THE GAME - Sun Devil Football will close out the 2019 road schedule on Saturday as it heads to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon State on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Corvallis, Ore. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff Arizona time (4:30 p.m. in Corvallis) at Reser Stadium. The game will be a national broadcast on Fox Sports 1 while also available over the Valley airwaves on 98.7 FM.
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THE OPPONENT - Arizona State holds a 28-13-1 all-time record against the Beavers, though the Sun Devils are just 8-9-1 in the series history in games played in Corvallis. ASU has won four of the last six games against the Beavers, though the two losses have been at Reser Stadium. Last season's contest against the Beavers featured a historic effort from ASU running back Eno Benjamin, who set the ASU single-season school record with 312 rushing yards - eighth-most all-time in Pac-12 history.
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KICKING OFF
-Kyle Williams has at least one pass receptions in 37 consecutive games, tied with N'Keal Harry for the fourth-longest streak in ASU history and currently the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS. He needs a catch on Saturday to move into sole possession of fourth in program history.
-ASU's run defense is currently fifth in the country with only 23 rushing plays allowed over 10 yards this season. With just 5 rushing plays over 20 yards allowed this season, ASU is 7th in the country. USC's 70 rushing yards were the fewest allowed by the ASU defense since the Trojans only accounted for 23 rushing yards in 1998.
-The Sun Devils have allowed just one fourth quarter touchdown over the past six games (at Utah). It had allowed one touchdown in the fourth in each of the first three games of the season. All told, ASU is allowing just 3.8 points per fourth quarter against FBS opponents this season, the 11th-lowest total nationally.
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AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
Improve ASU to 4-2 in the month of November under Herm Edwards
Avoid handing the Sun Devils its first three-game losing streak since 2016
Lock up a winning road record on the season for ASU at 3-2. It will be the first time since 2014 that ASU has accomplished that (also 3-2).
Qualify the Sun Devils for a bowl game for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
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MILESTONE COUNTDOWNS
1 100+ yard rushing game for Eno Benjamin to tie Art Malone (14 from 1967-69) for fourth in ASU school history.
103 rushing yards for Eno Benjamin to pass Darryl Harris for 12th in ASU career history (currently at 2,515 yards behind Harris' 2,617 total from 1984-87).
197 rushing yards for Eno Benjamin to leapfrog several people into 7th in ASU career rushing yards (currently at 2,515 yards Darryl Clack's 2,711 total from 1982-85).
1 catch needed for Kyle Williams to move into sole possession of fourth in ASU history in consecutive games with a reception (currently tied with N'Keal Harry at 37).
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#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. ASU has allowed just 3.8 points per fourth quarter against FBS opponents only this season, the 11th-lowest total natioanlly. ASU allowed a fourth quarter touchdown in each of its first three games this season It has since allowed just one over the last six contests.
2. 32 freshmen have played for the Sun Devils this season (21 true and 11 redshirt), tied for the third-highest total nationally. 7 true freshmen have started for the Devils, the second-most in the FBS behind Alabama (9).
3. .@eno_benjamin5 has played 251 snaps in passing routes this season, the second-highest total among FBS running backs and his 39 targets are tied for 4th.
4. Aashari Crosswell (@YkgAashari) has been credited with just one missed tackle this season, a total tied for second fewest among all FBS safeties.
5. 17 of Michael Turk's 44 punts this season (38.6 percent have gone for over 50 yards. He is third nationally with 25 punts downed inside the 20 on the year.
6. Frank Darby's 19.33 yards per catch this season is first in the Pac-12 and 26th nationally. The junior has four touchdowns in his last two games after having just five total in his career to this point.
7. Senior wide receiver @kylewilliamsVI has caught at least one pass in 37 consecutive games, dating back to his freshman season - a total good for fourth in ASU history and the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS.
8. Chase Lucas and Kobe Williams have each been credited just just one touchdown against them in coverage this season.
9. The Devils have turned the ball over just 10 times this season - the 10th-lowest total in the FBS. On the flip side, ASU's 12 fumble recoveries this season are the third-most in the country.
10. ASU has played in 14 games decided by seven points or fewer in the Herm Edwards era, the second-most in the FBS behind Texas (15) in that time.
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BY THE NUMBERS
48 - Eno Benjamin has continued to do his part to make people miss this year, forcing 48 missed tackles this season - a total tied for 10th nationally among running backs. Benjamin has played 251 snaps in passing routes this season, the second-highest total among FBS running backs and his 39 targets are 4th. He has been targeted on 20.7 percent of ASU aimed passes (balls not thrown away, spiked or batted) - the 5th-highest percentage of running backs nationally. His 252 receiving yards are 4th among all FBS running back. He is within 200 rushing yards of leaping from 13th to 7th in ASU career rushing yards.
32 - All told, 32 true or redshirt freshmen have played for the Sun Devils this year (21 true, 11 redshirt). That is tied for the third-highest total among FBS programs this season behind Clemson and Oklahoma. Seven true freshmen have started a game for ASU, tied for the second-highest total in the nation behind Alabama (9). ASU's 5 offensive true freshmen to start a game this season are the most of any team in the country. Joey Yellen became the 32nd freshman to play this year with his start against USC. His four touchdown passes in the game were an ASU record for a Sun Devil in their first career start.
13 - With his 62-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter against USC, 13 of Frank Darby's 51 career catches (26%) have gone for 30+ yards. Darby now has four touchdown catches over his last two games after putting together back-to-back two-touchdown performances. Prior to that, he entered the game with five total receiving touchdowns in his career.Darby's 19.33 yards per reception this season is first in the Pac-12 and 26th nationally. Darby has done his part on the outside on running plays as well, logging the 6th-highest grade among wide receivers nationally as a run blocker (84.4).
9 - ASU has been able to close games strong, allowing just 9.4 second half points per game against FBS opponents, good for 21st in the nation. At just 3.8 points allowed per fourth quarter, ASU sits tied for 11th nationally and second in the Pac-12. ASU is 35th in the country and fifth in the Pac-12 in allowing just 22.2 points per game. The Sun Devils allowed just 25.5 points per game last season, good for 53rd nationally. ASU was 103rd nationally at 32.8 points per game allowed in 2017 and had finished 99th or worse in three consecutive seasons prior to the marked improvement the past two seasons.
1 - Aashari Crosswell has not been credited with a missed tackle on a running play this season, marking him one of just 5 safeties in the country to lay such a claim. His one missed tackle on the season, period, is tied for the second-fewest in the entire FBS among safeties (Tulane's PJ Hall has none). Crosswell is the 14th-highest graded defender in the Pac-12 with his score of 76.8, regardless of position. Crosswell's five forced incompletions this season are most among Pac-12 safeties and 12th among Power Five safeties. He is the third-highest graded safety in the Pac-12 this season by PFF.
0 - Jermayne Lole has not been credited with a missed tackle this season, marking him one of just five interior linemen nationally to lay such a claim. Davidson has only been credited with two missed tackles this season, tied for 11th nationally among interior linemen. Lole's 24 defensive stops this season are 11th among defensive interior linemen nationally and tied for first in the Pac-12. Davidson's 19 defensive stops rank tied for 30th among interior linemen in the country. Lole has the 14th highest positive run impact score in the country at 23.1 percent among players graded as interior linemen.