First look
Time: 2:30 p.m. (PST) Saturday. TV: None
The records: WSU 1-9, 0-7 in Pac-10; Arizona State 3-6; 2-4
Last week: Arizona State defeated Washington, 39-19
WSU lost to Arizona, 59-28
Last time: Arizona State defeated WSU, 23-20, in Pullman last season.
The line: Arizona State by 36.5
What it means for WSU
The Cougars have taken small steps toward respectability the past couple weeks, with a spark of life early against Stanford and many more throughout the Arizona game. But there wasn’t a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in those games, as WSU had no chance to win. But this week might be different. The Sun Devils have struggled, losing six consecutive games before last week. How will the Cougars react – and play – with a shot to compete? And there’s one other subplot. WSU’s first-year coach Paul Wulff played two seasons under ASU’s Dennis Erickson.
What it means for Arizona St.
Despite a six-game losing streak, if ASU wins this week, then stops UCLA (3-6, 2-4) at home after Thanksgiving, it will enter its rivalry game with Arizona with a shot at a bowl game. Not a shining goal for a team picked by some to win the Pac-10 title before the season started, but a goal nonetheless. But a loss to the Cougars ends all that talk and probably puts Erickson in the hot seat.
Key matchup
Arizona State offensive line vs. WSU defensive front.
If there’s been a weak point for the Sun Devils the past two seasons, this is it. Even last year, when the Devils were 10-3 and went to the Holiday Bowl, their offensive line struggled. Heck, the Cougars sacked quarterback Rudy Carpenter seven times in ASU’s win. This year has been even worse, with the Arizona State running game nearly non-existent – until last week at Washington – and Carpenter being sacked 25 times. But the Cougar front hasn’t struck fear into anyone, with just seven sacks and ranking last nationally in rushing defense, giving up 279.1 yards per game – 309.1 against FBS foes. The winner of this “battle” may just win this game.
Vince Grippi, staff writer