First place in the Pac-12 South is on the line Saturday night when the Utah Utes (3-2, 2-0) host the No. 18 Arizona State Wildcats (5-1, 3-0). They are the only unbeaten teams left in conference play in the entire Pac-12, while UCLA sits in third place in the South. Kickoff at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, is set for 10 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN.
Arizona State leads the all-time series 22-9, but they are 1-2 in the last two trips to Utah. The Utes won 21-3 in 2019 as the teams didn’t meet last season. ASU leads the series 6-3 since Utah joined the Pac-12.
ASU’s Suffocating Defense
The Sun Devils have won three games in a row since losing to BYU on September 18. They have scored at least 28 points in all three conference games, winning by an average of 19.7 points per game. On the season, they are averaging 441 yards per game and allowing just 299.
Arizona State’s defense ranks first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, total defense, sacks, and tackles for loss. They have held four of their five opponents to under 400 yards.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels leads the Pac-12 with a 70.1 percent completion rate. He has thrown for 1,269 yards on the season with four touchdowns and three interceptions. In the 2019 game against Utah, he threw for just 25 yards while completing 4-of-18 passes.
Daniels has 369 rushing hard and three scores. Rachad White leads the run game with 421 yards and nine touchdowns while four Sun Devils receivers have at least 225 yards.
The Sun Devils have been able to put teams away this season. They have won the second half of games 92-26 and dominated the fourth quarter 47-9.
Quarterback Change Rejuvenated Utes
The Utes are coming off a dominating 42-point performance against USC, and they have starter conference play 2-0 with wins by 11 and 16. The offense is averaging 391 yards per game, with 222 of those coming through the air. The defense allowed 341 yards per game, 211 through the air.
After two early losses, Utah switched quarterbacks, going with Cameron Rising and his playmaking ability. Rising is 2-0 as a starter with 502 yards of combined offense and four touchdowns.
The Utes run game is currently being led by Tavion Thomas, who had 113 yards against USC last weekend. He ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with 6.7 yards per carry despite getting just a handful of carries against San Diego State and Washington State. Overall the Utes have a 100-yard rusher in four of their five games this season.
Tight end Brant Kuithe is a weapon in the passing game with 20 receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown. In the USC game, Rising found a combination with DeVaughn Vale, who caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Betting Analysis
- Arizona State +1.5 (-115). Money line -105
- Utah -1.5 (+100). Money line -115
- Total Points: 51.5 (-110 Over and Under)
Utah is a tough place to play, and the offense looked a whole lot better last week against USC. The Sun Devils defense is a different breed, and ASU leads the nation with 44 turnovers forced since 2019. Daniels is a better quarterback than the last time he faced the Utes, and this time he should leave Salt Lake with a win.
Free Pick: Arizona State money line
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