Quarterbacks
UCLA sophomore Matt Moore has been named the starter after returning from an injury. He has thrown only 15 passes this season, completing eight of them with an interception. Sophomore Drew Olson has gone 100-for-182 with six scores and five picks. ASU junior Andrew Walter is coming off his best game of the season as he went 34-for-58 for 408 yards, three touchdowns and no picks against North Carolina. Edge: ASU.
Running backs
The Bruins have two quality backs in sophomore Tyler Ebell and junior Manuel White, who have rushed for 291 and 342 yards respectively. The Sun Devils' duo of tailbacks, sophomore Hakim Hill and redshirt freshman Loren Wade, have been averaging 4.0 and 5.8 yards per rush while gaining 392 and 378 yards each. Senior fullback Mike Karney always helps. Edge: ASU.
Receivers
UCLA has a gamer in junior wide receiver Craig Bragg, who has caught 39 balls for 573 yards and two touchdowns. Mesa High School product Junior Taylor, a sophomore, and sophomore tight end Marcedes Lewis have 267 and 235 yards, respectively. ASU sophomore Derek Hagan has blown up with three consecutive 100-yard receiving games for a total of 567 yards. Senior Skyler Fulton has 492 receiving yards. Edge: Even.
Offensive line
UCLA's line has given up 23 sacks and has not sparked any kind of dominant running game. The Sun Devils have given up a minuscule 11 sacks on the season and have had a very balanced offensive attack in the last month. Edge: ASU.
Defensive line
ASU's front four has played decently this year but has not put up any staggering statistics (80 tackles and nine sacks). The Bruins' front four has tallied 101 tackles and 16.5 sacks. The Sun Devils must be on the lookout for senior end Dave Ball, who leads the nation with 11.5 sacks. Edge: UCLA.
Linebackers
The Sun Devils' pair of linebackers, junior Justin Burks (42 tackles) and sophomore Jamar Williams (33 tackles), has played well this season. But the Bruins possess one of the fiercest linebacking trios in the Pac-10 as the unit has a combined 178 tackles and seven interceptions. Senior Brandon Chillar leads the team with 81 tackles. Edge: UCLA.
Secondary
ASU has given up 1,637 passing yards on the year, and UCLA has given up 1,572. As a unit, the Bruins' secondary has just three interceptions. Starting junior cornerback Matt Ware is injured and out for the game. The Sun Devils' secondary has 11 picks on the season. Junior strong safety Riccardo Stewart and junior free safety Jason Shivers lead the team with 64 and 57 tackles, respectively. Edge: ASU.
Overall
Despite the close score in last week's win over North Carolina, the Sun Devils outplayed the Tar Heels throughout the game. Their tilt with the Bruins may not be decided on the last play, but it will be one of the closest games of the season as both teams have solid talent. If ASU's offense can continue to roll as it has the last two weeks, the Sun Devils should edge out the Bruins and their powerful defensive front seven. Edge: ASU.
