Even though ASU football is at home with a 4-1 record, the Sun Devils' surprising success this season is not the main story heading into Friday's matchup against No. 16 Utah.
Instead, Utah's senior quarterback Cam Rising's lingering health and availability are taking a front-row seat in anticipation of this Big 12 matchup. Rising, a two-time All-Pac-12 player, was a semifinalist in 2022 for the Maxwell Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding college football player every year.
Rising missed all of 2023 with a leg injury and has been battling a dislocated finger on his throwing hand to begin the 2024 campaign. He's missed the last three games but has still entered every week with a questionable designation and has even warmed up in pregame on several occasions.
Going into Friday's contest, ASU is effectively in the dark when it comes to Rising's availability. The team is preparing for both Rising and freshman backup quarterback Isaac Wilson coming into the matchup.
"We're preparing to play Cam and Isaac," said head coach Kenny Dillingham. "Whoever we play, we play. But more importantly, we're preparing to play us. We have to be the best version of us."
If Rising ultimately doesn't play, Utah's pass offense won't be at full strength with Wilson at the helm.
On Sun Devil's side, a limited passing attack could be the case as well. Utah's secondary has performed admirably this season. The group has a recent pedigree of NFL success and is led by veterans and newcomers this year, who have propelled the Ute's into a top-30 mark in pass defense.
On the other hand, ASU's wide receivers and tight ends have combined for 701 yards and 56 receptions this season, the lowest and second-lowest marks in the Big 12 respectively. In fact, ASU has the worst PFF receiving grade of any team in the Power Four Conferences.
READ MORE: ASU's receivers haven't produced much this season, here's why
Thus, it seems likely both teams are looking to run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense — here's how those matchups look.
ASU Run Offense vs. Utah Run Defense
It's a common adage in football that "big-time players make big-time plays in big games". No doubt that applies to ASU senior running back Cam Skattebo coming into this contested matchup.
Skattebo has totaled 43 touchdowns and first downs on the ground in 2024, ranking 1st in the nation.
Utah's run defense could show vulnerability against ASU's Skattebo-led rushing attack. The Ute's defense has placed 60th in yards per attempt and 102nd in explosive run rate allowed.
One area in particular where Skattebo shines is on gap-running schemes. Utah is 107th against these runs, while Skattebo has a high PFF grade of 87.6 on these plays.
"I don't believe there's tougher or more physical than me," Skattebo said. "But they're a good team. They've been a good team for many years, and they play hard. That coach gets those guys to play with passion, and they got good players over there."
ASU Run Defense vs. Utah Run Offense
This particular matchup is strength against strength. ASU's run defense has significantly improved since it last played Utah in 2023. In last year's contest, where ASU lost 55-3, the Ute's ran for 352 rushing yards.
ASU currently has an 84.8 PFF run-defense grade, while only allowing 3.8 yards per carry. Last year the Sun Devils had a 68.4 PFF run-defense grade, allowing 5.1 yards per carry on each attempt.
Most notably, the Sun Devils EPA per rush allowed has substantially improved from -0.022 in 2023 to -0.115 in 2024.
"They're a physical team," redshirt junior linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu said. "When you see them, they're a blue-collar team that's not afraid to put their hands down and get into a fight with us. But the thing is, we're not afraid either."
Senior running back Micah Bernard is the key player for the Ute's rushing attack. When Bernard has been held to under 100 yards this season, Utah has been 1-1. When Bernard has rushed for 100 yards or more this season, Utah is 3-0.
The game itself will be a huge test and Dillingham is dead set on making sure 55-3 doesn't happen again.
"This is a great measuring stick for how physical of a football team we want to be," Dillingham said. "You get blown out by a team you should (expect to), that still feels really bad — that happened to us last year with these guys."
The Sun Devils face Utah on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Mountain America Stadium.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Sophia Ramirez and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at jwkartso@asu.edu and follow @kartsonis3 on X.
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Jack is a sophomore studying sports journalism. This is his second semester with The State Press. He has also worked at other student journalism organizations.
