ASU football coach, Todd Graham, coaching his players at the game against Utah on November 1. (Photo by Emily Johnson)The challenges ASU football faces against Oregon State on Saturday are near-polar opposites from what it faced last week against Notre Dame — and they'll come in near-polar weather.
It's forecasted to be in the low-40s Saturday night in Corvallis, Oregon, with wind chill dropping into the 30s. But the weather is the last thing on ASU coach Todd Graham's mind.
The man who's led the Sun Devils to first place in the Pac-12 South wants to keep it that way. And that means not letting his players get too confident or distracted by the attention that comes with being the No. 6 team in the country.
"If you want to win a championship, you've got to go play every week, and that is a challenge," he said.
No surprise, ASU's game against the Beavers isn't getting quite the hype last week's clash with the Fighting Irish got, but just because it means less on the national stage doesn't mean the Sun Devils can take the Beavers lightly.
Oregon State Coach Mike Riley is one of the most respected in the Pac-12. He is the longest tenured head coach in the Pac-12, having been at Oregon State since 2003 (plus 1997-98). In his 13-plus seasons, Riley has led the Beavers to a 92-78 record and six bowl wins in eight appearances.
"He has a lot of experience," Graham said. "They are just sound in what they do schematically. They are one of the best teams fundamentally at each position, and that is why I have so much respect for him.”
The Sun Devils also had to worry about Notre Dame's respected Coach Brian Kelly. Notre Dame's players, however, presented a far bigger threat than Oregon State's. Last week, the Irish could have beaten ASU on pure talent. The Beavers can't say that.
However, the game has all the makings of a season-ending upset: it's a late-night road game featuring an experienced head coach and will likely be played in poor weather conditions.
Additionally, the Sun Devils are coming off a big win with more big games on the horizon. It's a perfect storm of distractions and potential pitfalls.
This is also the first time this group of players has received the kind of national attention. Rolling Stone said Graham "oozes with disingenuousness." The New York Post said Graham's comments on ESPN "trivialize religion." But all press is good press, right?
"It's a lot harder (to deal with) than you think," said redshirt junior cornerback Lloyd Carrington, who spent close to 20 minutes with the media after practice Tuesday before getting pulled away.
But if there's a team that can handle it, it's this one. Graham has said on multiple occasions that this team is the most selfless he's coached. Multiple players have mentioned the uniquely strong chemistry they have.
Graham's motto to begin the season was "unfinished business." With the season still ongoing, the Sun Devils' business is obviously still unfinished. But the finish line is in sight, and it takes one thing to get there: focus.
It's a prime opportunity for a let-down. ASU is ranked higher than it has been since Week 9 of the 2007 season. The last time it was No. 6 this late in the season was in the final poll of 1996. It's been almost two decades since Tempe's seen a team the caliber of this one.
"They know that they've got to win the next game in front of them," Graham said. "They also know, as you win and become successful, you get everybody's best game."
Three things to watch for
1. Weather effects
Last time the Sun Devils played in inclement conditions, they won the game, but it wasn't pretty. In Taylor Kelly's first game back, he struggled to find his rhythm, while dealing with wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. The wind isn't expected to be as bad as it was at Washington. But it will be colder by about 10 degrees, and the wind won't be nonexistent. Punter Matt Haack thrived in the wind and helped ASU win the field position battle against Washington. It will be a key again for the Sun Devils. They'll have to stay comfortable in weather about 40 degrees below what it's been in Tempe.
2. Explosive plays
Todd Graham credits the majority of ASU's improvements defensively to the elimination of explosive plays and critical errors. Graham said ASU went three games without making any critical errors before the Notre Dame game, in which they made three. When the Sun Devils held the Irish to three first-half points, they only allowed one play of 20 or more yards. In the second half, when the Irish came back and scored 28 points, the Sun Devils allowed seven of such plays. Although he's not having the year many expected, Oregon State senior quarterback Sean Mannion has the arm to stretch the ASU defense — the question is if his receivers will be able to, too.
3. Backfield rotation
Graham continues to mention how he'd like to get all three of D.J. Foster, Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage on the field at the same time. He said Tuesday the reason Ballage hasn't been used as frequently is because he's been nicked up. The most likely scenario for this is Foster in the slot with Ballage and Richard flanking Taylor Kelly to each side. With the depth in the backfield, Foster has been able to be utilized as a receiver more. Expect more of the same, and expect Richard to get an even bigger chunk of the carries. The 17-year-old true freshman has ran for 166 yards the past two games.
TV/radio information
Kickoff: 8:45 p.m. Arizona time
TV: ESPN
Radio: 620 AM/98.7 FM KTAR
Prediction: No. 6 ASU 42, Oregon State 20
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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