Arizona State head football coach Todd Graham on Monday said there are two keys to winning football games — running the football and stopping the run. ASU (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) did not do either well in a 40-16 loss where Colorado outgained the Sun Devils 315 yards to a measly 50 on the ground.

The poor rushing defense was surprising after ASU held UCLA to -1 team rushing yards the week before, but the stagnant running game returned once again. ASU has not rushed for 100 yards as a team since rushing for 164 in its win over Cal on Sept. 24.

Graham said his team has made too many mental errors, noting that its fundamental blocking technique needs improvement.

“We haven’t blocked very well and I think other teams have played very well,” Graham said. “I think it’s been controlling the line of scrimmage. We’re seeing heavy numbers in the box. There are two things we have to do there. We have to learn to take what they give us on the outside and we just got to block better.

“We just got to give our running backs a chance. We got to do a good job of not letting them overload us in the box… We have backs that are going to run the ball hard.”

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Additionally, ASU failed to move the ball well all game, reaching the red zone just once. Graham said redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins was not 100 percent — limiting what the team could do — but that he hopes Wilkins is a bit healthier this week.

Tackling has been a well-documented issue throughout the season, but ASU seemed to improve during the UCLA win. However, Graham said the Sun Devils followed their best-tackling performance with their worst one.

But the poor tackling isn’t due to lack of emphasis because ASU starts practice with tackling drills and spends about half of its individual time working on tackling, Graham said.

Graham pointed to “poor fundamental tracking” as the source of the tackling woes in the loss.

“So much of it was just a lack of fundamental technique,” he said. “We just got to do a better job of preparing them. We get some young guys who get out in space and we’ve had difficulty there.”

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This week, ASU faces a potent Washington State (4-2, 3-0) offense that averages 41 points per game and 501.5 yards per game.

The Cougars will be the third Air Raid team ASU has faced in 2016. During the weeks leading up to matchups with Tech and Cal — the other two Air Raid opponents — Graham praised the two programs’ coaches but mentioned that Washington State head coach Mike Leach is the Air Raid’s founder in his eyes.

Graham said playing the two other Air Raid offenses has helped prepare ASU, but noted Washington State provides a unique challenge.

“You’re going to get the best version of (the Air Raid),” he said. “…The thing that impresses me about them is how they’re running the football and how they’re playing defense.”

Washington State’s defense is allowing 25.3 points per game this year.

“They’re attacking,” Graham said. “They move and try to create havoc. Mostly, they’re an attacking group trying to force you into quite a bit of errors. The big difference in their team has been just how they’ve played defense. Obviously, they’re always going to put up the numbers and the yards on offense, but they are attacking and playing solid on defense.”

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Graham has been hopeful of linebacker Christian Sam’s return for weeks. But on Monday, he said he did not think Sam would return when ASU hosts Washington State.

He said Sam’s injury hurts ASU’s depth band is forcing the staff to find other options at that position so players are not overworked.

“He’s making slow improvement,” Graham said. “I thought he would be back right now. It’s just a strange deal, it’s moving at a turtle’s pace getting him back.”

Notes:

-ASU kicker Zane Gonzalez won his fourth Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honor, which is a school record. It is the sixth such honor of his career.

Graham praised punter Matt Haack too, though: “Really pleased with Matt Haack. I feel bad because he’d be special teams player of the week a couple times already probably, but he gets beat out by his own teammate.”

-Graham said linebacker Salamo Fiso is “not in playing shape.” Fiso missed the first three games of the year due to disciplinary measures and has started every game since.