Wisconsin @ Arizona State preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2010 ) Arizona State 19, Wisconsin 20

Arizona State will host its first ranked opponent of the season in No. 18 Wisconsin on Saturday. The Badgers are coming off two blowout road victories against Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech and are preparing for their first true test of the season in the Sun Devils. Arizona State lost a heartbreaker to then-ranked No. 11 Wisconsin in 2010 - the last time these teams met - after a blocked extra point resulted in a 20-19 win at Camp Randall Stadium.

Defense will play a pivotal role in this matchup as the teams rank first and second nationally in yards allowed with Wisconsin giving up just 162.5 and Arizona State only 167. The Sun Devils will need that second-ranked defense to stop a trio of running backs in James White, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement, who have rushed for more than 100 yards apiece in each of the last two games for the Badgers. Saturday's matchup will also feature two quarterbacks that have thrown for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in Arizona State junior Taylor Kelly and Wisconsin sophomore Joel Stave.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Arizona State -5.5.

ABOUT WISCONSIN (2-0): The Badgers have cruised to easy wins over lower-level opponents but the Sun Devils present the first of three matchups in the coming weeks that could spell disaster for Gary Andersen's squad. Wisconsin will undoubtedly push its rushing attack that has rolled up 780 yards and ranks third nationally with 390 per game but the Badgers need a good performance from Stave as well, who has thrown an interception in each game to go with five touchdown passes. Saturday's contest will be the last before Wisconsin opens conference play against Purdue and Ohio State.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (1-0): The Sun Devils are facing a tough four-game stretch against Wisconsin, Stanford, USC and Notre Dame, so an upset of the Badgers would be a much-needed confidence builder. Kelly currently has the fifth best passer rating in the nation after completing 23-of-31 passing attempts in the 55-0 win over Sacramento State but his good fortune could change against a Badgers' defense that has picked off each of the last two quarterbacks it has faced. With USC's loss to Washington State, the Sun Devils have an opportunity to grab a head start in the Pac-12 South once it begins conference play.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Wisconsin hasn't allowed a touchdown in 11 straight quarters, dating back to the 2013 Rose Bowl.

2. Arizona State is 8-0 against Big 10 opponents at Sun Devil Stadium.

3. The Sun Devils have won two of the previous three meetings with the Badgers.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 24, Wisconsin 21