's the status of Jalen Moss? I thought he'd be a complement to Jordyn Tyson. - Lawrence
One of the bigger surprises from the season opener was the lack of involvement for Jalen Moss, the Fresno State transfer receiver who Arizona State brought in specifically to provide Sam Leavitt with a legitimate number two after Tyson. As it turned out, Moss saw just two targets and neither were caught. That's especially disappointing considering that it snapped a 25-game streak with at least one catch for Moss, which was tied for 15th-best in the FBS.
Now, Moss was also dealing with a foot injury throughout the second half, but there was still a lack of prioritization of his talents from Marcus Arroyo. I expect that to change this week, especially since Mississippi State has the talent to better contend with Tyson than the Lumberjacks did. They'll need Moss to produce, and he should. If it's another stat line like last week, though, it may be time to sound the alarm.
Last year, we barely beat Mississippi State and they weren't even that good. How much tougher will this one be on the road? - Shelly from Goodyear
The Bulldogs were pretty bad last year, winning just two games with wins against FCS Eastern Kentucky and independent UMass. They also got blown out by Toledo, and the Sun Devils were the only team to not beat them by multiple scores. But I would contend that Arizona State wasn't as good in that game as they ended up being by season's end, especially with regards to the connection beween Leavitt and Tyson.
Mississippi State should be improved from last year, but I think Arizona State is also lightyears ahead of where they were this time a year ago. Playing on the road is a genuine concern, and the crowd at Davis Wade Stadium is no joke. But the continuity on this team, on both offense and defnese, should be enough to overcome the types of mistakes we usually see in these hostile environments. And if it's just a question of which team is more talented, I think the Sun Devils would have the edge right now.