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Key Pac-12 South Tilt Against Utah Awaits Sun Devil Football

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Key Pac-12 South Tilt Against Utah Awaits Sun Devil FootballKey Pac-12 South Tilt Against Utah Awaits Sun Devil Football

*For complete game notes, stats and other superlatives, see the link above*

THE GAME -  Sun Devil Football returns home for its annual Homecoming game this Saturday, Nov. 3 against the #16 Utah Utes. The tilt is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Sun Devil Stadium and will be aired live on the Pac-12 Network. Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth and Jill Savage will be on the call.  The game will be broadcast over the airwaves on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM  with the Voice of the Sun Devils, Tim Healey, on the call alongside analyst Jeff Van Raaphorst and sideline reporter Jordan Simone

ASU VS. UTAH/HOMECOMING - ASU has a 64-21 all-time record in its homecoming game, though it has lost its last two after a three-game winning streak from 2013-15. The Sun Devils are 21-8 all-time against the Utes with a 15-4 record at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils have lost just once to Utah at home in the past 40 years (8-1 since 1977).

#STAYTRUE2ASU - Arizona State University has over 100 athletes that hail from the state of Arizona that made the decision to #StayTrue2ASU and commit to Arizona State University to play their respective sports. Reigning from Chandler High School, Chase Lucas and N'Keal Harry are two of over 25 on ASU Football's roster that developed their talent within the state: Anthony Nicastro/Tempe (Marcos De Niza), Brandon Ruiz/Gilbert (Williams Field), Cade Cote/Gilbert (Williams Field). Caleb Mcshanag/Phoenix (Northwest Christian), Casey Tucker/Gilbert (Hamilton), Chase Lucas/Chandler (Chandler), Christian Zendejas/Chandler (Perry), Corey Stephens/Scottsdale (Saguaro), Curtis Hodges/Mesa (Mountain View), D.J. Davidson/Mesa (Desert Ridge), Jesse Cozens/Tempe (Tempe Prep), Jonathan Sanchez/Mesa (Westwood), Jordan Hoyt/Chandler (Chandler), Joseph Reeves/Buckeye (Verrado), K.J. Jarrell/Scottsdale (Saguaro), Kyle Breed/Tucson (Ironwood Ridge), Kyle Soelle/Scottsdale (Saguaro), Mark Walton/Yuma (Cibola), Michael Gombert/Scottsdale (Cactus Shadows), Michael Tate/Gilbert (Higley), N'Keal Harry/Chandler (Chandler), Quinn Bailey/Gilbert (Higley), Ryan Kelley/Chandler (Basha), Steven Miller/Gilbert (Gilbert), Tyler Johnson/Gilbert (Highland), Tyler Whiley/Scottsdale (Chaparral).

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...

  • Be the 13th in the last 15 games against the Utes and second consecutive win.
  • Improve ASU to 16-4 over Utah in Tempe.
  • Move ASU to .500 in Pac-12 action and back over .500 overall.
  • End Utah's streak of four-straight Pac-12 victories.
  • Give ASU consecutive wins for the first time since opening the season 2-0.
  • Move ASU to 2-2 on the season against ranked opponents.

MILESTONE COUNTDOWNS

  • 2 passing touchdowns needed for Manny Wilkins to move into 7th in program history (46, currently at 44).
  • 4 passing touchdowns needed for Wilkins to move into 6th in program history (48, currently at 43).
  • 1 receiving touchdown needed for N'Keal Harry to move into 8th in ASU history (20, currently at 19).
  • 2 receptions needed for Harry to move into 3rd in program history (188, currently at 186).
  • 32 receiving yards needed for Harry to reach 2500 in his career (currently at 2,468).
  • 223 receiving yards needed for Harry to move into 5th in program history (2,408, currently at 2,468).
  • 226 receiving yards needed for Harry to move into 4th in program history (2,458, currently at 2,468).
  • 62 rushing yards needed for Eno Benjamin to reach 1.000 for the season (currently at 938).
  • 248 rushing yards needed for Benjamin to move into the Top-10 in single-season history (1,186, currently at 938).
  • 5 rushing touchdowns needed for Benjamin to move into the Top-7 in single-season history (14, currently at 9).
  • 2 100-yard rushing performances needed for Benjamin to become one of just 5 running backs in history to reach the century mark 7 times in a single season. (Freddie Williams and Art Malone reached 8, Woody Green reached 7 twice and Demario Richard reached 7 most recently in 2015.)

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. At 938 rushing yards this year, Eno Benjamin is well on pace to have the best single season during the Pac-12 era for a Sun Devil running back, already within 291 yards of Ryan Torain's Pac-12-era school record of 1,229 yards for a season (2006).

2. ASU's defense has held opponents to just 2.33 points per possession on "short" field drives (drives that start with 60 or fewer yards to go to the end zone). That's the 12th-lowest total nationally.

3. ASU has 4 games this year it hasn't allowed a sack. Since 2000, ASU had not had more than TWO games like that in an entire season. Has allowed 10 total all season. School record for fewest allowed is 7 (1987). 8 in 1986.

4. ASU touchdown scoring distances vs. USC: 44, 3, 49, 92, 45. In 7 previous games, ASU had just 5 TD plays over 40 yards. (58 yd pass vs. UTSA, 44 yd run vs. OSU, 47 yd run vs. OSU, 41 yd pass vs. OSU, 40 yd pass vs. COLO).

5. No ASU running back has coughed up the ball on a rushing play on 742 consecutive carries (27 straight games without a fumble).

6. Kyle Williams is the 14th-highest graded receiver in the FBS this season as a run-blocker (78.2).

7. .@Renell_Wren has scored a positive grade on 19.1 percent of his plays on running snaps, the 5th-highest percentage of all Pac-12 front-seven players this season.  He is 19th nationally among ALL defensive linemen in the category.

8. ASU's defense as a 1.02 IsoPPP (unadjusted points per play) tally this season, based on @SBN_BillC's #FiveFactors. That is the 17th-best total nationally.

9. ASU is forcing opponents to start, on average, at their own 23.8 yard line this season. That is the second-best total nationally.

10. .@cohl_cohlcabral has scored a positive run-blocking grade on 12.8 percent of his rushing snaps this season according to @PFF_College - the 10th-best percentage among FBS centers in the country.

BY THE NUMBERS

938 - At 938 rushing yards this year, Eno Benjamin is well on pace to have the best single season during the Pac-12 era for an ASU running back, already within 291 yards of Ryan Torain's Pac-12-era school record of 1,229 yards for a season (2006). Mario Bates (1993) and J.R. Redmond (1999) are the only other running backs since 1978 to average over 100 yards per game in a single season. Benjamin is currently at 117.2 yards per game. In the Pac-12 era, no running back has finished in the Top-10 nationally in single-season rushing yards. Benjamin is currently sixth nationally at 938 yards. 

742 - No ASU running back has lost a fumble (or even put the ball on the ground) in 742 consecutive carries, dating back to the 2016 season - a streak of 27 consecutive games. That includes 167 running back carries this season (NOTE: this stat includes only RBs on rushing plays and does not include receptions). The fumble that ended the streak occured on a direct snap play to a running back. If only conventional running plays were included, the streak of carries without losing a fumble is 1081 carries over 39 games (since 2015).

33 - N'Keal Harry has a reception in all 33 games of his career at Arizona State, tied for the 10th-longest active streak among all current FBS players. Harry is now in 4th place in program history with 186 receptions, and just 2 shy of moving into the Top 3 in program history. Harry is currently 6th in school history with 2,468 career receiving yards, within 300 yards of the top four all-time.At 5.64 receptions per game in his career, Harry is third among the NCAA's active career leaders in the category. Harry has a 120.1 NFL QB rating when targeted this season, good for 14th nationally among receivers that have logged at least 50 percent of their team's catches.

19 - Renell Wren has scored a positive grade on 19.1 percent of his plays on running snaps, the 5th-highest percentage of all Pac-12 front-seven players this season. He is 19th nationally among all defensive linemen in the category.Wren has the 6th-highest run defense score among Pac-12 interior defenders with a 72.2 grade from PFF. Shannon Forman is currently 20th nationally among 3-4 defensive ends in Pro Football Focus' run-stop percentage, logging seven solo tackles in rush defense - all of which constituting as a "stop" - and a 8.2 run stop percentage.Jalen Harvey has made 34 tackles within 8 yards of the line of scrimmage as a safety - the fifth-highest total among all safeties nationally. 

4 - The Devils have 4 games this year without allowing a sack (UTSA, UW, OSU and USC). Since AT LEAST 2000, ASU had never had more than 2 games in a SEASON where it didn't allow a sack. Cohl Cabral is one of just 25 Power Five centers to not allow a sack on the year.  Cabral has scored a positive run-blocking grade on 12.8 percent of his rushing snaps this season - the 10th-best percentage among FBS centers in the country.  Quinn Bailey is one of just 22 offensive tackles on a Power Five team to not allow a quarterback sack this season and one of just 8 tackles in the Pac-12 to lay claim to such a feat.

2 - The Sun Devils ranking 2nd nationally in opponent's average starting field position (23.8 yard line). However, ASU's defense has done welkl in holding opponents to just 2.33 points per possession on "short" field drives (drives that start with 60 or fewer yards to go to the end zone). That's the 12th-lowest total nationally. The defense has been exceptional in limiting scoring in general, logging in a 1.02 IsoPPP (points per play) score based on Bill Connelly's metrics, the 17th-best total among FBS defenses.