1. Redshirt senior receiver Tim White vs. junior cornerback Tevin Madison
In what is likely the most important matchup for the ASU offense, Texas Tech's leading defensive back will likely be in White's pocket all night. Madison started all 13 games a year ago as a sophomore and intercepted two passes. With redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins still inexperienced, Madison will attempt to take advantage of any mistake and turn the tide toward the visitors.
2. Junior running backs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard vs. Texas Tech defensive front:
The best way to prevent the Red Raiders from moving the ball up and down the field is to not give them the ball. For the Sun Devils, the best way to do that is to run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. The two-headed monster this backfield was supposed to be did not come to fruition for most of week one, but Ballage and Richard finished with 136 yards combined and a score each. Supplemented by the running ability of Wilkins, keeping the clock and chains moving will be huge to winning.
3. ASU secondary vs. junior quarterback Patrick Mahomes
The struggling Sun Devil defensive backfield is fresh off of giving up 369 yards through the air to Northern Arizona’s Case Cookus. While Cookus is considered one of the best quarterbacks in FCS, Mahomes is on a different level. Against FCS Stephen F. Austin last week, Mahomes threw for 483 yards and four touchdowns in just over a half of football. With 17 different players catching at least one pass against the Lumberjacks, Mahomes has plenty of horses in the stable to run routes, so the ASU secondary must stay as fresh and aware as possible, or it could be a long night.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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