5 Arizona State Players Baylor Football Must Contain in Week 5
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Underneath the lights in Tempe, Arizona this Saturday is where the Bears will be playing their next game. After a successful three game home stint, Baylor will be looking to up the win-streak to four games in a row. However, to do that, the Bears are going to have to need to prevent these players from being able to take control of the game and swing it in the Sun Devils' favor.
Quarterback Cutter Boley
At 6'5" tall and 220 pounds, Cutter Boley has the prototypical size for a quarterback. Guiding the new-look offense of Head Coach Kenny Dillingham, Boley has thrown for 736 yards this season. With Devonte Tezino out for the rest of the season injured, it will be interesting to see how Hosea Wheeler, Kyland Reed, Travion Barnes, and the rest of the Baylor defense tries to stifle Boley's progress.
Wide Receiver Reed Harris
The current ASU stat leader with 374 receiving yards, Harris is the Sun Devils primary deep threat. Also at 6'5" tall and 220 pounds, Harris is a large target with good hands for Boley to target on Saturday. Harris is going to have size on Baylor's secondary, so the Bears are going to either have to disrupt Boley prior to the pass or blanket Morris so that he doesn't get the chance to be targeted, let alone catch many passes.
Running Back Kyson Brown
With a team-high 227 rushing yards, the Bears defense will need to keep an eye on Kyson Brown as well. The 6'1" 200 pound back will be looking to establish his brand of running against the Bears defense. With Baylor being suspect at times against the run, a running theme throughout this season so far, they will need to limit Brown to minimal gains and work to close any running lanes before they open.
Linebacker Owen Long
The 6'1" tall and 225 pound Long leads the Sun Devils with 25 tackles and always seems to be near the ball when it's anywhere near his area of the field. The chess match that DJ Lagway will be having with Owen Long on Saturday will be one worth watching. Expect the Bears to continue their pattern of quick passes and tempo plays in effort to minimize Long's contributions this week.
Defensive Lineman C.J. Fite
A preseason All-Big 12 defensive anchor and cornerstone of the Sun Devils defensive unit, C.J. Fite is going to be one of the biggest issues for the Bears on Saturday. The 6'2" 310 pound lineman will be looking to stuff Baylor's running game. It will be up to the Baylor offensive line and the running back corps to neutralize Fite as an obstacle. Look for Fite to line up in a few different locations and also look for the Bears to avoid running directly at his side of the line.
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Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
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