First Look: Arizona State at Washington State

When/Where: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.; Martin Stadium, Pullman

TV: FOX Sports 1

Records: Arizona State (4-4,2-3 Pac-12), Washington State (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12)

Line: WSU by 2

Last time: Arizona State defeated Washington State 52-31 in Tempe (2014)

What it means for WSU: Bowl eligibility. While every game remaining on the schedule is winnable for the Cougars, there are no gimmes left, either. Colorado just took UCLA to the brink and Washington pounded Arizona in a 49-3 win. If WSU beats ASU this weekend then every subsequent victory means playing in a better bowl. But if the Cougars lose, a bowl-less season, while unlikely, remains on the table.

What it means for ASU: The Sun Devils already have more losses than in either of their last two regular seasons. ASU is clearly slipping relative to its Pac-12 competition, but the depths to which the Sun Devils will sink remain to be seen. A fairly soft final four games mean the season is still salvageable. But the Sun Devils lose to WSU, who they have beaten by a combined scored of 153-59 in three games under Todd Graham, it will mean ASU has fallen very far down the Pac-12 pecking order.

Key matchup: ASU kick returner Tim White vs. WSU special teams

For some reason, teams keep kicking to Tim White. The ASU return man is both the conference’s leader in kick return average, and the man who has fielded the second-most kicks of any Pac-12 return man. White has already returned one kickoff for a touchdown this season, and he’s surely excited about the possibilities against a WSU coverage unit that has given up two scores already.