Arizona State @ New Mexico preview
University Stadium
For all the expectations placed on Arizona State’s offense, it was the work of its defense that stole the show in the opener. The 16th-ranked Sun Devils, who will travel across their state border to face New Mexico on Saturday, ranked 10th nationally in scoring in 2013 and lived up to that standard in last week’s 45-14 win over Weber State. However, offensive success was expected as Arizona State is one of three schools returning a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 500-yard rushers.
As impressive as their 570-yard effort was against the Wildcats, the Sun Devils may have drawn their greatest satisfaction from holding Weber State to 119 first-half yards despite nine new starters on defense. It’s the same unit that will be tasked with the responsibility of stopping the triple option, pistol-style offense of the Lobos, who are expected to be without starting quarterback Cole Gautsche (hamstring). New Mexico got its season started off on the wrong foot with a 31-24 home loss versus Texas-El Paso and hasn’t defeated Arizona State since 1942.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Arizona State -25
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (1-0): Senior quarterback Taylor Kelly threw for 238 yards in only one half of action during the Sun Devils’ opener, but it was enough to allow him to move past Danny White and Ryan Kealy into sole possession of fourth place on the school’s all-time list with 6,934 passing yards. Running back D.J. Foster proved to be an effective replacement for departed all-purpose standout Marion Grice, setting career highs with 147 yards rushing and three touchdowns. However, Arizona State saw its 29-game streak of forcing a turnover come to an end – snapping the second-longest such run in the country.
ABOUT NEW MEXICO (0-1): If Gautsche (184 yards and two rushing touchdowns) cannot play against the Sun Devils, Clayton Mitchem will likely get the call again after going 2-for-4 for 31 yards and an interception in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss. Gautsche is likely to be joined on the sidelines by wide receiver/kick returner Carlos Wiggins (deep thigh bruise), meaning the Lobos will be without two players that accounted for 229 of their 410 rushing yards against the Miners. Coach Bob Davie told the Albuquerque Journal that his defense blew 30 assignments and missed 22 tackles in the first half alone.
EXTRA POINTS
1. New Mexico and Arizona State, which owns a 22-5-1 lead in the all-time series, played annually from 1965-1977 as rivals in the Western Athletic Conference.
2. The Lobos have not forced a turnover in eight straight games.
3. In two-plus years under offensive coordinator Mike Norvell and coach Todd Graham, 119 of the Sun Devils’ 162 scoring drives have been completed in three minutes or less.
PREDICTION: Arizona State 55, New Mexico 10