Football Concludes Season With 97th Territoral Cup

THE GAME -  Sun Devil Football will host its final game of the 2023 season this weekend as it welcomes No. 16 Arizona to Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 25. Scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. AZT kickoff, the contest will be the first broadcast by ESPN this season (Mark Jones, Louis Riddick, Quint Kessenich) and available over the airwaves locally on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).

ON THE TERRITORIAL CUP -  This will be the 97th Duel in the Desert, with Arizona leading the all-time series 50-45-1. The vast majority of those Wildcat wins came prior to 1950, however.  Since 1949, ASU holds a 44-30-1 record in the series. The winner of the game will receive (or retain) the Territorial Cup Trophy, and the game is recognized by the NCAA as the nation's oldest rivalry trophy game. The Sun Devils had a five-game winning streak in the rivalry - tied for the second longest for either school in the series -  ended last season in Tucson.

KICKING OFF

• ASU has now held opponents to less than 30 points in 41 of 66 games since 2018 (62.1 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 36 occasions over 66 games (54.5 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
• The Sun Devils have forced 136 missed tackles on offense this season, good for 28th among all FBS teams. Conversely, the defense/special teams have 120 missed tackles this season, among the Top-50 lowest in the FBS.
• On 47 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 24 touchdowns - a 51.06 percent touchdown conversion rate that is 27th-lowest in the FBS despite facing 132 red zone plays - the 12th-highest tally in the FBS.
• Among active FBS receivers since 2021, Elijhah Badger's 53 missed tackles forced on receiving plays are 6th - though his have come on significantly fewer receptions than those in front of him with the top five having between 40-100 more career receptions than Badger.
• The Sun Devil defense thus far has been succesful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.37 seconds to throw the ball - the 20th-fastest time in the FBS. The team has forced quick pressure (less than 2.5 seconds to pressure) on 106 times - 26th-best in the FBS and the team's overall 143 total pressures are 30th. These numbers come despite blitzing only 29.6 percent of the time - the 32nd-lowest percentage in the FBS.
• Despite being the only FBS team to have seen at least 10 different combinations of its starting five offensive linemen due to unprecedented bad luck on the injury front, ASU has allowed just 11 total sacks in the last seven games (including four games with no sacks) compared to 17 in the first four games.  The 11 sacks in the last 7 games are 42nd-lowest in that time while the 17 in the four weeks were sixth-WORST in the country.
• The team has a knockdown percentage of 11.1 percent in the last seven games and is right in the middle of the FBS. Through the first four weeks of the season, ASU's knockdown percentage was 21.9 - 7th worst in the FBS.

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...

• Give ASU 10 wins in the last 14 games in the series
• Improve ASU to 18-10 in the series since 1996
• Help ASU avoid consecutive three-win seasons - the lowest output in the school's modern history
• End Arizona's five-game conference win streak - its longest since the 1998 season
• Be ASU's 18th win over a ranked opponent since 2012 - notable as the Sun Devils won just 15 total from 1998-2011. The 17 current wins over ranked teams are Top-30 in the FBS since 2012.

MILESTONE WATCH

• 11 receptions for Jalin Conyers to move into fifth among all-time ASU tight ends (currently 6th at 71, Joe Petty sits fifth currently with his 81 from 1970-72).
• 165 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 835).
• 1 receptions for Elijhah Badger to move into Top-10 all time at ASU (currently at 142, needs 143 to move into a tie with Lenzie Jackson for 10th)
• 5 receptions for Elijhah Badger to be just the fourth receiver in ASU history with multiple 70-catch campaigns (currently at 65, would  join Derek Hagan, N'Keal Harry, Jaelen Strong)

MAKING THE GRADE - PFF STANDOUTS
Game 11 (min. 25 snaps)

• 87.0 - Joey Ramos - Past Blocking - 4th among all Pac-12 players, regardless of position, 1st among Pac-12 tackles, 37th among all FBS players, 15th among all FBS tackles
• 77.9 - Ed Woods - Coverage - 7th among all Pac-12 players, regardless of position, 5th among Pac-12 corners, 21st among all FBS corners
• 76.5 - Ed Woods - Overall Defense - 17th among all Pac-12 players, regardless of position, 6th among Pac-12 corners, 27th among all FBS corners

Season (min. 400 snaps)

• 85.1 - B.J. Green - Pass Rushing - 4th among all Pac-12 players and edge defenders, 33th among all FBS players, 29th among FBS edge defenders
• 81.9  - B.J. Green - Overall Defense - 8th among all Pac-12 players - regardless of position - and 6th among all Pac-12 edge defenders, 21st among all FBS edge defenders
• 79.4 - Leif Fautanu - Pass Blocking - 12th among all Pac-12 players - regardless of position, 4th among Pac-12 centers, 25th among all FBS centers

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. The Sun Devils have forced 136 missed tackles on offense this season, the 28th-highest tally in the FBS. Conversely,  the team has among the Top-50 fewest missed tackles in the FBS with 120.

2. When given the opportunity to play defense after an offensive/special teams turnover ASU has allowed a touchdown just two times on 15 turnovers - a 13.3 touchdown drive percentage that is 13th best in the FBS.

3. The Sun Devil defense thus far has been successful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.37 seconds to throw the ball - the 26th-fastest time in the FBS.

4. Elijhah Badger's leads all FBS wide receivers in forcing 32 total missed tackles and his 546 yards after the catch are 6th among FBS wideouts.

5. B.J. Green has 56 quarterback pressures this season, good for 7th among all FBS players. He is also fourth in the nation with 14 quarterback hits this year.

6. The team has forced quick pressure (less than 2.5 seconds to pressure) on 106 times - 26th-best in the FBS and the team's overall 143 total pressures are 30th. These numbers come despite blitzing only 29.6 percent of the time - the 32nd-lowest percentage.

7.  On 47 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 24 touchdowns - a 51.06 percent touchdown conversion rate that is 27th-lowest in the FBS despite facing 132 red zone plays - the 12th-highest tally in the FBS

8. Among Pac-12 corners with at least 200 pass coverage snaps, Ed Woods' 219 yards allowed are fourth-lowest

9. ASU has allowed only 11 sacks in its last seven games - the 42nd-lowest in that time after it had 17 in the four weeks alone - the sixth-WORST in the country.

10. Cam Skattebo has been stuffed for no gain or a loss on just 9.3 percent of his career carries, good for the second-lowest tally among all active backs at both levels (min. 300 attempts) since 2021. His 11.6 percent stuff rate is 15th among FBS running backs this year.

BY THE NUMBER
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.

56 - B.J. Green has 50 quarterback pressures this season, good for 6th among all FBS players. A semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy (nation's top player that started career as walk-on), Green has forced a QB pressure on 15.6 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (56 of 359), 24th among all  FBS players who have played at least 200 snaps on a pass rush.Amongst active FBS players with at least 400 pass rushing snaps since 2021, Green's 17.2 career pressure percentage is 9th (104/604). His 24 quarterback hits in that time are 8th and his 104 total pressures are 17th.

53 - Among active FBS receivers since 2021, Elijhah Badger's 53 missed tackles forced on receiving plays are 6th - though his have come on significantly fewer receptions than those in front of him with the top five having between 40-100 more career receptions than Badger. Badger has forced 32 missed tackles on offense this season, tops among all FBS receivers. He has added 14 more on kick returns, which is tied for eighth among all kickoff returners in the country. On the receiving end, his 546 total yards after the catch are 6th among FBS receivers he is also 9th among wideouts with 244 yards after contact.

24 - On 47 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 24 touchdowns - a 51.06 percent touchdown conversion rate that is 27th-lowest in the FBS despite facing 132 red zone plays - the 12th-highest tally in the FBS .On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 32.3 percent of the time (10/31), 40th in the FBS and and 11th of the 53 teams with over 25 such drives faced. Additonally, when given the opportunity to play defense after an offensive/special teams turnover ASU has allowed a touchdown just two times on 15 turnovers - a 13.3 touchdown drive percentage that is 13th best in the FBS.

19 - ASU's interior linemen as a whole this season have 19 combined tackles for loss or no gain on rushes -good for 13th in the FBS. Those interior linemen have an average depth of tackle of just 1.49 yards, the 23rd-lowest tally in the FBS.  The Sun Devil defense thus far has been succesful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.37 seconds to throw the ball - the 20th-fastest time in the FBS. The team has forced quick pressure (less than 2.5 seconds to pressure) on 106 times - 26th-best in the FBS and the team's overall 143 total pressures are 30th. These numbers come despite blitzing only 29.6 percent of the time - the 32nd-lowest percentage.

11 - Despite being the only FBS team to have seen at least 10 different combinations of its starting five offensive linemen due to unprecedented bad luck on the injury front, ASU has allowed just 11 total sacks in the last seven games (including four games with no sacks) compared to 17 in the first four games.  The 11 sacks in the last 7 games are 42nd-lowest in that time while the 17 in the four weeks were sixth-WORST in the country. The team has a knockdown percentage of 11.1 percent in the last seven games and is right in the middle of the FBS. Through the first four weeks of the season, ASU's knockdown percentage was 21.9 - 7th worst in the FBS.

GREEN LIGHT, GO

• A semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy (nation's top player that started career as walk-on), B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 15.6 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (56 of 359), 24th among all  FBS players who have played at least 200 snaps on a pass rush - however his 359 total pass rushing snaps are 8th in the FBS.
• Green has 56 quarterback pressures this season, good for sixth among all FBS players. He is also second in the nation with 14 quarterback hits this year.
• He ranks 25th among all FBS players as a pass rusher this season with an 85.1 grade on pass rush plays from PFF (min. 200 pass rush snaps)
• Amongst active FBS players with at least 400 pass rushing snaps since 2021, Green's 17.2 career pressure percentage is 9th (104/604).
• Green's 16.2 career "win" percentage on pass rushing plays is 17th among all active FBS players since 2021. His 24 quarterback hits in that time are 8th and his 104 total pressures are 17th.
• Last season,Green was fourth among FBS interior linemen with 11 QB hits. 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 32 missed tackles on offense this season, tops among all FBS receivers. He has added 14 more on kick returns, which is tied for 10th among all kickoff returners in the country.
• Among active FBS receivers since 2021, Badger's 53 missed tackles forced on receiving plays are 6th - though his have come on significantly fewer receptions than those in front of him with the top five having between 40-100 more career receptions than Badger.
• Badger is seventh in the FBS with 52.5 kickoff return yards per game and his 28.90 average yards per return are 6th.
• When Badger returns a kick, ASU is averaging a starting field position of the 32.3 yard line - the best tally for a kickoff returner in the country (min. 10 returns).
• Badger is third in the Pac-12 and is 23rd in the country in averaging 122.0 all-purpose yards per game.
• On the receiving end, his 546 total yards after the catch are 6th among FBS receivers and first in the Pac-12 and his 8.4 yards after the catch per receptions are 4th (min. 75 targets).
• Badger is also 9th among FBS wideouts with 244 yards after contact on the season.
• Badger has been targeted on 18.4 of his offensive snaps this season, the 15th-highest tally among all FBS wide receivers while his 34.3 percent adjusted target share (targets/plays with an aimed pass) is 18th. He leads the Pac-12 in both categories.
• Badger's 12 catches against Colorado and UCLA  are tied for the sixth-most in ASU program history and the most since N'Keal Harry had 13 in a game in 2017.
• He joined Jaelen Strong as the only other receiver in program history to record multiple career games with 12+ catches.
• Badger has a reception in 26 consecutive games, one of just 17 FBS players with an active 26+ game catch streak.
• He is one reception away from moving into Top-10 all time at ASU (currently at 142, needs 143). With five catches in the finale, he would become just the fourth receiver in ASU history with multiple 70-catch seasons (Derek Hagan, N'Keal Harry, Jaelen Strong).
• 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 is sixth in program history among tight ends with 71 career catches. He needs 10 catches to move into the Top-Five in program history, a mark that is currently held by Joe Petty, who had 81 from 1970-72.
• Conyers is 165 receiving yards shy of becoming just the seventh tight end in program history to reach the 1,000 career receiving yard tally (currently at 797).
• He has posted 270 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. His 10.0 yards after the catch per receptions this year are third among FBS tight ends.
• 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.
• Conyers is averaging 2.05 yards per route run this year, eighth among FBS tight ends (min. 25 targets).
• His 111 yards after contact this season are 8th 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 15th 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

• A finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, Cam Skattebo has done a little bit of everything for the Sun Devils this season, recording over 50 snaps at quarterback, over 350 at running back, two at tight end over 100 as either a slot receiver or wide wide receiver, three on kick return, over five on punt coverage.
• He has also punting eight times for a team-best 42.3 yards per punt on eight punts, none of which have been returned - one of just three punters in the country with 8+ punts to lay such a claim.
• Skattebo is 22nd among all active FBS AND FCS running backs since 2021 with 2,573 career rushing yards while his 6.4 yards per carry are 8th among that group. (min. 300 carries)
• He has forced 150 career missed tackles on rushing plays, 10th among active FBS/FCS halfbacks while his 0.38 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt are third (min. 300 attempts) since 2021.
• He has forced 46 this season on rushing plays, 29th among FBS running backs. His 54 overall missed tackles forced on offense are 13th among all FBS running backs.
• Skattebo has rushed for a first down or touchdown on 37.0 percent of his career carries, tops among all active FBS/FCS backs (min. 300 attempts) since 2021. His 29.9 percent 1D/TD percentage this season is 35th in the FBS.
• He has been stuffed for no gain or a loss on just 9.3 percent of his career carries, good for the second-lowest tally among all active backs at both levels (min. 300 attempts) since 2021. His 11.6 percent stuff rate is 15th among FBS running backs this year.
• He is currently averaging 3.9 yards after contact per career rush - 15th among all active FBS/FCS backs.
• He ran for 121 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries against Washington State. It was his second 100+ yard performance of the season and 12th of his career.
• His 66-yard scamper in the third quarter was the first time a Sun Devil had a 50+ yard rush since Jayden Daniels ran for 51-yards on a play Oct. 8, 2021 in a victory over Stanford. It was the longest by a running back since Rachaad White had a 93-yard run in the 70-7 victory over Arizona back on  2021. It was also the longest rush of Skattebo's career.

KEEP THEM IN FRONT OF YOU

• ASU has allowed just 16 plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 66 games - second-fewest in the FBS in that time behind only Washington (14). ASU ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in 50+ yards played allowed each year from 2014-17.
• ASU has allowed just 9 catches for 50 or more yards in that span,  tied for the lowest amount in the FBS in that time.
• ASU has allowed just 42 total plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 37th in the FBS. while the teams 17 plays over 30 yards are 31st.
• 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 36 occasions over 66 games (54.5 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 105 TOTAL 30-plus yard plays (1.5 per game/66 games)). That is the fourth-lowest tally in the FBS in that time (James Madison 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 200 pass coverage snaps, Ed Woods' 219 yards allowed are fourth-lowest. His 5.1 yards per coverage target are fifth. Jordan Clark ranks 11th in the league with just 6.5 yards allowed per coverage target.
• Woods is currently the fourth-highest graded corner in the Pac-12 in coverage with a grade of 78.5.
• Woods is 10th in the league with only a 75.6 NFL QBR when targeted and has allowed just five receptions over 15 yards - third-lowest in the league.
• Woods is tied for 9th in fewest first downs allowed in the Pac-12 with 13 (min. 200 coverage snaps).
• Woods and Ro Torrence are 11th and 13th among Pac-12 corners in only allowing an open receiver 39.5 and 40.0 percent of the time.
• Among Pac-12 corners with at least 200 pass coverage snaps played, Demetries Ford's 18.9 forced inompletion rate is eight.
• Of all Pac-12 linebackers with at least 200 snaps in coverage this season, Tre Brown's five first downs allowed are the 5th-lowest. He and fellow linebackers are two of the only five Pac-12 linebackers to not be credited with a touchdown allowed in coverage (min. 200 coverage snaps).
• Shamari Simmons has forced an incompletion on 22.2 percent of the passes thrown his way this year, tops among Pac-12 safeties.
• ASU is 29th nationally in allowing a first down or touchdown on just 30.4 percent of the passing plays against it this season.
• ASU has allowed just 22 passing plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 14th-lowest in the FBS.
• While ASU sits in the middle of the FBS and Pac-12 in allowing 217.0 pass yards per game, it should be noted it has faced five teams ranked in the Top-25 nationally in passing yards - and four of the top-five - (No. 1 Washington/358.4, No. 2 Oregon/350.0, No. 4 Washington State/338.6, No. 5 USC/329.8, No. 12 Colorado/301.0, No. 18 Fresno State/281.7). As such, Sharp's College Football Advanced Metrics have the Sun Devils ranked 39th in the FBS in pass defense efficiency.

SERIOUSLY, NO FLYING

• The current numbers continue a trend in the Sun Devil Football program that has transcended coaching/personnel changes over the past three+ seasons.
• The 6.77 opponent passing yards per attempt in that time are 28th in the FBS.
• ASU has allowed just 5.3 yards after the catch per completion since 2020 - the 26th-lowest tally in the FBS.
• ASU has given up just 1.94 yards after contact per reception - the 13th-lowest tally in the FBS.
• ASU has allowed just 56 passing touchdowns since the start of 2020 - tied for the 16th-fewest in the FBS. The team has allowed a touchdown on just 4.2 percent of passes thrown against it in that time (456/1328) - the 29th-lowest tally in the FBS.
• The secondary has contested a target on 16.8 percent of passing plays since the start of 2020 - good for 36th in the FBS in that time.
• Opponents have an NFL quarterback rating of just 84.4  since the start of 2020 - the 40th-lowest mark in the FBS.
• Since 2018, the Sun Devil secondary has allowed just 32 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.

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 9th among FBS interior linemen with 11 tackles for loss or no gain this season on run plays. His 24 total defensive "stops" on run plays are 5th among FBS interior linemen.
• Mallory's average depth of tackle is 1.26 yards, showing that he's owning the line of scrimmage as that's the 14th-shortest depth of tackle average among FBS interior linemen (min. 200 rush defense snaps).
• Mallory has the highest grade as an interior lineman on run defense this season in the Pac-12 (73.7) and is 37th in the FBS.
• Mallory has played the second-most snaps of an interior lineman in the Pac-12 and 17th most in the FBS (555) and his 44 tackles are Top-25 among all FBS interior linemen
• C.J. Fite is one of just 8 interior linemen in the FBS to play over 300 snaps as a freshman and one of just three to do so as a TRUE freshman. He has played 200 more snaps than any other true freshmen interior lineman in the Pac-12 and his 75.0 grade on run defense is second among all FBS true freshmen interior linemen and fourth among true AND redshirt freshmen.
• ASU's interior linemen as a whole this season have 19 combined tackles for loss or no gain on rushes -good for 13th in the FBS. Those interior linemen have an average depth of tackle of just 1.49 yards, the 23rd-lowest tally in the FBS.
• The Sun Devil defense thus far has been succesful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.37 seconds to throw the ball - the 20th-fastest time in the FBS.
• The team has forced quick pressure (less than 2.5 seconds to pressure) on 106 times - 26th-best in the FBS and the team's overall 143 total pressures are 30th. These numbers come despite blitzing only 29.6 percent of the time - the 32nd-lowest percentage in the FBS.
• Despite being the only FBS team to have seen at least 10 different combinations of its starting five offensive linemen due to unprecedented bad luck on the injury front, ASU has allowed just 11 total sacks in the last seven games (including four games with no sacks) compared to 17 in the first four games.  The 11 sacks in the last 7 games are 42nd-lowest in that time while the 17 in the four weeks were sixth-WORST in the country.
• The team has a knockdown percentage of 11.1 percent in the last seven games and is right in the middle of the FBS. Through the first four weeks of the season, ASU's knockdown percentage was 21.9 - 7th worst in the FBS.
• Leif Fautanu is currently the 25th-highest graded center in the FBS as a pass blocker with a score of 80.7. His eight QB pressures allowed are tied for the 37th-fewest among FBS centers with at least 300 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. Joey Ramos had the 37th best pass-blocking grade of any player in the FBS following the Oregon game.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• The Sun Devils have looked to Brian Ward to lead the defense this season and in his first season with the program, he has already been named a candidate for the 2023 Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football.
• ASU ranks right in the middle of the  FBS in total defense at 376.6 yards allowed per game though it should be noted its schedule has featured seven teams in the Top-52 in total offense nationally and averaging over 400 yards per game in: No. 2 Oregon (545.7), No. 8 Washington (482.8), No. 12 USC (469.7), No. 38 Oklahoma State (426.5), No. 41 Washington State (425.4), No. 43 UCLA (423.9), No. 52 Cal (404.4).
• In eight of ten 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, Washington State 27/32.9, UCLA 7/28.6)
• On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 32.3 percent of the time (10/31), 40th in the FBS and and 11th of the 53 teams with over 25 such drives faced.
• On 47 opponent red zone drives this season, ASU has allowed just 24 touchdowns - a 51.06 percent touchdown conversion rate that is 27th-lowest in the FBS despite facing 132 red zone plays - the 12th-highest tally in the FBS.
• 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).
• 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.

GOLD RUSH

• The Sun Devils rank 29th in the FBS in averaging 0.24 missed tackles forced per running play this season.
• The team has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage just 17.3 percent of the time, 31st in the FBS.
• Despite playing significantly fewer games than the teams ahead of it, ASU's 86 rushing touchdowns since the beginning of 2020 are 46th among all FBS teams. ASU has accomplished the feat in 40 games, where none of the teams ranked ahead of ASU have fewer than 45 games over the last three-plus seasons.
• ASU has received a team rushing grade of 94.8 from PFF since the 2020 season, the 34th-highest tally in the FBS.
• Since 2020, ASU has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 18.1 percent of its rushes - good for the 30th-lowest tally in the FBS. The team has averaged 3.1 yards after contact per rush in that time - Top-50 in the FBS.
• Since 2020, ASU has picked up a first down or touchdown on 30.3 percent of its rushes - 21st-most in the FBS. The team is averaging 5.4 yards per rush in that time, tied for 41st in the FBS.
• Since 2018, ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 49 of 66 games (74.2 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.

BUT ALSO NO RUSH

• ASU is 40th in the FBS in allowing just 137.3 rush yards per game to opponents
• The Sun Devils allowed only 88 rushing yards to Washington State, which marked the third consecutive game that ASU had held an opponent to under 100 rushing yards.
• It was the first time since the first game of the 2016 season that they have accomplished the feat (Northern Arizona - 56 yards, Texas Tech - 72 yards, UTSA - 93 yards).
• It was the first time it had happened against Pac-12 Conference opponents since a four-game stretch in the 2015 season (USC - 76, UCLA - 62, Colorado - 49, Utah - 72).
• In the three-game span against CU/UW/WSU, Arizona State allowed only 157 total rushing yards - the fewest over a three-game stretch since the Sun Devils allowed only 96 against Colorado (99), Washington (-5), and Washington State (2) during the 2013 season.
• A lot of that success can be attibuted to the Sun Devil secondary as well, which has received a positive rush defense grade on 17.3 percent of run plays this season from PFF, the 32nd-highest tally among safeties and corners in the FBS.
• Chris Edmonds ranks 14th among all FBS safeties with 14 defensive "stops" on run plays this season and his four tackles for loss or no gain on those plays are 34th among those.
• Much of ASU's success on run plays has come by not giving up on the first effort, with the team's 47 missed tackles on run plays ranking as the 38th-lowest in the FBS.

A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

• ASU has forced 80 offensive turnovers overall since 2019, good for Top-60 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 907-523 in points off takeaways since 2012.
• Since 2012, ASU has scored 63.8 percent of the time following an opponent turnover (155 of 243) while finding the end zone 112 times in that span (46.1 percent).
• Conversely, opponents have scored just 49.5 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (94 of 190) with 66 touchdowns (34.7 percent).

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).