THE GAME - Sun Devil Football returns home this weekend to take on the Colorado Buffaloes in both teams' Pac-12 openers. The contest will get underway at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. The game will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network while also being covered over the airwaves locally on ESPN Phoenix 620 AM.
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THE OPPONENT - Colorado comes in with a 2-1 record on the season and won last year's contest in Boulder. Overall, however, ASU is 8-2 in history against the Buffaloes and have a penchant for putting up points against CU, averaging 37.1 points per game over 10 all-time contests. ASU is a perfect 5-0 against the Buffs at home.
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KICKING OFF
-C Cohl Cabral and CB Kobe Williams have started 30 consecutive games for the Sun Devils, starting every contest since the beginning of the 2017 season.
-Freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels (Freshman of the Week) and sophomore defensive end Jermayne Lole (Defensive Lineman of the Week) both earned Pac-12 Player of the Week recognition for their performances in ASU's 10-7 upset of No. 18 Michigan State in East Lansing. ASU has had at least one player of the week in each of the first three weekends of the season.
-The #24/#24 Sun Devils are playing as a ranked team at home for the first time since Nov. 22, 2014, when the 13th-ranked Sun Devils defeated Washington State 52-31.
-ASU has its first 3-0 start since going 4-0 in 2016 and just the third 3-0 start since the 2008 season.
-ASU's victory over Michigan State was its the fifth consecutive regular season win over a ranked non-conference opponent: #18 Michigan State/2019, #15 Michigan State/2018, #8 Notre Dame/2014, #20 Wisconsin/2013, #19 Missouri/2011.
-ASU is 37-10 in games played at Sun Devil Stadium since the 2012 season. The 37 wins are 17th most in the FBS in that time.
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AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
Improve the Sun Devils to 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 2016 and only the fourth time in the 21st century (2004 and 2007 being the others)
Make Jayden Daniels just the fourth Sun Devil quarterback since 1970 to start 4-0 in each of his first four career starts, joining Manny Wilkins (2016), Todd Hons (1982) and Danny White (1971).
Mark a 9-2 all-time record over the Buffaloes and improve ASU to 6-0 over CU when the games are played at home.
Give ASU a 38-10 record in home games since the 2012 season
Move ASU to 26-15-1 in all-time Pac-12 HOME openers
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MILESTONE COUNTDOWNS
7 rushing yards needed for Eno Benjamin to eclipse 2,000 career rushing yards (currently at 1,993)
2 rushing touchdowns needed for Benjamin to reach 20 rushing touchdowns in his career (currently at 17)
3 tackles needed for Kobe Williams to reach 100 in his career
4 consecutive games with 10+ points needed for ASU to set the FBS modern record record for most consecutive games scoring in double digits (currently at 122 games, trailing only Louisiana Tech's streak of 125 games from 2008-2018).
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#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. .@DarienButler20 is the 29th-highest overall graded linebacker in the country and second-highest graded linebacker in the league with his 78.2 grade from Pro Football Focus. His 81.4 score as a pass rusher is ninth among all linebackers in the FBS.
2. First 3 games for Eno Benjamin last year: 42 rushes, 179 yards, 1 rushing TD, 99 receiving yards and 2 TD receptions. First 3 this year: 54 rushes, 209 yards, 1 rushing TD, 137 receiving yards and 2 TD receptions.
3. .@eno_benjamin5 has played 81 snaps in passing routes this season, the 2nd-highest total among FBS running backs. His 137 receiving yards are fifth among FBS running backs and he is tied for the national lead among backs with two touchdown receptions.
4. .@TheEvanFields4 has nine total defensive "stops" this season (plays that constitute a "loss" for the offense according to PFF), a total that leads all safeties in the Pac-12 and tied for seventh nationally.
5. Arizona State holds the FBS active streak for consecutive games scoring more than 10 points, currently doing so in 122 straight games - just four shy of setting the FBS modern era record.
6. With a victory on Saturday, @JayD__5 would become just the fourth ASU QB since 1970 to win each of his first four career starts - joining @MannyWilkins5 (2016), Todd Hons (1982) and Danny White (1971).
7. Among teams that have played two games, the Sun Devils are one of just six teams in the country to not allow a first-half point this season (Wisconsin, Kansas State, Texas, Tech, Memphis, Baylor).
8. .@ASUFootball and Wisconsin only teams to give up zero points in first three quarters of any game this season.Wisconsin has given up zero points, period (but only played 2 games) ASU, Memphis, Wisconsin and Baylor (2 games) only schools without any first half points allowed.
9. The 21 points allowed through 3 games are the fewest since a 3-game stretch in 1993 where the Devils allowed a combined 20 points against Washington (17), Cal (0) and UCLA (3).
10. The Sun Devils have now won five consecutive games over ranked non-conference opponents: #18 Michigan State/2019, #15 Michigan State/2018, #8 Notre Dame/2014, #20 Wisconsin/2013, #19 Missouri/2011.
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BY THE NUMBERS
122 - The Sun Devils have scored double-digit points in 122 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS and the second-longest streak in the modern era of football behind only Louisiana Tech (125 straight games from 2008-2018). ASU also holds the FBS active streak for consecutive games scoring more than 7 points, currently doing so in 137 straight games. The Sun Devils last scored fewer than 7 points when they were shutout, 28-0, against eighth-ranked USC in the 2008 season. They have scored 30 or more points in 75 of those games (56.0 percent).
81 - Eno Benjamin has played 81 snaps in passing routes this season, the second-highest total among FBS running backs and his 14 targets are tied for fourth. His 137 receiving yards this season are 5th among all FBS running backs and is tied for the national lead among backs with two touchdown receptions. Benjamin is the 15th-highest graded running back as a pass blocker with a score of 84.1 this season - a notable area of improvement early on after he finished outside the Top-100 in the category last year .Benjamin has forced 20 missed tackles a total tied for seventh nationally.
30 - Kobe Williams has been the model of resiliency, starting in 30 consecutive games for the Sun Devils - every game since he arrived on campus in 2017. Williams is the 12th-highest graded defender in the Pac-12 with his 76.9 score from PFF. He is the 38th-highest graded overall cornerback in the FBS and sixth-highest graded player in the league. Williams has been targeted 11 times this season and allowed just five catches for 9 total yards - the third lowest total in the country. He has allwed -5 yards after the catch - marking him the only corner in the country with negative yards after catch allowed.
30 - ASU has held opponents to 30 or less points in 12 of 16 games in Danny Gonzales' defensive scheme, notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of 43 previous games dating back in a span from 2013-17. Holding three straight opponents under 10 points scoring is a rare feat, one that has now happened just seven times in ASU history and not since 1979 (also in '55, '56, '57, '59 and '74). ASU's 21 points allowed through 3 games are the fewest since a 3-game stretch in 1993 where the Devils allowed a combined 20 points against Washington (17), Cal (0) and UCLA (3). ASU is 2nd nationally in allowing just 7.0 points per game, trailing only Wisconsin (0.0 ppg) that has played just two games.
9 - Evan Fields has nine total defensive "stops" this season, a total that leads all safeties in the Pac-12 and tied for seventh nationally .On run defense this season, Fields has recorded eight total defensive "stops" to lead all Pac-12 safeties and his 13.1 run-stop percentage is six percentage points higher than any other safety in the league and leads the FBS among safeties with at least 50 run defensive snaps. When he plays within eight yards of the line of scrimmage at the snap, Fields has recorded a 19.4 run-stop percentage - over 10 points higher than any other Pac-12 safety and leading the nation among safeties with at least 30 snaps.
0 - The Sun Devils are one of just four teams to not allow a first half point this season, joining Memphis, Wisconsin and Baylor, though the latter two have played just two games. ASU and Wisconsin are the only teams not to allow a point through the first three quarters of any game this year. Wisconsin has not allowed any points this season but, again, has only played two games. The Sun Devil defense has not allowed a single point in the first quarter of any regular season games against a non-conference opponents under Herm Edwards (6 games).ASU hasn't allowed a first quarter score in 8 of 16 games in the Edwards era and is 7-1 in those games.