Sun Devils Welcome Cougs, Unveil Ghost Story Uniforms

THE GAME -  Sun Devil Football will look to rally after a hard-fought loss on the road at No. 5 Washington, returning home this week to take on Washington State on Saturday, Oct. 28 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe . Scheduled for a 5 p.m. AZT kickoff, the contest will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network (Roxy Bernstein, Lincoln Kennedy) and available over the airwaves locally on KTAR 92.3 FM (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).

ON THE COUGARS -  The Sun Devils lead the all-time series 27-17-2 against the Cougars. WSU has taken the last two against the Sun Devils, with ASU looking to keep the Cougars from winning three in a row for the first time since 2001-03. 30 has been the magic number in  the series with ASU going 15-1 in games it has scored at least 30 against the Cougars since 1981 and only 5-13-1 when it doesn't reach 30. Washington State enters the week with a 4-3 record including a 1-3 mark in Pac-12 Conference play. The Cougars enter the week second in the country in passing (352.1) led by quarterback Cameron Ward who is fifth nationally in passing (316.7) and sixth in total offense (335.4).

KICKING OFF

• ASU has held opponents to less than 30 points in 39 of 62 games since 2018 (62.9 percent), notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of the 43 previous games (74.4 percent) in a span from 2013-17.
• Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to 400 total yards of offense or less on 35 occasions over 62 games (56.5 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
• ASU held Washington to 13 total rushing yards, its sixth-lowest output in any game since 1996 and fewest since having just 10 in the 2021 Apple Cup. It was the 17th-lowest tally ASU had allowed in a game since 1996.
• Washington entered the game third in the FBS in averaging 543.7 total yards of offense per game before being held to just 275 against ASU. UW was the national leader in passing offense (424.7) before being held to just 275 against the Sun Devils. They were fifth nationally in scoring 44.3 points per game before the 15-point output.
• On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 28.6 percent of the time (6 of 21), 32nd in the FBS but 8th among the 60 teams that have faced 15 or more such drives.
• On 26 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 13 touchdowns - a 50 percent touchdown conversion rate that is tied for 25th in the FBS despite facing 79 red zone plays - the 32nd-highest tally in the FBS.
• Coach Dillingham had his work cut out for him after taking the job nine months ago, essentially rebuilding the whole roster with 78 total newcomers this season - the second-most of any FBS school behind only Colorado (87). The team's 40 total transfers from all levels are also the second most in the FBS while the squad's 52 scholarship newcomers are third.  ASU's 29 returning scholarship players are the second-fewest behind Colorado (9).
• The Sun Devils have forced 98 missed tackles on offense this season, the 21st-best tally in the FBS.
• B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 16.7 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (38 of 236), 14th among all  FBS players who have played at least 150 snaps on a pass rush.
• Elijhah Badger has forced 13 missed tackles on offense this season, tied for 11th among all FBS receivers with at least 25 touches this season. He has added 11 more on kick returns, which is tied for third among all kickoff returners in the country.

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...

• Help ASU avoid its  longest losing streak in school history, which would be seven games.
• Keep WSU from winning three games in a row in the series for the first time since 2001-03.

MILESTONE WATCH

• 2 receptions for Jalin Conyers to move into 7th among all-time ASU tight ends (currently 9th at 64, Ryan McReynolds and Kendrick Bates tied at 7th at 65).
• 4 receptions for Conyers to move into 6th among all-time ASU tight ends (Ron Wetzel currently 6th at 67)2
• 296 receiving yards for Conyers to become just the seventh tight end in program history to reach the 1,000 career receiving yard tally (currently at 704).
• 189 rushing yards for Cam Skattebo to reach 2500 in his career (currently at 2311)
• 101 receiving yardsfor Elijhah Badger to reach 1500 for his career (currently at 1399)
• 35 receptions for Elijhah Badger to move into Top-10 all time at ASU (currently at 118, needs 143)

MAKING THE GRADE - PFF STANDOUTS
Week 8

90.8 - Dashaun Mallory - Overall Defense - Highest graded Pac-12 player and sixth-highest graded FBS player, regardless of position, for the week

92.0 - Caleb McCullough - Pass Rushing - Highest graded Pac-12 playerr and  second highest-graded player in the FBS, regardless of position, for the week

77.5 - Ro Torrence - Coverage - Second highest graded corner in the Pac-12 and 26th-highest graded corner in the FBS, 8th highest graded Pac-12 player, regardless of position

Season

80.8 - Leif Fautanu - Pass Blocking - No. 16 among all centers in the FBS, No. 3 among Pac-12 centers and No. 8 among all Pac-12 players

78.0 - B.J. Green - Overall Defense - 19th among all Pac-12 players and 7th among Pac-12 edge defenders, 38th among all edge defenders in nation

76.8 - Dashaun Mallory - Run Defense - 1st among all Pac-12 interior linemen and 29th among all FBS interior linemen, 13th among all Pac-12 players

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. The Sun Devils have forced 98 missed tackles on offense this season, the 21st-highest tally in the FBS.

2. Despite being the second-most targeted cornerback in the Pac-12 (40 targets), Jordan Clark is one of only seven league corners with 150 coverage snaps to not allow a touchdown this season.

3. The Sun Devil defense thus far has been successful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.31 seconds to throw the ball - the 11th-fastest time in the FBS.

4. When Elijhah Badger has returned a kick for ASU this season, the Sun Devils average starting yard line is the 30.3 yard line - the third best tally for a kick returner in the country (min. 10 attempts).

5. On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 30.0 percent of the time (6 of 20), 31st in the FBS but 8th among the 60 teams that have faced 15 or more such drives.

6. Cam Skattebo has been stuffed for loss or no gain on just 9.5 percent of his career rushes, the lowest tally among all active FBS and FCS running backs (min. 300 career carries).

7.  On 26 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 13 touchdowns - a 50 percent touchdown conversion rate that is tied for 25th in the FBS despite facing 79 red zone plays - the 32nd-highest tally in the FBS.

8. B.J. Green III has 38 quarterbacks pressures this season, good for fifth among all FBS players.

9. Sharp's College Football Advanced Metrics rank ASU as the 22nd-most efficient defense in the FBS this season, facing the 7th-toughest defensive schedule but still ranking 32nd in FBS in total defense.

10. Dashaun Mallory's was the highest graded overall defensive player in the Pac-12 and sixth-highest graded player in the FBS following the UW loss.

BY THE NUMBERS

78 - Kenny Dillingham has put together a roster with 78 total newcomers this season - the second-most of any FBS school behind only Colorado (88). The team's 40 total transfers from all levels are  the second most in the FBS while the squad's 52 scholarship newcomers are third. ASU's 29 returning scholarship players are the second-fewest behind Colorado (9) and the team's 134 total starts returning were the fourth-lowest in the FBS. Jaden Rashada became just the second true freshman quarterback in program history to start the season opener, and was the only true freshman quarterback to start in a team's FBS opener.

30 - When Elijhah Badger returns a kick, ASU is averaging a starting field position of the 30.3 yard line - the third-best tally for a kickoff returner in the country (min. 10 returns). Badger has forced 16 missed tackles on offense this season, tied for 8th among all FBS receivers with at least 25 touches this season. He has added 13 more on kick returns, which is tied for fifth among all kickoff returners in the country. On the receiving end, his 304 total yards after the catch are 17th among FBS receivers. Badger has been targeted on 18.4 of his offensive snaps this season, the 22nd-highest tally among all FBS wide receivers.

22 - ASU has allowed just 22 total plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 18th in the FBS. The team has allowed just one play over 50 yards on the year, tied for the 11th-lowest tally in the FBS. Since 2018, ASU has allowed just 96 TOTAL 30-plus yard plays (1.5 per game/62 games)). That is the third-lowest tally in the FBS in that time (James Madison and Sam Houston State excluded as they joined the FBS after 2018). For perspective, from 2014-17, ASU gave up 38, 44, 40, 40 such plays each SEASON, respectively ranked 116th, 124th, 117th and 119th. Washington is fourth in the country with 26 such plays this season but didn't post one against ASU.

16 - B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 16.7 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (38 of 236), 14th among all  FBS players who have played at least 150 snaps on a pass rush. Green has 38 quarterback pressures this season, good for 5th among all FBS players. He leads the nation with 11 quarterback hits this year. Amongst active FBS players with at least 300 pass rushing snaps since 2021, Green's 19.1 career pressure percentage is third (96/504). Green's 16.9 career "win" percentage on pass rushing plays is 17th among all active FBS linemen since 2021. His 29 quarterback hits in that time are 2nd.

8 - Dashaun Mallory is tied for fifth among FBS interior linemen with eight tackles for loss or no gain this season. His 14 total defensive "stops" are 14th among FBS interior linemen.Mallory's average depth of tackle is 1.13 yards, showing that he's owning the line of scrimmage as that's the 31st-shortest depth of tackle average among FBS interior linemen. Mallory was the Pac-12 highest-graded defender and sixth-highest graded FBS player overall, regardless of position, following the UW loss with a grade of 90.8ASU's defensive interior linemen are 34th in the FBS with 29 defensive "stops" on run plays this year and eighth with 13 tackles for loss or no gain.

5 - The Sun Devils are allowing just 5.06 yards per play to opponents this season, good for 30th in the FBS.  It is a notable tally as all six FBS teams ASU has faced rank in the Top-60 nationally in Total Offense (#4 Washington, #11 USC, #37 Colorado, #50 Fresno State and #56 Cal, #58 Oklahoma State). Sharp's College Football advanced metrics has ranked ASU's defensive schedule as the 7th-toughest in the FBS this season. ASU ranks 32nd in the FBS despite that in total defense at 332.0 yards allowed per game. Sharp's College Football Advanced metrics ranks ASU has the 22nd-most efficient defense in the FBS this season.

INSTANT REPLAY: WASHINGTON

• The Sun Devil defense put on arguably one of its best efforts in program history on the road at Husky Stadium in a hard-fought 15-7 loss at #5 Washington last weekend.
• Washington had not scored fewer than 24 points under head coach Kalen DeBoer and the 15 were the least since scoring 13 on Nov. 26, 2021 against Washington State.
• The Sun Devils forced four turnovers, the most in program history against a Top-Five opponents and the most since also having four in the Nov. 26, 2021 contest.
• ASU led Washington 7-3 at the the half, representing the Huskies' first half time deficit since Nov. 4, 2022 against Oregon State (10 straight games leading at the half). The three points were Washington's fewest at the half since they were held scoreless through two quarters against Arizona on Oct. 22, 2021.
• Washington entered the game averaging 13.3 points per game in first quarter of games, the second-highest mark in the nation. Arizona State held them scoreless in the first quarter.
• ASU held Washington to 13 total rushing yards, its sixth-lowest output in any game since 1996 and fewest since having just 10 in the 2021 Apple Cup. It was the 17th-lowest tally ASU had allowed in a game since 1996.
• Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had only thrown three interceptions in 215 attempts coming into the game. On his second attempt of the game, Sun Devil defensive back Ro Torrence picked him off. Penix Jr. later threw an interception in the second quarter to Shamari Simmons, marking the first time he had been intercepted twice since Sept. 30, 2022 against UCLA (14 games).
• Washington entered the game third in the FBS in averaging 543.7 total yards of offense per game before being held to just 275 against ASU. UW was the national leader in passing offense (424.7) before being held to just 275 against the Sun Devils. They were fifth nationally in scoring 44.3 points per game before the 15-point output.
• Washington's 288 total yards of offense were its 23rd fewest since the 2010 season.

RUSH HOUR

• The Sun Devils rank 16th in the FBS in averaging 0.27 missed tackles forced per running play this season.
• 65.8 percent of the team's rush yards on the season have come after first contact, a tally good for 23rd among all FBS teams this year. The team has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage just 17.7 percent of the time, 33rd in the FBS.
• Despite playing significantly fewer games than the teams ahead of it, ASU's 79 rushing touchdowns since the beginning of 2020 are 43rd among all FBS teams. ASU has accomplished the feat in 36 games, where none of the teams ranked ahead of ASU have fewer than 41 games over the last three-plus seasons.
• ASU has received a team rushing grade of 94.9 from PFF since the 2020 season, the 30th-highest tally in the FBS
• Since 2020, ASU has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 18.2 percent of its rushes - good for the 34th-lowest tally in the FBS. The team has averaged 3.2 yards after contact per rush in that time - 35th in the FBS.
• Since 2020, ASU has picked up a first down or touchdown on 30.6 percent of its rushes - 20th-most in the FBS. The team is averaging 5.4 yards per rush in that time, tied for 33rd in the FBS.
• Since 2018, ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 47 of 62 games (75.8 percent).
• The Sun Devils have produced a 1,000-yard rusher nine times in the last 12 seasons  - with one of the lone exceptions being the shortened 2020 season. For comparison, from 1976-2010, ASU had a 1000-yard rusher just eight times.

KEEP THEM IN FRONT OF YOU

• ASU has allowed just 13 plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 62 games. The .21 50+ yard plays per game allowed are second-fewest in the FBS in that time behind only Washington (.19 per game on 12 plays over 63 games). ASU ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in 50+ yards played allowed each year from 2014-17.
• ASU has allowed just 8 catches for 50 or more yards in that span, third in the FBS behind only Washington and Penn State (7).
• ASU has allowed just 22 total plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 18th in the FBS. The team has allowed just one play over 50 yards on the year, tied for the 11th-lowest tally in the FBS.
• ASU was the only team in the FBS to not allow a 50-yard play in 2021 and had a streak of 18 games without allowing a 50-yard play snapped against Utah last year. It was the longest active streak in the FBS at the time and tied for the second-longest streak in the FBS overall since 2012 (Iowa State, 2018-19), behind only UCLA's 21-game streak from 2013-15.
• Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to the 400 or less mark for total offensive yards on 35 occasions over 62 games (56.5 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
• Since 2018, ASU has allowed just 96 TOTAL 30-plus yard plays (1.5 per game/62 games)). That is the third-lowest tally in the FBS in that time (James Madison and Sam Houston State excluded as they joined the FBS after 2018). For perspective, from 2014-17, ASU gave up 38, 44, 40, 40 such plays each SEASON, respectively ranked 116th, 124th, 117th and 119th.

NO FLY ZONE

• Among Pac-12 corners with at least 150 pass coverage snaps played, Dee Ford's 21.9 forced inompletion rate is sixth.
• Despite being the second-most trageted cornerback in the Pac-12 (40 targets), Jordan Clark is one of only seven league corners with 150 coverage snaps to not allow a touchdown this season.
• Of all Pac-12 linebackers with at least 100 snaps in coverage this season, Tre Brown remains the only one to not be credited with a first down allowed when targeted. QBs have an NFL QBR of just 63.1 when targeting Brown, fourth among Pac-12 linebackers.
• ASU is 28th nationally in allowing a first down on just 30.8 percent of the passing plays against it this season. The team ranks 29th in the FBS in forcing an incompletion on 11.9 percent of passes this season.
• ASU has allowed just 17 passing plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 20th-lowest in the FBS.
• While ASU sits in the middle of the FBS and Pac-12 in allowing 225.3 pass yards per game, it should be noted it has faced four teams ranked in the Top-15 nationally in passing yards (No. 1 Washington/403.3, No. 3 Colorado/346.1, No. 9 USC/323.3, No. 15 Fresno State/302.9). As such, Sharp's College Football Advanced Metrics have the Sun Devils ranked 14th in the FBS in pass defense efficiency.
• Opponents have an NFL quarterback rating of just 80.6  since the start of 2020 - the 23rd-lowest mark in the FBS.
• The 6.65 opponent passing yards per attempt in that time are 22nd in the FBS.
• ASU has allowed just 5.1 yards after the catch per completion since 2020 - the 17th-lowest tally in the FBS. ASU has given up just 1.86 yards after contact per reception - the 5th-lowest tally in the FBS.
• ASU has allowed just 43 passing touchdowns since the start of 2020 - tied for the 3rd-fewest in the FBS. The team has allowed a touchdown on just 3.6 percent of passes thrown against it in that time (43/1193) - the 8th-lowest tally in the FBS.
• The secondary has contested a target on 17.4 percent of passing plays since the start of 2020 - good for 25th in the FBS in that time.
• Since 2018, the Sun Devil secondary has allowed just 29 total passing plays over 40 yards - the third-fewest in the FBS in that time. For perspective, it had 12 alone in 2017, 22 in 2016 and 24 in 2015 – the latter two ranking second to last and last, respectively, in the nation.

GREEN LIGHT, GO

• B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 16.7 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (38 of 236), 14th among all  FBS players who have played at least 150 snaps on a pass rush.
• Green has 38 quarterback pressures this season, good for 5th among all FBS players. He leads the nation with 11 quarterback hits this year.
• Amongst active FBS players with at least 300 pass rushing snaps since 2021, Green's 19.1 career pressure percentage is third (96/504).
• Green's 16.9 career "win" percentage on pass rushing plays is 17th among all active FBS linemen since 2021. His 29 quarterback hits in that time are 2nd.
• Green was fourth among FBS interior linemen with 11 QB hits last season.
• His 37 total quarterback pressures were 10th among FBS interior linemen, however, he did so on significantly fewer snaps.
• Green's 20.0 win percentage on pass rushing plays was second in the FBS among interior linemen and 15th among all defensive linemen, period.
• Green generated a QB pressure on 22.4 percent of his pass-rushing snaps - the-third best tally of any defensive lineman in the FBS and two percentage points higher than any other lineman (min. 150 pass rush snaps and four percentage points better than any other FBS interior lineman.
• Green had a pass rush productive rating ((sacks + (.5 x hits) + (.5 x hurries)/play count) of 12.4 last season, tops among all FBS interior lineman and eighth among all defensive linemen.

BADGER DON'T CARE

• Elijhah Badger has forced 16 missed tackles on offense this season, tied for 8th among all FBS receivers with at least 25 touches this season. He has added 13 more on kick returns, which is tied for fifth among all kickoff returners in the country.
• Badger leads the FBS with 68.9 kickoff return yards per game and his 26.78 average yards per return are 8th.
• When Badger returns a kick, ASU is averaging a starting field position of the 30.3 yard line - the third-best tally for a kickoff returner in the country (min. 10 returns)
• Badger is second in the Pac-12 and is ninth in the country in averaging 140.14 all-purpose yards per game.
• On the receiving end, his 304 total yards after the catch are 17th among FBS receivers.
• Badger has been targeted on 18.4 of his offensive snaps this season, the 22nd-highest tally among all FBS wide receivers.
• Badger's 12 catches against Colorado were tied for the sixth-most in ASU program history and the most since N'Keal Harry had 13 in a game in 2017.
• Badger emerged as one of the top receiving threats in the Pac-12 in 2022, finishing seventh in the league among wide receivers with a receiving grade of 77.3 on the season (min. 50 targets) and Top-35 in the FBS.
• He finished with 864 receiving yards (top-50 in the FBS regular season among receivers) and 5.8 receptions per game (32nd in the FBS).
• Badger was responsible for 41 of ASU's 145 first downs by passing last year (28.3 percent) - the 33rd-most first downs among FBS receivers over the regular season.
• His 25 missed tackles forced were tops among Pac-12 receivers and second among all FBS receivers during the regular season.
• He had 24 explosive receptions (15+ yards) on the season, good for 23rd among FBS receivers in the regular season and third in the Pac-12.
• His 32.0 adjusted target share percentage (targets/plays with an aimed pass) last season was second among all Pac-12 receivers.
• Badger finished with 70 receptions, the 9th most in single-season program history. It was the fifth-most in a 12-game season.

PROS AND CON-YERS

• Jalin Conyers picked up where he left off, posting 182 yards after the catch this season (includes yards on passes caught behind the line of scrimmage), which is good for 7th among FBS tight ends despite missing essentially three games this year.
• Last season, Conyers had 229 receiving yards after the catch - the 21st-highest tally of all FBS tight ends. More impressively, 228 of those came in the final six games of ASU's season - fourth-most of all FBS tight ends from Week 7 onwards.
• His 73 yards after contact this season are 11th among FBS tight ends. He finished with 170 total yards after contact last season - fifth among all FBS tight ends despite only being significantly involved in the offense in the latter half of the year.
• Another trend Conyers has resumed is forcing missed tackles, and his six this season are 8th among FBS tight ends despite missing essentially three games due to injury/illness. Last season, he forced 21 missed tackles on the year - the most of any FBS tight end. 18 of those  came in ASU's final six games. No other FBS tight end had more than 14 from Week 7 through the conclusion of the bowl season.
• 346 of Conyers' 422 receiving yards came in the final five games - the highest tally among FBS tight ends in the final five weeks of the regular season. His five touchdowns were the most among FBS tight ends in that time while his 126 first downs receiving were second.
• He had 161 yards after contact in that stretch. Only one other FBS tight had more than 100 over the final five weeks (119).
• He had a 122.0 NFL QBR rating when targeted last year, the 23rd-best tally among FBS tight ends while his 80.4 completion percentage when targeted was sixth in the FBS.
• Conyers was the only tight end in the FBS last season to record three touchdown receptions in a game. The three touchdown receptions against Colorado were the most by a tight end in ASU single game history.
• Conyers and fellow tight end Messiah Swinson were the first tight end duo to each have 150+ receiving yards in a season at ASU since 2006.

WILD SKATT

• Among the flurry of new Sun Devil players this year, one exceptional offensive threat will be the addition of running back Cam Skattebo.
• Skattebo has an overall offensive grade of 76.8 this season from PFF, 29th among all FBS halfbacks with at least 225 snaps played.
• Skattebo is 21st among all active FBS AND FCS running backs since 2021 with 2,311 career rushing yards while his 6.5 yards per carry are 11th among that group. (min. 200 carries)
• He has forced 141 career missed tackles on rushing plays, 9th among active FBS/FCS halfbacks while his 0.39 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt are second (min. 300 attempts) since 2021.
• He has forced 37 this season on rushing plays, 13th among FBS running backs. His 48 overall missed tackles forced on offense are 8th among all FBS running backs.
• Skattebo has rushed for a first down or touchdown on 37.5 percent of his career carries, tops among all active FBS/FCS backs (min. 300 attempts) since 2021. His 28.5 percent 1D/TD percentage this season in 27th in the FBS.
• He has been stuffed for no gain or a loss on just 9.5 percent of his career carries, tied for the lowest tally among all active backs at both levels (min. 300 attempts) since 2021. His 13.5 percent stuff rate is 34th among FBS running backs this year.

IN THE TRENCHES

• The Sun Devils have had some success on both sides of the ball along the offensive and defensive lines.
• Dashaun Mallory is tied for fifth among FBS interior linemen with eight tackles for loss or no gain this season. His 14 total defensive "stops" are 14th among FBS interior linemen.
• Mallory's average depth of tackle is 1.13 yards, showing that he's owning the line of scrimmage as that's the 31st-shortest depth of tackle average among FBS interior linemen.
• Mallory was the Pac-12 highest-graded defender and sixth-highest graded FBS player overall, regardless of position, following the UW loss with a grade of 90.8
• The Sun Devil defense thus far has been succesful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.31 seconds to throw the ball - the 11th-fastest time in the FBS.
• The team has forced quick pressure (less than 2.5 seconds to pressure) on 26.5 percent of its pass rush snaps - 34th best in the FBS and the team's overall 35.7 pressure percentage is 40th.
• ASU's defensive interior linemen are 34th in the FBS with 29 defensive "stops" on run plays this year and eighth with 13 tackles for loss or no gain.
• Leif Fautanu is currently the eighth-highest graded center in the FBS as a pass blocker with a score of 80.8. His seven pressures allowed are tied for the 24th-fewest among FBS centers with at least 250 pass blocking snaps.
• Following the Cal game, Bram Walden had the highest pass-blocking grade of ANY player in the FBS for Week 5 at 92.4.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• The Sun Devils have looked to Brian Ward to lead the defense this season, with the defensive coordinator from Washington State right a ship that struggled at times for ASU last season after the program had strung together several impressive defensive years prior.
• The Sun Devils are allowing just 5.06 yards per play to opponents this season, good for 30th in the FBS.  It is a notable tally as all six FBS teams ASU has faced rank in the Top-60 nationally in Total Offense (#4 Washington, #11 USC, #37 Colorado, #50 Fresno State and #56 Cal, #58 Oklahoma State). Sharp's College Football advanced metrics has ranked ASU's defensive schedule as the 7th-toughest in the FBS this season.
• ASU ranks 32nd in the FBS despite that in total defense at 332.0 yards allowed per game.
• Sharp's College Football Advanced metrics ranks ASU has the 22nd-most efficient defense in the FBS this season.
• Facing eight turnovers against Fresno State, ASU's defense held the Bulldogs to just 15 points off those turnovers with no touchdowns. It was the fewest points off turnovers allowed by any FBS team with 8+ turnovers in a game since at least 2012 and the only team to not allowed even a touchdown in the span.
• There have been 43 games since 2017 where an FBS team has forced six or more turnovers in a game. In only six of those did the team turning the ball over hold the opponent to under 30 points in the contest like ASU managed against the Bulldogs (29).
• In each of the six games following the season opener, ASU has held its opponent at or below its season scoring averaging entering the game (Oklahoma State 27/27.0, Fresno State 29/36.5, USC 42/59.3, Cal 24/32.8, Colorado 27/34.2, Washington 15/44.3)
• On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 28.6 percent of the time (6 of 21), 32nd in the FBS but 8th among the 60 teams that have faced 15 or more such drives.
• On 26 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 13 touchdowns - a 50 percent touchdown conversion rate that is tied for 25th in the FBS despite facing 79 red zone plays - the 32nd-highest tally in the FBS.
• Ward led one of the elite defenses in the Pac-12 this past season, as the Cougars were third in the league and 33rd in the FBS in allowing just 22.4 points per game - tied for the sixth-best total in program history and lowest since a 19.7 mark in 2003.  That tally seems improbable for a program that hadn't finished in the Top 40 in the category for nearly two decades and 90th or worse in six seasons since 2009.
• Washington State's three defensive touchdowns were 10th in the FBS and the .775 red zone conversion defense was 23rd in the country. The team was also 35th in the nation in allowing just 127.4 rushing yards per game. The defense finished in the top-three in the league in third down conversion percentage allowed (.371), first downs allowed (239), tackles for loss per game (6.2), and turnovers gained (21).
• Sharp College Football's advanced metrics tabbed Ward's defensive 24th in the FBS in forcing negative drives and 15th in opponent drive efficiency.
• Sure tackling was a staple of Ward's defense with the Cougars finishing 13th in the FBS with just 118 tackles on the year.

A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

• ASU has forced 77 offensive turnovers overall since 2019, good for Top-40 among all FBS teams despite playing significantly fewer games than most schools in 2020.
• The Sun Devils have 22 pick sixes since the 2012 season, a tally good for seventh in the FBS.
• Taking out ASU's COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, the Sun Devils have at least one pick six in 22 consecutive seasons dating back to 2020 - the longest streak in the FBS.
• ASU has outscored opponents 898-516 in points off takeaways since 2012.
• Since 2012, ASU has scored 63.3 percent of the time following an opponent turnover (152 of 240) while finding the end zone 112 times in that span (46.7 percent).
• Conversely, opponents have scored just 49.5 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (93 of 188) with 65 touchdowns (34.6 percent).
• In one of the more interesting displays of bad luck over the past season-plus, the Sun Devils have seen opponents put the ball on the ground 21 times and recovered just two of those.

MOUNTAIN AMERICA STADIUM, HOME OF THE ASU SUN DEVILS

• Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics have announced a multi-year naming rights partnership with Mountain America Credit Union to form one of the most dynamic naming rights deals in college athletics.
• The 15-year partnership with Sun Devil Athletics – the most important deal in athletics department history - includes ASU's football stadium, which will now be called Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils.
• The partnership happens as a fever pitch surrounds Sun Devil Football and the hiring of Sun Devil graduate Kenny Dillingham, one of eight Arizona State alumni leading programs as head coaches at the University. ASU fans have been "Activating the Valley" leading up to the start of the 2023 college football season, as over 90 percent of football season tickets have been renewed so far, and 4,000 new season tickets have been sold. And now, with the record-breaking football naming partnership and comprehensive relationship with Mountain America, numerous Olympic sports teams will be showcased, and multiple areas of the Sun Devil fan experience, from in-stadium entertainment to digital marketing, will be impacted.
• Both Mountain America and ASU are committed to giving back to the community, and this partnership will provide support to the community and student-athletes in a variety of ways: Football Field Goals: Mountain America will donate $250 to the Sun Devil Club for every field goal made to enhance ASU's student-athlete experience, Shoe Donation Program: ASU and Mountain America will develop a shoe donation program, providing brand-new shoes to community members in need, Scholarships: Each year, Mountain America will provide $20,000 to ASU student-athletes, with $10,000 going to women's sports and $10,000 to men's sports, Financial Education Programs: Mountain America will offer special student-athlete financial education programs, including personal coaching sessions, Internship Program: Mountain America will also provide an internship program for student-athletes to help students develop the skills and experience needed for future endeavors.

SMART DEVILS

• ASU will compete with 22 young men this season that have already earned their undergraduate degrees: Emmit Bohle, BA Liberal Studies, 2023, Trenton Bourguet, BS Communication, 2022, Ben Bray, BAE Secondary Education (Mathematics), 2023, Jordan Clark, BS Communication, 2022 , Jalin Conyers, BA Liberal Studies, 2023 , Anthonie Cooper, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2022, Christopher Edmonds, BA Liberal Studies, 2022, Michael Matus, MBA Business Administration, 2023, Gio Sanders, BS Psychology, 2022, Messiah Swinson, BA Liberal Studies, 2023, Macen Williams, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023, Cade Briggs, BA University Studies, 2023 (Texas Tech), Trae Brown, BA Criminal Justice and Criminology, 2022 (Washington State), Joshua Carlson, BA Business Administration, 2022 (New Mexico State), Ben Coleman, BA Media Studiees, 2022 (California), Sione Finau, BS Consumer Science Concentration, 2023 (Purdue), Demetries Ford, BS Criminal Justice, 2023 (Austin Peay), Dario Longhetto, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023 (California), Dashaun Mallory, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023 (Michigan State), Joey Ramos, BS Business Management, 2022 (Iowa State), Melquan Stovall, BS Business Administration/Organization and Innovation Management, 2022 (Colorado State), Slater Zellers, BA Legal Studies, 2023(California).