Arizona State Running Back Named Big 12 Player to Watch

TEMPE -- Arizona State football is in position to start Big 12 play on a high note with a road game against the Baylor Bears tomorrow afternoon.

Baylor is coming off a two-game win streak - including an impressive comeback over SMU - following an opening-game loss to Auburn. The Sun Devils bounced back nicely following a loss to Mississippi State in week two with a 34-15 victory over Texas State.

One of the biggest x-factors in the victory over the Bobcats is widely seen as a major player in the game to be against Baylor's porous run defense.

Heartland College Sports' Matthew Postins named Sun Devil running back Raleek Brown as the player to watch ahead of the opening week of Big 12 play.

More rationale below:

• "Can Baylor’s defense stop this guy? The Bears better figure it out. He picked up the slack against Mississippi State two weeks ago and rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries. Last week he torched Texas State for 144 yards and a score on 12 carries.

• With the injury to Kyson Brown, there is more room for Brown to get more carries. He’s just 5-foot-9, but he’s quick and a great counterpoint to fellow back Kanye Udoh, who is more or a bruiser. Baylor’s defense hasn’t look great and the run game plays well on the road."

Brown has perhaps been the most explosive player on the Arizona State roster to this point - nearly securing both rushing and receiving touchdowns of over 70 yards in the first three weeks.

While de facto starting running back Kyson Brown is set to return after a virtual two-week absence due to an ankle injury suffered early in the Mississippi State game, R. Brown remains set to be a conspicuous presence in the offense.

His shiftiness, breakaway speed, receiving ability, and deceptive strength are all major cogs in OC Marcus Arroyo's play-calling machine - expect the Sun Devils to run the ball in heavy doses in a favorable matchup.

Read more on major takeaways from players discussing the victory over Texas State in the post-game press conference here, and on how Arizona State fans should be feeling about the team heading into Big 12 play here.