Preview: Stanford heads to the desert to battle the Sun Devils
On Friday at 7:30 PM PT on ESPN and KNBR radio, Stanford football will take on the #22/25 Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe. Stanford comes in at 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12 while Arizona State comes in at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Stanford had a huge 31-24 overtime win over #3 Oregon on Saturday. Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee led the way for the Cardinal going 20-36 for 230 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
RECAP: Stanford knocks off #3 Oregon in Palo Alto
Key Stanford notes: Stanford expects to have right guard Branson Bragg back in the lineup and he was listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart. Wide receiver Brycen Tremayne, running back E.J. Smith, and kicker Josh Karty will be out. Tremayne’s injury last week looked like it’s likely season ending, so his absence is no surprise. Smith feels like he’s on a week-to-week basis, so there was some uncertainty about his status heading into this week.
As for Karty, his absence is a surprise and a notable one as you never want to lose a kicker. Starting punter Ryan Sanborn and freshman kicker Emmet Kenney are the two candidates to take Karty’s place. That will be something to watch. Stanford is hopeful that this will only be a one week absence for Karty.
On Arizona State: The Sun Devils put up a lot of points while also not giving up a lot of points. They average 34.4 points per game while giving up 17.4 points per game. Their lone loss is to BYU (17-27) and they’re coming off an impressive 42-23 win over UCLA, having won two straight games.
Junior quarterback Jayden Daniels is among the top quarterbacks in the country, known for being able to dominate with his legs and his arm. In the air, Daniels has thrown for 1094 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. On the ground, he has rushed for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is the second leading rusher on the team behind senior running back Rachaad White, who has rushed for 325 yards and 8 touchdowns. Touching more on White, he’s also the Sun Devils’ top receiver with 23 receptions for 225 yards and 1 touchdown. So, he’s a very multidimensional weapon.
Freshman running back Daniel Ngata has rushed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns while sophomore running back Deamonte Trayanum has rushed for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns. Both of those guys will command respect in the backfield as well.
The Sun Devils’ top wide receiver is junior Ricky Pearsall: He has 17 receptions for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s pretty dangerous in his own right and will pose challenges for Stanford’s secondary.
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Darien Butler has been doing work for the Sun Devils: 2 interceptions, 36 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, and 2.0 sacks. He’s been a beast. Same with fellow senior linebacker Merlin Robertson, who has a 60 yard interception and 25 total tackles. The lead tackler on the Sun Devils is senior linebacker Kyle Soelle, who has 37 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.0 sack on the year. As a whole, the Sun Devils’ linebacker core is really the foundation of their defensive success.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do contain Jayden Daniels. If he runs wild on them like a mustang, they’re gonna get creamed. They have to contain him and not allow him to make plays in the open field. Daniels does have those three interceptions, so there is some vulnerability there. If they could pick him off once in this game, that would be huge.
Secondly, Stanford needs to get things going in the running game. It can’t all be McKee out there and the receivers making plays. Especially with Tremayne out. Running backs Austin Jones, Nathaniel Peat, and Casey Filkins have to make plays and take the pressure off the receivers.
Third, the offensive line has to do its job and give McKee the protection he needs. Arizona State is going to look to get after McKee and make life as hard for him as possible. Having Branson Bragg back is key and certainly helps, but there are still some vulnerabilities in the Cardinal offensive line that Arizona State will look to exploit. If the offensive line protects McKee and also does their part to help the run game, that will be huge.
Finally, Stanford has to navigate the kicking game as well as they can. Losing Karty is not something to overlook. Sanborn and/or Kenney, whoever mans Karty’s usual kicking duties will need to step up and deliver the goods. If the kicking game is off-kilter, Stanford is going to have a tough time pulling this game out. Especially with it being on the road.
Prediction: Over at ASU Rivals earlier in the week, I predicted a 27-24 Sun Devils win. I’m not going to change my prediction. That feels to be a pretty smart pick. Arizona State is at home and they’ve been tough to beat there. I think they deserve to be favored in this game.
That all said, Stanford shocked me and many others last week when they beat Oregon, so I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Stanford pulled this one out. When this Stanford team is playing at their best, they’re capable of beating anyone they step on the field with.