Utah Preview

Following a 4-0 start and an injury to their starting quarterback, the Utes have been dealing with adversity in recent weeks. The result has been two consecutive losses, albeit in close affairs, to Pac-12 foes and are in danger once again of missing out on an elusive South division championship. Here’s a detailed look at ASU’s upcoming opponent and its key players.

Utah Offense

It is rare that a returning senior starting quarterback is demoted in favor of an underclassman with no collegiate starting experience, but that is exactly what happened this offseason at Utah as sophomore Tyler Huntley took the job of QB1 away from last year’s starter Troy Williams.

Williams showed limitations on several occasions in 2016 while Huntley, an accurate passer, and dynamic athlete, has an incredibly high ceiling and earned the starting job despite the disparity of collegiate experience between the two.

Huntley saw minimal action as a freshman reserve in 2016, attempting just seven passes and throwing for 60 total yards.

In his first three games as a starter, he showed his prowess, averaging about 289 passing yards per game, approximately 71 net rushing yards with five passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and two interceptions while completing about 72% of his passes. Huntley was injured in game four against Arizona and at the point, he went down he had completed 8-of-9 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

In total, Huntley has thrown for 966 yards in four games with six touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 73.3% of his passes while also rushing for 208 net yards and three scores.

Last season as Utah’s full-time starter, Williams, a former Washington Husky who came to Utah following a stop in the junior college ranks, threw for 2,757 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding 235 net rushing yards and five scores.

Williams, however, was inconsistent in his starting role as in six games he three for under 200 yards and in five of those six as well as another he completed just 50% of his passes or worse.

Though Williams enabled Utah to hold on and defeat Arizona when Huntley was injured against the Wildcats, the Utes are 0-2 in the games Williams has started against Stanford and USC. In those contests, Williams averages 250 passing yards per game with two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and three interceptions.

Huntley is listed as the first-string quarterback on Utah’s depth chart released on Monday, but no official announcement has been made about his true availability for Saturday.

Should Williams get the nod Saturday it would be his third overall start against the Sun Devils as he started for Washington against ASU – his first career collegiate start, coming in 2014 – in a game that featured overpowering Seattle winds. In that game, he completed 18-of-26 passes for 139 yards and two interceptions in a Husky loss. Results were much more favorable last year when Williams started for the Utes in Tempe and he threw for what remains a career-best 296 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions on the way to a 49-26 Utah win.

Looking to fill the shoes of last year’s feel-good story Joe Williams, Utah appears to have another 1,000-yard rusher on its hands in sophomore Zack Moss.

Moss, the primary back in the first half of last year before an injury, was named the starter this offseason after an injury suffered by Armand Shyne.

Through six games, Moss has looked every part of a true starting running back as he has 485 yards on 93 carries (5.2 avg.) with three touchdowns including two 100-yard games, the best of which came last week with his career-high 141 rushing yards on the road at USC.

ASU has played multiple superstar running backs in the season’s first games with mixed results as San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny and Bryce Love had banner days demolishing the Sun Devil defense while the Devils were able to just about shut down Oregon’s Royce Freeman and Washington’s Myles Gaskin.

Utah hasn’t gotten massive productivity from its running backs behind Moss, with Devonta’e Henry-Cole (163 yards) and Troy McCormick (63 yards) as the primary reserves.

Huntley and Williams have also been involved in the run game as the pair has combined for five of Utah’s nine rushing touchdowns.

At wide receiver, the Utes had an absolute Godsend fall in their laps not very long before the season as in late July former Oregon Duck Darren Carrington chose to join the Utah program after being dismissed from his previous school.

Carrington, who caught 112 passes for 1,919 yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons with the Ducks, exploded out of the gates as Utah’s primary receiving target as he posted 100-yard games in each of the season’s first three contests. He only had one 100-yard game in 2016, the season opener against FCS level UC-Davis.

In all, Carrington has already nearly exceeded all his previous single-season receiving highs from his days with the Ducks as he has 39 receptions for 593 yards and five scores. Carrington right now ranks second in the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game (98.8) which also ranks 18th nationally.

Behind Carrington, Samson Nacua, a former walk-on, is the team’s second-leading receiver. A redshirt freshman, Nacua has 20 receptions for 184 yards and one touchdown.

Moss and McCormick have also been targeted a few times each week in the passing game as the pair has combined for 31 receptions.

Raelon Singleton and Siaosi Wilson have big-play talent as Singleton torched the Sun Devils last season for 116 yards and three touchdowns on just four total catches, while Wilson averages 18.0 yards per catch this season. On the year, Singleton has 14 receptions for 185 yards with a touchdown while Wilson has 216 yards on 12 catches.

Seniors Harrison Handley and Siale Fakailoatonga are listed as co-starters at tight end, though each player has just one reception so far in 2017.

The Utah offensive line figures to start tackle Jackson Barton, guard Salesi Uhatafe, center Lo Falemaka, guard Jordan Agasiva and tackle Darrin Paulo.

Utah faced a major reload along the offensive line as it lost four starters from 2016. Of the current starters, Uhatafe brought 25 career starts into the 2017 season including all 13 last year.

Among the remaining slated starting five for Saturday’s game, the other four combined for just three career FBS starts entering the 2017 season. Barton started two games in 2016 and Falemaka started one, while Paulo had not seen action as a starter prior to this season. Agasiva is in his first year with the program after transferring from Tucson’s Pima Community College.

So far, the results are mixed as Utah ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in rushing offense and its nine total rushing touchdowns ties for the second-lowest total behind Washington State’s four. Also, Utah’s team average of 4.1 yards per carry ranks ninth in the league. The Utes also rank in the middle of the pack – and also the middle of the Pac – as the team is placed sixth in total sacks allowed (12). In three Pac-12 games, Utah averages just 3.8 yards per carry and has allowed 8.0 sacks.

Utah Offense Summary

The overall effectiveness and game plan for the offense is predicated on which quarterback takes snaps Saturday, as though Williams is a versatile player Huntley brings a much greater level of both athleticism and passing prowess.

It seems reasonable to expect Moss to be featured early and often, especially with uncertainty at quarterback and Carrington having played at less than full health last week. When healthy, Carrington brings a sensational playmaking presence to the lineup to test the still very questionable Sun Devil pass defense.

The Utah offensive line is statistically a middle-of-the-road group, so the hope of Sun Devil fans is that Arizona State’s defensive front can come close to mimicking the out-of-body effort shown last week against Washington.

Utah Defense

The Utah line lists Kylie Fitts and Bradlee Anae as the left and right defensive ends, respectively, though both have battled injury issues.

Fitts and Anae both have 11 tackles on the year and both tie for the team-high with 2.0 sacks each.

Left tackle Filipo Mokofisi and right tackle Lowell Lotulelei are slotted to fill out the remainder of the starting defensive line.

Mokofisi has 13 tackles including 1.5 for loss while Lotulelei has six total stops on the year. Both players were Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selections in 2016.

At linebacker, Sunia Tauteoli is listed as the “Mac” with Kavika Luafatasaga as the “Rover”. Tauteoli leads the team with 42 tackles including 7.5 for loss while Luafatasaga ranks second on the team with 32 tackles.

Marquise Blair starts at free safety with standout Chase Hansen at strong safety – though Hansen has also fought injuries this year.

Blair is third on the team with 31 total tackles while Hansen, an Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 choice last season, isn’t far behind at fourth with 29.

Casey Hughes and Julian Blackmon are listed as the starting pair of cornerbacks with true freshman Javelin Guidry at nickel back.

Blackmon and Hughes both have 19 tackles on the year while Hughes also has a team-high two interceptions and Blackmon has a team-best four pass breakups. Guidry has 17 tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception through the first half of his rookie season.

Boobie Hobbs and Corrion Ballard have also seen multiple starts in the secondary this year. Both players have notched 16 tackles and one interception a piece so far in 2017.

Utah Defense Summary

Somewhat surprising based on the team’s reputation, Utah oddly does not have a single player ranked even in the league’s top-20 in sacks as two players tie for the team lead with just 2.0 on the year.

As a team, Utah is tied for 78th nationally and ninth in the Pac-12 with its 11.0 sacks, averaging under 2.0 per game. So basically, Utah had as many sacks against ASU in that one single game last season than they have totaled through six full games in 2017.

Altogether, Utah ranks second in the Pac-12 allowing just 20.0 ppg, third in total defense allowing 350.3 ypg, third in rush defense at 119.7 ypg with only six rush touchdowns allowed, second fewest in the league.

However, in three Pac-12 games, Utah allows 25.0 points per game, 454.7 total yards and 190.0 rushing yards per game – though against those games came against Arizona, Stanford and USC, three of the top four rushing teams in the conference.

Utah Special Teams

Always a Utah strength, 2017 is no exception as the Utes boast one of the nation’s best kicker-punter combos despite featuring a first-year placekicker.

Last year’s Ray Guy Award winner and a Consensus All-American, Mitch Wishnowsky is continuing his booming ways and has a chance to give Utah its fourth straight Ray Guy winner after his predecessor Tom Hackett won the award in 2014-15.

So far in 2017, Wishnowsky averages 46.2 yards on 22 punts, first in the Pac-12 and ninth nationally.

Replacing departed veteran kicker Andy Phillips is Matt Gay, a former junior college soccer player who is in his first collegiate football season and played just one year of high school football.

Though those credentials would normally create an unreliable situation, Gay has performed spectacularly this season by connecting on 16-of-17 field goals with a long of 56 yards. His field goal percentage leads the Pac-12 and ranks fourth nationally, though none of the top-three kickers have more than nine attempts compared to Gay’s 17.

Utah’s return game is very strong as well, as Boobie Hobbs averages 14.5 yards on 13 returns, good for 10th nationally and second in the Pac-12 behind Washington’s Dante Pettis. Kyle Fulks averages 16.5 yards on his four kickoff returns.

Overall Summary

Though Utah has had an impressive start, it may not be as good in reality as on paper as its three non-conference games were FCS level North Dakota, BYU and San Jose State – with the latter two FBS teams right now having a combined 2-13 record. From there, the Utes have gone 1-2 in league play, though the two defeats came at the hands of two of the conference’s perennial powers in Stanford and USC.

A win for ASU would finally remove the Harambe-sized monkey off the team’s back in terms of playing on the road in conference play, as the Sun Devils have lost nine straight on the road in Pac-12 action and 11 of 12 dating back to November 2014.

The two primary x-factors that seem to create the greatest concern are ASU’s aforementioned road woes and the uncertainty at quarterback for Utah. When healthy, Huntley brings an athletic element that is a challenge for any team to shut down while though Williams had a career day in Tempe last year, his overall body of work is not terribly intimidating.

Though not as effective in attacking as recent years, Utah’s defense still is of a high quality, so keeping the Utes at bay will be key. Utah certainly would love nothing more than to tee off on the Devils and set up shop in the ASU backfield as often as it did in last year’s meeting.

The question for ASU is whether it can string together multiple games of consistency. The Sun Devils haven’t won consecutive games since UTSA and California in September 2016 and earlier this season after a streak-breaking win over Oregon, the Devils were unable to find the same fire the next week at Stanford. After the program’s first win over a top-five team since 1996, ASU will need to create a way to maintain the same level of focus and execution in Salt Lake City.

Keys to a Sun Devil Victory

Keep Momentum: Last month, ASU got a major momentum boost by beating Oregon for the first time since 2004 then was demoralized the next week at Stanford. This weekend presents “take two” in the sense that the Devils are rejuvenated after downing fifth-ranked Washington but face a tough task in a tough road environment.

The Sun Devils showed defensive and special teams efficiency last week that is rarely seen from ASU, while the offense did enough to maintain steady game control for the Devils. Though it’s not expected those units perform nearly as well as last week, if they are able to both attack and play with consistency ASU can gain advantages.

Block Out the Noise: ASU has been bad on the road. Very, very bad. Very bad. With just one exception – at UCLA in 2015 – ASU has not won a road game in Pac-12 play in nearly three calendar years, at Washington on Oct. 25, 2014, in a game that the Huskies were coincidentally quarterbacked by Utah’s Troy Williams.

ASU has momentum after its milestone win over Washington and Utah, on the heels of consecutive league losses, is trying to stay in contention for the South division. Rice-Eccles will be loud and rowdy, so the Sun Devils have to find a way to block out the Salt Lake sounds and focus on its execution.

No Visits to ‘Sack Lake City’: Last year in Tempe, Utah absolutely decimated and dominated the Sun Devils with 11.0 sacks and 22.0 total tackles for loss. The Utes haven’t shown that same prowess by any stretch in 2017 and haven’t recorded a single sack in either of the past two games. With such a massive exodus of defensive talent off to the NFL, a step back is not a major surprise.

Overall, however, ASU’s offensive line has made multiple subpar defenses look like superstars in terms of pass rush – though the Devils did generally protect well against Washington. If ASU allows Utah’s pass rush to be disruptive, the Sun Devils’ chances to win plummet dramatically.

Familiar Faces

· Utah OL London Bartholomew (Mesa Red Mountain HS), OL Jake Grant (Scottsdale Horizon HS), RB T.J. Green (Chandler HS) and LB Cody Ippolito (Scottsdale Chaparral HS) are all Arizona natives. ASU’s N’Keal Harry, Jordan Hoyt, Chase Lucas and Tyler McClure also attended Chandler HS.

· Utah LB Kavika Luafatasaga attended Arizona Western College, as did ASU LB Abe Thompson.