Coming off a 42-9 rout at the hands of Oregon State last Saturday, Colorado will return to the friendly confines of Folsom Field – where it was last seen celebrating a win – to take on Arizona State Saturday.
The 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff will air on ESPNU.
Like the Buffs, the Sun Devils are currently under the guidance of an interim head coach, Shaun Aguano, after the university fired coach Herm Edwards following a 1-2 start to his fifth season with the program. Edwards’ ouster came as the program is being investigated by the NCAA for possible recruiting violations.
Should Arizona State finish with a losing record – which seems extremely likely at this point – it will mark the first time it has done so since 2016.
Colorado has won two of the past three matchups between the programs, but was handed a 35-13 loss last season in Tempe, Ariz.
Before the teams meet on the field Saturday, let’s take a closer look at the Sun Devils.
Game details
Who | Colorado (1-6, 1-3 Pac-12) vs. Arizona State (2-5, 1-3)
Where | Folsom Field
When | 5:30 p.m. MT Saturday
TV | ESPNU
Arizona State Sun Devils (2-5)
Location: Tempe, Ariz.
Conference: Pac-12
Coach: Shaun Aguano (1st season at Arizona State as interim head coach, 1-3 record)
2021 record: 8-5
Scoring offense rank (of 131 Football Bowl Subdivision teams): T-93rd (25 PPG)
Scoring defense rank: 79th (28 PPG)
Total offense rank: 99th (353.6 YPG)
Total defense rank: 96th (407 YPG)
Five players to know
1. RB Xazavian Valladay (No. 1): A Wyoming transfer in his first season with the program, Valladay has wasted little time making an impact with his new team. The Chicago native is averaging 94.3 rushing yards per game, the second-highest mark among all Pac-12 players. He hasn’t just been productive, but efficient, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. His seven rushing touchdowns are more than the rest of his teammates have combined and he’s a threat catching the ball, as well, with 14 receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Valladay entered the season as the active FBS leader in career rushing yards.
2. LB Kyle Soelle (No. 34): While Arizona State’s defensive numbers aren’t particularly impressive, one of the biggest reasons they’re not worse is because of Soelle. The 6-foot-4 sixth-year senior leads the Sun Devils in tackles (87) and interceptions (two). He has 31 more tackles than the next-closest teammate. He led the team in tackles last season, as well, with 82.
3. WR Elijhah Badger (No. 2): After modest production as a redshirt freshman last season, Badger has emerged as the Sun Devils’ top receiving threat in 2022. His 490 receiving yards and four touchdown catches are both team highs. That yardage total includes a stellar showing in a loss last week against Stanford, a game in which he had a career-high 118 receiving yards.
4. LB Merlin Robertson (No. 8): An all-Pac-12 honorable mention selection last season, Robertson is piecing together a strong fifth season with the program. His 56 tackles are second on the team. In addition to that, he has a sack, a pass defended and a forced fumble this season. Robertson was the Pac-12 defensive freshman of the year in 2018.
5. OL LaDarius Henderson (No. 77): A physical force at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Henderson was the 11th-highest-graded guard in the Pac-12 last season and allowed just one sack during that time. This season, the preseason second-team all-Pac-12 honoree has helped pave the way for a formidable Sun Devils run game.
What Arizona State does well
For whatever shortcomings the Sun Devils’ defense might have as a whole, it’s at least a fairly opportunistic group. Arizona State players have intercepted eight passes this season, tying them for 27th among all FBS programs. Nineteen of the teams tied with or ahead of them have played one more game than the Sun Devils, meaning they could very well be higher. In addition to Soelle, two other Arizona State players – defensive backs Jordan Clark and Timarcus Davis – have multiple interceptions. And that group of players with multiple takeaways doesn’t include another defensive back, Ro Torrence, who has a team-high seven passes defended this season.
Arizona State is also seventh among FBS teams in kick returns this season, averaging 26.1 yards on 22 attempts this season. Both Javen Jacobs (26.3 yards per return) and Daniyel Ngata (25.6) are averaging at least 25 yards per return.
Where Arizona State is vulnerable
The Sun Devils’ defensive struggles might be most pronounced on the defensive line, which is tied for 120th in sacks per game (with 1.14) and 130th in team tackles for loss per game (3.4). Arizona State had floundered in certain (and crucial) defensive situations this season, allowing opponents to extend drives and capitalize on scoring opportunities. The Sun Devils are 126th in third-down conversion defense this season, allowing opponents to successfully convert on third down on 48% of their attempts. They’re also 117th in red zone defense this season, giving up points on 90.6% of opponents’ trips inside the 20. Of those 32 red-zone appearances, 20 ended with a touchdown.
While this goes beyond defense, Arizona State has also been a significantly undisciplined team this season. It has the 13th-most penalty yards this season, having accumulated 530 in just seven games, an average of 75.7 per game.
Key stat
Of the five teams remaining on Colorado’s schedule, the Sun Devils are the only one with a sub-.500 record, at 2-5. The Buffs’ four other opponents have a combined record of 23-6, with no team worse than 5-2.
It’s a point that’s going to be belabored over the next few days, but if Colorado has any hope of getting a second and probably final win this season, it’s this game.
Key matchup
Colorado’s front seven against Arizona State’s running backs. Another broken record moment, but hey, when the team in question is 1-6, you’re going to have a few of those. The same, obvious problems have a way of continually popping up. After getting plowed over by the Oregon State offensive line and freshman running back Damien Martinez in a 33-point loss last weekend against the Beavers, the Buffs will face another challenge from a talented rushing attack. We’ve already gone over Valladay, but complementing him is Ngata, who is second on the team in rushing yards and is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, the latter of which is an even better mark than Valladay’s. The Sun Devils’ offensive line isn’t nearly as good as Oregon State’s, but expect this to be another trying outing for a team with the second-worst yards-per-carry-against average in the FBS.
