Every fall is proof that football season is an absolute sprint compared to sports such as basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer. Serving as testament to that fact is the cold, hard truth that this Saturday marks the final true road test of the season for the Oregon Ducks, who rank sixth in the latest College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings.

This week, the Ducks travel south to Tempe to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils; a team that has been building positive momentum since head coach Herm Edwards came on board prior to last season, but has struggled this season to find consistency from week-to-week despite a rising star at quarterback and talent on defense.

Oregon’s last visit to Sun Devil Stadium in 2017 ended in bitter defeat, as the Ducks had no answer for Manny Wilkins, N’Keal Harry, and the ASU pass attack en route to a stinging 37-35 defeat. Last year’s game in Eugene was similarly tight, as two points once again separated the two sides. However, it was Oregon who came out on top, 31-29, thanks to a clutch defensive performance in the second half and a fortuitous officiating call that nullified a two-point conversion attempt by ASU that would have tied the game late in the fourth quarter.

With those games setting the immediate backdrop for Saturday’s tilt, it feels like another tightly contested matchup between these two teams could potentially be in the cards as the Ducks look to continue their march towards a potential College Football Playoff bid, while the Devils look to secure bowl eligibility. As kickoff approaches, WFOD takes a deeper look at this weekend’s opponent in Arizona State.

Arizona State Sun Devils

2019 record: 5-5 overall, 2-5 in Pac-12
Last game: 34-35 loss at Oregon State
Ranking: N/A
All-time record vs. Oregon: 17-20
When and where to watch: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 4:44 p.m. (Pacific), ABC

Items of note:

• The Sun Devils enter Saturday’s game riding a four-game losing streak
• Oregon enters Saturday’s game tied for the most road wins (5) in Pac-12 play over the last two seasons. The Ducks have won four consecutive league games on the road for the first time since 2015, joining Washington as the only two teams with a four-game run at any point since 2016.
• Oregon has just one turnover in three road games this season and owns a 35-3 edge in points off turnovers. The Ducks have outscored their opponents 56-20 in the second half on the road.
• Oregon’s Justin Herbert has completed 72.7 percent of his passes on the road this season for 764 yards and 10 touchdowns and one interception. For his career, Herbert has 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 14 Pac-12 road games.
• Herbert needs 268 yards passing to join Marcus Mariota as the only Oregon players with 10,000 career yards.

Five Arizona State players you should know:

5. Kobe Williams (CB)

With Chase Lucas and Jack Jones also making hay at corner, the Sun Devils have no shortage of capable cover men to turn to when they need to put a lid on an opposing pass attack. But the player who may quietly be the best of the bunch this season is senior Kobe Williams. At 5-foot-10 and 174  pounds, Williams doesn’t necessarily possess prototypical size at corner, but what he lacks in size and physicality, he makes up for in speed, quickness, and terrific cover skills. His six pass break ups this season ranks third on the team behind Jones (12) and sophomore safety Aashari Crosswell (8), as Williams’ veteran leadership and toughness is a catalyst for the Sun Devils in the back end of their defense.

4. Cam Phillips (DB)

Last season, Aashari Crosswell was the freshman safety who was turning heads his first year in Tempe. And while Crosswell has certainly been an impactful player once again for the Sun Devils in his sophomore season, he shares the spotlight with another up and comer who helps provide ASU with arguably one of the best young safety tandems in the conference. That player is redshirt freshman safety Cam Phillips. Measuring 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Phillips combines toughness with serious instincts and ball skills. Despite having only appeared in seven games this season, Phillips ranks ninth on the team in tackles (42) and fourth on the team in pass break ups (5) to go along with an interception and a forced fumble. In short, he’s a do-it-all player for this skilled Sun Devil defense.

3. Eno Benjamin (RB)

Coming off the best single-season rushing performance in school history (1,642) last year, running back Eno Benjamin hasn’t been quite the same player in his encore as a junior. Though he remains as one of the most talented offensive players in the conference, Benjamin is well off last season’s record-setting pace (126.31 yards/game), averaging just 80.01 yards per game through 10 games in 2019. His eight rushing touchdowns ranks fourth among all Pac-12 rushers, but the big plays and game-changing moments have been few and far between as the Sun Devil offense has had trouble finding consistency all season long. Still, Benjamin’s powerful running style and all-around versatility make a him a dangerous weapon out of the ASU backfield. He will no doubt be a major point of emphasis for the Oregon defense as preparations are made for Saturday.

2. Brandon Aiyuk (WR)

Aside from maybe Washington State’s Brandon Arconado, Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk has been the biggest breakout performer among Pac-12 wide receivers this season. After hauling in 33 passes for 474 yards and three touchdowns a year ago, Aiyuk has essentially doubled those numbers through 10 games in 2019, pacing the Sun Devils with 53 receptions for 964 yards and seven touchdowns. In fact, Aiyuk’s receiving yards and touchdown totals rank third and tied for fourth in the conference this year. At 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, Aiyuk is an explosive, powerfully built athlete who has the speed and dynamic athletic ability to break a game wide open if proper respect isn’t paid. Additional proof is provided by Aiyuk’s exploits in the return game, as he has a punt return for a touchdown this season and his 31.86 yards per kick return average leads all Pac-12 kick returners.

1. Jayden Daniels (QB)

Though this season may not have gone according to plan for Arizona State, the future is certainly bright with Jayden Daniels entrenched as the face of Sun Devil football for at least the next two seasons. A consensus four-prospect from San Bernardino, Calif., Daniels’ prep career statistics read like a Fortune 500 company’s balance sheet. During his four years as a starter at Cajon High School, Daniels threw for a CIF-Southern Section record 14,007 yards and 170 touchdowns. As a true freshman for ASU this season, his stats haven’t been nearly as gaudy (61.4 completion percentage, 2,236 yards passing, 14 touchdowns vs. two interceptions), but they have demonstrated that there is certainly star potential should Daniels continue building upon his fantastic debut season as the Sun Devils’ starting quarterback. With the arm and athletic ability to make life miserable for opposing defenses, Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos will need to lean on the opportunistic nature of his defense in order to try and disrupt the rhythm and shake the confidence of the precocious Daniels.

Top Photo: Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards (Sports Illustrated)