Wash St-Az St
Time: Sat, NOON CST
Spread: AZ -16
Total: 71
Betting odds c/o Bookmaker
No. 13 Arizona State lost 35-27 to Oregon State last week to fall to 5-2 in Pac-12 play this year. Prior to that loss, the Sun Devils were riding a five-game win streak that included three victories over AP ranked opponents (USC, Stanford and Notre Dame). This week, Arizona State will play host to Washington State in a game the Sun Devils are 16-point favorites in according to college football odds at Bovada.
The Sun Devils have been dangerous offensively this season. In a high scoring conference, the Sun Devils are no exception, averaging 35.7 points per game while holding opponents to 25.9 points per game. ASU is getting 281.7 yards per game via the pass, while also getting 183.1 from the rush.
Senior QB Taylor Kelly has been back since Oct 25, and he’s thrown for over 200 yards in all but his first game back against Washington (which ASU still won 24-10). Against Notre Dame on Nov. 8, Kelly threw for 224 yards on 60.7 percent completions while throwing for three TDs. He’s had at least two TDs in three of the last four contests, but he threw two INTs last week while completing just 22-of-44 against Oregon State in the 35-27 loss.
D.J. Foster has rushed for 872 yards this season on 5.6 yards per carry, and Demario Richard has also averaged 5.9 yards per carry. The tandem has rushed for eight TDs and both have long runs of 57 and 46 yards for TD. Kelly himself has rushed for 263 yards and three TDs.
At WR, Jaelen Strong has done most of the damage with nearly 1,000 yards on the season and nine TDs. D.J. Foster is the No. 2 WR with 527 yards and three TDs. The Sun Devils have scored 24 passing TDs this season.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez has been exceptional. He’s 8-of-8 from 20 to 29 yards, 6-of-7 from 30 to 39 yards, and 4-of-6 from 40 to 49 yards. He has a long kick of 49 yards and is hitting 81.8 percent on the season.
Washington State has the No. 1 ranked pass yardage in the NCAA with 477.6 yards per game. However, the Cougars get almost nothing via the rush, averaging just 43.6 yards per game on the ground. Despite the imbalance, the team averages 33.8 points per game (36th among D-1 teams), but suffers by surrendering 38 points per game to opponents.
Last time out, Washington State defeated Oregon State on Nov. 8 by a score of 39-32. Prior to that the Cougars had lost four straight, only one of which was by less than 24 points. QB Connor Halliday is the reason Washington State goes so often to the pass. He’s completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 3,873 yards. 7.36 yards per completion is a bit on the low side, but he has kept his INTs low (11) considering his success. His 145 passer rating is a testament to the success of his WR corp.
However, unfortunately, this disintegrates in the wake of his broken leg he suffered on Nov. 2. Freshman Luke Falk has picked up where he left off, completing 82 passes over the past two games. Falk threw for 471 yards at a 72.1 percent clip last week, while throwing five TDs and not a single INT. Though Washington State’s season will not end with a bowl game, the Cougars have had unparalleled success passing the football this season.
Halliday’s stable of WRs includes five options with more than 400 yards this season, paced by Vince Mayle’s 1,142 yards. Isaiah Myers has 795 and leads the team with 11 receiving TDs. Jamal Morrow has rushed for a team-high 309 yard and caught for an additional 402 yards, but has not scored a TD this season.
