Arizona State: Four Story Lines to Watch vs. Stanford
When the Stanford Cardinal travel to Tempe to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils, plenty will be on the line when the two teams meet on Friday night.
For a Stanford team looking to keep pace in the Pac-12 North following their upset win over Oregon, a win over the Sun Devils would solidify their chances of staying in the running for the division while also avoiding a crucial third loss of the season.
As for Arizona State, following their statement road victory over UCLA, a win vs. Stanford would keep the Sun Devils in sole position of first place in the Pac-12 South, inching just one game closer to capturing a spot in the conference's championship game in December.
ASU enters Friday's game as double-digit favorites over the Cardinal, as the Sun Devils head into a game giving points for the fifth time this season.
With both programs needing a win to keep their ultimate goal of potentially winning the Pac-12 within their own control, here are four storylines to monitor for ASU:
Storylines to Watch: Arizona State vs Stanford
The return of Evan Fields: Fields was unavailable for last Saturday's game against UCLA due to an unspecified injury. Yet the Sun Devils are more than happy to get their senior safety back on the field vs. Stanford. The return of Fields, who registered 16 total tackles in four games prior to missing the road trip to UCLA, looks to shore up an already stout Sun Devils defense on Friday.
Look for Fields to pick up right where he left off in the defensive backfield, roaming the field and making plays when his number is called.
Consistent pressure: Would you believe it? Arizona State currently paces the Pac-12 in sacks with 16 sacks through five games. The next closest teams (Oregon State and Utah) are tied with 12.
Stanford isn't a strong running team, leading us to believe the Cardinal will be wanting to air the ball out sooner rather than later. Thirteen different ASU defenders have at least half a sack, with all but two (linebackers Kyle Soelle and Darien Butler) playing on the defensive line.
Getting to the quarterback on a consistent basis will ultimately help Arizona State in their efforts to fully put Stanford's offense to a complete standstill.
Soelle's missed half: As a reminder, the team captain and Arizona State linebacker will miss the first half against Stanford following his ejection on a targeting call in the second half vs. UCLA.
Freshman linebacker Eric Gentry is expected to step into his place. Gentry has impressed in the small role he's played thus far, putting his name on the radar of every Arizona State fan following his key fourth-down stop to prevent UCLA from scoring from ASU's 2-yard line in the second half of the Sun Devils' 42-23 victory last week.
Watch for Gentry to continue that momentum and showcase his playmaking ability in Soelle's absence in the first half.
Discipline/penalties: The Sun Devils set a season-low at the Rose Bowl when it came to penalties, accruing just six for 51 yards. Arizona State has struggled mightily with penalties this season, and ASU has done a considerable job to trim the flags since Pac-12 play began.
Can the Sun Devils maintain their clean ways? Some penalties seem inevitable, as rarely do college football teams go through an entire game without a single infraction called on them. However, Arizona State mainly looks to eliminate pre-snap and personal foul penalties in their efforts to play clean football when it matters most.