If the ASU offensive line can rev up the running game and Ballage and Demario Richard get going, the burden will be much less heavy for the quarterback to bear and they could turn in another explosive night.
JG: On the year, the Sun Devils’ defense has allowed an average of 404 yards through the air to enemy teams. Colorado arguably has the top receiving core in the Pac-12. Bryce Bobo, Shay Fields, Jr., Devin Ross and Jay MacIntyre are great route runners and have excelled at short, medium and long range distances. Will the Sun Devils’ defense be able to contain them?
SM: The secondary seems to be the go-to answer and the easiest thing to point out upon revisiting the film after losses. But this time, I’m going to go with quarterback, just because we don’t even know who it will be. Between Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez, at least those two have had much more combined experience than the current ASU duo of Sterling-Cole and fourth-stringer Jack Smith, who played quarterback in high school but has mostly played wide receiver and safety on the scout team.
JG: The Buffs’ main goal this year, and for that matter in the years since head coach Mike MacIntyre took over preceding the 2013 season, has been to exit the cellar of the Pac-12. Colorado beat Oregon this year, played well against the then-No.4 Michigan Wolverines and lost closely to USC last week. What is your impression of this team? Can they beat ASU?
SM: The Sun Devils, head coach Todd Graham included, are all much more wary of Colorado at this point, saying they’re a much different team than the Buffaloes of years past. They’ve acknowledged that this Colorado group is experienced and has better chemistry than the teams they’ve beaten handily. I think it’s also a product of the Pac-12 being a much better conference (with more parity) than it is given credit for, and the quality of play in the South division in particular has improved. This is absolutely a game I can see ASU losing in a tough fashion on the road. While Michigan is far and away better than any team ASU will play in 2016 outside of Washington, I am wary of Colorado fading down the stretch and not being able to put ASU away if the game is close in the fourth quarter. While no players jump out as transcendent stars, Colorado is to me as complete and sound a team as you’ll find in the Pac-12.
JG: Can you give me some play makers that the Buffaloes will need to contain or look out for?
SM: As mentioned, N’Keal Harry is big – 6-foot, 4, 220 pounds – and a tremendous playmaker on deep balls. Tim White is a versatile receiver who can also operate out of the backfield. Richard and Ballage are the workhorses in the running back stable, and are both outstanding pass-blockers as well as runners on the edge and up the middle.
JG: The Buffs’ defense has been good at forcing turnovers this year. They forced four vs. the Trojans last week. Do you foresee a similar result this Saturday?
SM: With the possibility of a new quarterback, it seems reasonable that there could be some mistakes made, especially against a solid Colorado defense. Given that attacking and forcing turnovers is ASU’s strength defensively, we could be in for a sloppy game on both sides. ASU has a 2+ turnover margin, forcing 21 turnovers and giving the ball up 19 teams in six games this season.
JG: The big question: Score prediction. What happens on Saturday?
