Arizona State Faces Uphill Climb vs Utah

TEMPE -- Arizona State is in for the battle of the season on Saturday night against a top-tier Big 12 foe in the Utah Utes.

The 21st-ranked Sun Devils entered the week as underdogs against a team that is as physically strong, technically sound, and well-coached as any other in the conference - this was even before unfortunate injury news that rocked Tempe on Thursday night.

ESPN analyst Bill Connelly highlighted the game between Arizona State and Utah - with the implications of the battle being massive.

"Arizona State hasn't lost to a Big 12 team in nearly a full calendar year, but the Sun Devils are almost an afterthought in the title race, because of both Texas Tech's hot start and their own cold start. They've rebounded since a loss to Mississippi State, but with Utah and Tech in the next two weeks, they need to be close to a finished product.

ASU's defense has evolved into a sharp, bend-don't-break unit, pouncing on mistakes and preventing big plays, but Utah almost has a bend-don't-break offense with heavy efficiency and almost no big plays. How does that play out? And with quarterback Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful to play, can ASU establish enough of a rhythm in the run game, where Utah has suffered some glitches this year?"

Arizona State on SI Explores the Points Below

• Arizona State became something of an afterthought following the Mississippi State loss, but it has positioned itself for another run to reach the Big 12 title game with wins over Baylor and TCU.

• The upcoming four-game stretch will make or break their season, as losses to both Utah and Texas Tech will put a repeat trip to the title game in jeopardy.

• Arizona State's defense has certainly generated the narrative that the unit is 'bend-don't-break - although the run defense has been elite for the better part of a full calendar year to this point.

The unit makes big plays when they are needed the most, while Utah's offense seldom allows the opposing defense to create negative plays. One interesting tidbit in this arrangement is that the Sun Devils are inside of the top 10 nationally in turnover margin, while the Utes are right in the middle of the pack relative to all 136 FBS programs.

The Arizona State offense has yet to fully find its groove offensively, but the run game has been one of the better in the Big 12 in 2025 behind Raleek Brown's 6.6 yards per carry - that should bode well when coupled with the running ability of Jeff Sims and a Utah rush defense that has had lapses at times this season.