Last season, Oklahoma came to Tempe to wrestle an ASU team that was prepared to turn their season around.
That day, the Sun Devils beat OU 21-21 on criteria at Wells Fargo Arena, sparking a streak in which ASU won eight of its final 12 duals. The run ended with a fifth-place finish at the National Championships.
Now, the No. 13 Sun Devils (7-4, 3-0 Pac-10) find themselves in a similar situation, having an opportunity to start another late-season run against the No. 12 Sooners.
A loss could spell trouble for an ASU team bludgeoned with injuries.
With 184-pound senior Nick Frost sidelined with a groin injury for at least another week, freshman Jason Trulson (1-9) will likely get the call against OU's Justin Dyer. Trulson has been platooning between weight classes this season and has been unable to find any consistency thus far.
Another freshman, Alex Ohrn, may see action in the 174-pound match, as senior Ron Renzi is unable to compete. Renzi has wrestled through numerous injuries this year, but is coming off of an inspirational 8-5 decision over the nation's 19th-ranked wrestler last weekend.
After dominating his 133-pound match last weekend, junior Mike Simpson is also listed as questionable as he has suffered discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder. Simpson said Thursday that he plans to wrestle, but he is still considered a game-time decision.
Redshirt freshman Christian Staylor (18-6), who has brought life to the Sun Devils at the 125-pound weight class, has the opportunity to extend his winning streak to four matches.
Even though Staylor has shown progress on the mat and is ranked second in the Pac-10, he is yet to be mentioned among the national polls. Staylor is slated to wrestle against OU's fifth-ranked Sam Hazewinkle, a redshirt freshman.
"I think that as the season has gone on, I've gotten better and my confidence has really gone up," Staylor said. "I think this weekend will make or break me in the rankings."
Sophomore heavyweight Cain Velasquez, who sat out of Saturday's meet against Cal State Fullerton, will sit out again this weekend. Stepping in nicely for Velasquez was junior Clifford Starks.
Starks, a transfer from Mesa Community College, got the job done with a 13-0 major decision last weekend against Cal State Fullerton's Matthew Fitu.
"I was a little concerned because (Fitu) was about 70 pounds heavier than I was," Starks said. "Once I got in there and got in a grove, my confidence started going up."
When Starks steps on to the mat this weekend, he will be looking eye-to-eye with one of the nation's best in No. 3 senior Leonce Crump.
"I'm going against one of the top-ranked guys this weekend," Starks said. "I'm going to give it my best, and we'll see what happens."
The Sun Devils will face two other difficult matchups.
In the 149-pound class, ASU junior Patrick Williams (19-9) will take on seventh-ranked OU freshman Jeff Ecklof.
Prior to that match, 141-pound sophomore Jeremy Mendoza will have his hands full against top-ranked sophomore Teyon Ware.
The Sun Devils will return home Jan. 30 when they host No. 4 Nebraska.
Reach the reporter at damien.tippett@asu.edu.
