THE GAME - Sun Devil Football will take part in its penultimate home game of the 2017 campaign as it takes on the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday, Nov. 4 in the program's annual Salute to Service Game. The contest is scheduled to kickoff at approximately 6 p.m. AZT and will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks.
THE BUFFALOES - Colorado is 5-4 this season and coming off back-to-back Pac-12 wins coming into the weekend. ASU leads the all-time series against the Buffaloes, 7-1, with the lone blemish coming in Boulder last season.
SALUTE TO SERVICE - Now through Nov. 12, Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics are honoring those who have served or are currently serving our country in the armed forces. From on-campus panel discussions and receptions to each individual honorary game, ASU is saluting active duty and military veterans from student, alumni and community groups.
Arizona State University and adidas today unveiled the Sun Devils' special edition "Brotherhood" alternate football uniforms. Designed in collaboration with Sun Devil Athletics and the Pat Tillman Foundation, the uniform pays tribute to our nation's active U.S. military and veterans.
Arizona State University proudly supports the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) by welcoming the families of 12 fallen servicemembers to Sun Devil Stadium. These courageous survivors are here with us to honor the memory of their loved ones and their service to this nation. The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) provides immediate and long-term emotional help, hope and healing to all grieving the death of a loved in military service to America, no matter the cause of death. Since 1994, TAPS has served more than 70,000 surviving military family members and their caregivers across the nation. Bonnie Carroll, the president and founder of TAPS, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work to help our surviving military families.
AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
- Be the 600th victory in Sun Devil Football history, improving the program to 600-391-24
- Improve the Devils to 29-10 in games played at Sun Devil Stadium since 2012.
- Move ASU to 8-1 all-time against the Buffs, with the lone blemish occuring in Boulder last season
- Move ASU to at least 4-2 in Pac-12 standings for the first time since starting out 5-1 in 2014.
- Improve the Devils to 29-22 in games against Pac-12 opponents since 2012, the second-best record in the Pac-12 South behind USC's 34-16 mark.
#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. ASU is 3-1 this season in games decided by touchdown or less and 12-7 since 2012 UA comeback. Was 6-16 in such games from 2007 to UA game.
2. .@FootballASU is 4th nationally in red zone scoring at 96.0% (24-of-25) trips with lone blemish coming while kneeling at end of UW win.
3. .@ShowinStatsSam is currently ranked third in the nation and leads the Pac-12 wuth 6.9 solo tackles per game.
4. ASU is 37-16 since 2012 when committing fewer than 6 penalties and just 6-14 when comitting 6 or more.
5. The Sun Devils have forced 138 turnovers under Todd Graham, which is tied for the 17th-highest total in the country in that span.
6. .@FootballASU has 13 scoring drives over 4 minutes long this season. They had 10 TOTAL last season and just 8 in 2015.
7. 10 of last 15 ASU scoring drives have been 10+ plays compared to 3 of the first 21. Has 13 total compared to 15 10+ play drives in all of '16
8. ASU has lost only seven turnovers (2 on tipped ball interceptions) this season, good for 15th nationally. Was 82nd last year with 21 turnovers.
9. .@BrandonRRuiz is tied for second among the nation's freshmen (21st overall) with 12 field goals made this season.
10. .@dj_calhoun remains one of 3 inside linebackers to not miss a tackle on a running play this season and has missed just 1 tackle overall in 2017.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- The Sun Devils have turned the ball over just seven times this season (two on tipped ball interceptions), a total good for 15th nationally. ASU finished 82nd in the country a year ago with 21 turnovers.
- The Sun Devils are currently 23rd nationally in averaging 32:14 minutes of possession a game, a total is second in the Pac-12. In the last decade, the best ASU finished in terms of time of possession was third nationally in 2007 at 33:08 per game. Since that season, ASU has finished no better than 32nd in possession time per game (2014) and has finished below 50th seven times
- Despite being pressured on 35.1 percent of his dropbacks - the 14th-highest total nationally among 80 FBS QBs who drop back at least 50 percent of the time - Manny Wilkins is 8th nationally with a 92.6 NFL QB rating under pressure - fourth-highest among all QBs pressured at least 34 percent of the time and first among all Pac-12 quarterbacks.
- Christian Sam is currently ranked 3rd in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 6.9 solo tackles per game. He is 8th nationally and first in the conference in averaging 10.4 tackles per game.
- ASU is currently second in the nation since 2012 in averaging 3.14 sacks per game. Additionally, ASU is first in the Pac-12 and second in the nation (Clemson) with an average of 7.72 TFL per game under Graham (since 2012).
STRIKE FIRST
- Arizona State has scored first in 48 of the 73 games with Todd Graham at the helm and is 36-12 when doing so.
- The Devils are 4-1 this season when scoring first (wins vs. NMSU, ORE, WASH, UTAH).
STRIKE FAST...?
- 274 of the Devils' 403 scoring drives since 2012 have come in three minutes or fewer (68.0 percent).
- The fast paced-offense was still in full effect against Oregon with four drives coming under two minutes in that effort.
- Two of ASU's four scoring drives against NMSU came in under 30 seconds - marking the first time ASU had two scoring drives of 50+ yards occur in less than 30 seconds since the 2014 USC game.
...OR NOT?
- Despite the Sun Devils' previous modus operandi of quick-hitting scoring drives, ASU has been content with more methodic drives in 2017 with just 15 of 37 scoring drives coming under three minutes (40.5 percent).
- The Sun Devils are currently 23rd nationally in averaging 32:14 minutes of possession a game, a total is second in the Pac-12.
- In the last decade, the best ASU finished in terms of time of possession was third nationally in 2007 at 33:08 per game. Since that season, ASU has finished no better than 32nd in possession time per game (2014) and has finished below 50th seven times.
- ASU has 13 scoring drives this season that have lasted four minutes or longer after having just 10 total in the entirety of 2016. ASU had just eight scoring drives longer than four minutes in 2015.
- 10 of the last 16 Sun Devil scoring drives have been 10 plays or longer compared to just 3 of the first 21 scoring drives this season going into double-digit plays. ASU had 15 scoring drives last 10 plays or longer in the entirety of 2016 and is already at 13 this season.
- ASU had three scoring drives over 5 minutes against Stanford and followed that with two drives over 6 minutes against #5 Washington, notable as the Devils had just four scoring drives total in 2016 that lasted longer than five minutes.
- ASU's 16-play, 8:08-minute scoring drive against Washington was the longest scoring by plays and by duration since Todd Graham's career began in 2012.In fact, it was ASU's longest scoring drive since a 9 minute, 43 second field goal drive against Oregon State in 2008. It was the longest touchdown drive by time since at least the 1999 season (as far back as drive possessions were readily available).
GETTING STARTED ON THE RIGHT FOOT
- The Sun Devils have outscored their opposition 617-388 in the first quarter under Todd Graham.
- ASU is currently 28th nationally in scoring 7.9 points per first quarter this season.
- The Sun Devils are 27-4 under Graham when holding their opposition scoreless in the first quarter. ASU has posted an impressive 35-3 overall record under Graham when leading at halftime.
DON'T CROSS THAT LINE
- ASU forced 24 plays against Utah that resulted in negative or no yardage (16 incomplete passes, 4 tackles for loss, 4 plays for no gain) of the 81 total plays in the contest (29.6 percent)
- This season, ASU has forced 180 plays resulting in negative or no yardage of 552 total (32.6 percent).
- Under Graham, ASU has forced 1,838 plays that have not resulted in positive yardage out of 5,196 (35.4 percent).
SERIOUSLY, DON'T CROSS IT
- ASU is currently second in the nation since 2012 in averaging 3.14 sacks per game. Additionally, ASU is first in the Pac-12 and second in the nation (Clemson) with an average of 7.72 TFL per game under Graham (since 2012).
- Last season, the Sun Devils had at least two players who reached double digits in tackles for loss (Koron Crump, JoJo Wicker and DJ Calhoun) for the 5th time since 2012. ASU has had 17 such individual occurences under Graham (2012-p) after having just 17 TOTAL reach the mark in 10 previous seasons (2002-11) with at least two players reaching double digits in the category just six times in that span.
#NOFLYZONE
- The Sun Devil pass defense has been much improved in recent weeeks, allowing fewer than 200 opponent passing yards in three of the last four games. To put that in perspective - ASU had three such games TOTAL in 2015 and 2016.
- ASU has four games this season allowing under 200 passing yards, matching its total from 2014. It had five such games in 2013 and eight in 2012. 2017 marks the first time ASU has had at least three games in a row allowing fewer than 200 passing yards since opening the 2012 season with seven such games.
- ASU allowed just 467 total passing yards in its three-game stretch against Stanford, Washington and Utah. Again, for perspective, ASU had given up more than that in a SINGLE GAME on seven different occassions in the 29 games prior to that run.
- According to Pro Football Focus, the Sun Devil pass coverage has been rated either the first or second-best in the conference in three of the last four games (Stanford, Washington, Utah).
HE'S THE MANNY
- Despite being pressured on 35.1 percent of his dropbacks - the 14th-highest total nationally among 80 FBS QBs who drop back at least 50 percent of the time - Manny Wilkins is 8th nationally with a 92.6 NFL QB rating under pressure - fourth-highest among all QBs pressured at least 34 percent of the time and first among all Pac-12 quarterbacks.
- His four touchdowns under pressure are tied for 20th nationally among all quarterbacks.
- Wilkins has shown what he can do in a clean pocket however, ranked 10th nationally with a 72.4 completion percentage when there's been no pressure this season - good for second in the Pac-12.
- Wilkins has three touchdown passes over 50 yards this season after not having any in his career previously.
- Wilkins has a 112.1 NFL quarterback rating on deep passes (passes of more than 20 yards), good for 11th nationally among quarterbacks who drop back at least 50 percent of the time.
- Since his first quarter interception at Arizona last year (over 8 1/2 games), Wilkins is 207-of-311 (66.6 percent) with 2,430 yards, 12 touchdowns, 3 interceptions (two on a tipped pass) with a 143.00 passing efficiency in that time
- Wilkins broke the school record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception at 192 dating back to last season before his first quarter interception against Stanford, breaking Rudy Carpenter's previous school record of 149 from the end of 2005 to 2006.
GOLD RUSH
- ASU has 15 rushing TDs this year as it seeks to reach 25 rushing touchdowns for the fourth time in the last six seasons. The current total of three such times is notable as the Devils had just three previous seasons with at least 25 rushing touchdowns from 1980-2011 (1985, 1986 and 1996).
- Six times in the Todd Graham era has ASU had gone over five rushing touchdowns in a game. The Devils had three such games TOTAL from 1997-2011.
- Yards after contact have been a been impressive in recent years with the likes of Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage. 487 of ASU's total 971 rushing yards this season have come after contact (50.1 percent) with Ballage accounting for 214 of those (2.31 yards after carry per rush) and Richard logging 215 on 379 total yards (56.7 percent).
GOLD ZONE
- ASU is fourth nationally in converting on 96.00 percent of its red zone appearances this season (24-of-25), however, the Devils took a knee in the final seconds of the team's victory over fifth-ranked Washington in the red zone - the lone 'blemish' to the team's total this season.
- The Devils sit 13th nationally in red zone touchdown scoring with 19 touchdowns on those 25 attempts (76.00).
- The Sun Devils scored on 43-of-47 trips to the red zone in 2016 (91.5 percent), a total that ranked 10th in the nation. ASU scored a touchdown on 33 of those trips (70.2 percent). That percentage was ranked 22nd nationally and notable as ASU found the end zone on just 51.5 percent of its red zone trips in 2015 - a total that ranked 108th in the country.
SUPER DEMARIO
- Demario Richard is currently 11th in Sun Devil history with 2,554 career rushing yards and needs fewer than 100 yards to move into ASU's all-time top-10.
- He became just the sixth Sun Devil in the Pac-12 era to reach 2,500 career rushing yards this season.
- Richard has nine 100-yard rushing games in his career, three shy of cracking the ASU top-five in the category.
- Richard had a touchdown rush in three consecutive games for ASU this year, the first three-game stretch reaching the feat in his career.
- Richard became the 27th Sun Devil to eclipse 3,000 career all-purpose yards and has also brought his career touchdown total to 26, needing just four more to move into ASU's all-time top-10.
- In 2015, Richard became the fourth Sun Devil in history to have at least seven 100-yard rushing games in a single season, joining Freddy Williams and Art Malone (8) and Woody Green (7, 2 times).
CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALLAGE
- Kalen Ballage had 14 rushing touchdowns last season, making him just the fourth Sun Devil since 2000 to reach double digits and moved him into a tie for the seventh most single season rushing touchdowns in ASU history. He finished 26th in the nation in rushing touchdowns (14) and 34th among all position players with 94 total points scored.
- Ballage has five rushing touchdowns this season and now has 26 in his career, creeping up on ASU's all-time Top-5 in the category (the threshold being 28 rushing TDs).
- Ballage became the 26th Sun Devil to eclipse 3,000 career all-purpose yards and his 28 career touchdowns overall are two shy of cracking ASU's all-time Top-10 in the category.
NO RUSH
- The Sun Devils have held 25 opponents under 100 rushing yards in the Todd Graham era (73 games/34.2 percent), including four of 12 games last year and twice so far in 2017. (Texas Tech and #5 Washington).
- Last year, ASU held three straight opponents under 100 rushing yards for the third time under Graham (2013, 2015, 2016). The Devils had limited opponents to under 100 rushing yards in three straight games in just five previous seasons dating back to 1986.
TAKING OFFENSE
- ASU is ranked second in the Pac-12 and 15th in the nation at 35.7 points per game in the Graham era.
- Arizona State and Louisiana Tech are tied for the active FBS record of 116 consecutive games scoring more than 7 points. The Sun Devils last scored a touchdown or less when they were shutout, 28-0, against eighth-ranked USC in the 2008 season. They have scored 30 or more points in 64 of those games (55.2 percent).
MAKE 'EM PAY
- ASU has outscored opponents 573-315 in points off takeaways since 2012 and 37-31 this year. ASU has 10 takeaways this season and has scored points following seven of those.
- Since 2012, ASU has scored 70.2 percent of the time following an opponent turnover (97 of 138) while finding the end zone 73 times in that span (52.9 percent).
- Conversely, opponents have scored just 52.5 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (53 of 101) with 41 touchdowns (40.6 percent).
A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR
- The Sun Devils have forced 138 turnovers under Todd Graham, which is tied for the 17th-highest total in the country in that span.
- ASU has 16 interception returns for touchdowns under Graham, compared to posting just four total in the three previous seasons prior to 2012. The total is tied with Ohio State for first in the nation in that time.
- ASU has added four fumble return touchdowns as well for 20 defensive touchdowns since the 2012 season, good for fourth in the country in that time span behind Ohio State (25), Alabama (22) and Boise State (21).
TURNOVER FACTORY
- ASU is ranked 10th in the nation with a .49 average turnover margin per game since Graham took over the helm and is 11th in the nation with a plus-36 total turnover margin since 2012.
- The Devils are first in the Pac-12 and tied for 10th in the nation with 86 total interceptions in that span.
WINNING THE BATTLE FOR FIELD POSITION
- Since 2012, ASU has an average starting yard line of its own 34.4 in 43 victories compared to 25.3 for their opponents in such contests.
- Conversely, opponents have an average starting field position of their own 31.3 yard line compared to ASU starting at its own 28.0 in ASU's 30 losses under Graham.
CLOSE IT OUT
- ASU has outscored other teams 724-591 in the fourth quarter and overtime under Todd Graham (9.9 points per fourth quarter and OT) and averaged 12.8 points per fourth quarter last season (outscoring opponents 155-125).
- Excluding FCS NAU, the Sun Devils finished 2016 seventh nationally in averaging 19.6 points per second half against FBS opposition and second in the country with 11.9 points per fourth quarter against FBS teams.
- ASU has started second halves strong this year, ranked 30th nationally in averaging 8.1 points per third quarter.
T.N.T., WE'RE DYNAMITE
- The Sun Devils have a classification of "explosive plays" that equal a run of 12 or more yards or a passing play of 16 or more yards. ASU had 7 such plays against #21 USC and 65 total this season.
- The Devils are tied for 6th nationally with seven passing plays of over 50 yards this season. It had one in all of 2016.
- ASU is 33rd nationally with seven plays over 50 yards this year after having just two total last season.
- ASU had two 50+ yard scoring passes in the opener, something it had not achieved since the Jael Mary game against USC in 2014. They were the first two 50+ yard scoring passes of Manny Wilkins' career.
KEEP IT CLEAN
- ASU has averaged just 37.3 penalty yards per game since 2012, good for the fourth-lowest total in the country behind only Navy (26.2), Georgia Tech (36.1) and Army (36.9).
- Since Todd Graham arrived at Arizona State, the Sun Devils have had just 323 penalties in 73 games (4.42 penalties per game).
- ASU is 37-16 since 2012 when it has fewer than six penalties in a game compared to a 6-14 record when it has 6 or more.
- ASU is current sixth in nation in fewest penalities and fewest penatlies per game (32/4.00), 18th in fewest penalty yards (316) and 15th in fewest penalty yards per game (39.50)
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
- ASU is 28-10 at Sun Devil Stadium since Todd Graham took over in the 2012 season. The 28 wins are the second-most home wins under any Sun Devil head coach behind Frank Kush.
- The Sun Devils join Baylor and Oregon as the only schools in the country to be ranked in the Top-40 in home points per game in EACH of the previous five seasons.
- ASU has posted under 20 points in a regular home game just four times in Todd Graham's tenure - a 19-16 overtime victory over Utah in 2014 and a 13-7 victory over #5 Washington in 2017 but also a pair of tough losses to USC (a 42-14 loss to #19 USC in 2015 and a 48-17 loss to #21 USC in 2017).
- The Sun Devils are 285-106-3 (.730) all-time at Sun Devil Stadium since 1958, the 29th-highest active winning percentage in a stadium among all FBS schools.
USE THEM WISELY
- Since the start of the 2012 season, ASU has used 71 timeouts on defense in third down situations, and have not allowed a first down on the ensuing play and/or forced a turnover on 50 of those occasions (70.4 percent).
HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS
- ASU has now gone 12-7 in games decided by a touchdown or less since the 2012 Arizona comeback in Tucson. ASU had gone 6-16 in such games since the 2007 season up until that moment. The Devils are 3-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less this season.
HOLD ON TO THAT BALL, ALSO
- ASU is now 14-3 under Todd Graham in games where it does not have a turnover after the Washington victory this season and 2-0 in such games in 2017.
- The Sun Devils have turned the ball over just seven times this season (two on tipped ball interceptions), a total good for 15th nationally. ASU finished 82nd in the country a year ago with 21 turnovers.
- In 2014, the Sun Devils had six games where they did not turn the ball over and went 6-0 in those contests. That number was notable because in the previous two seasons, ASU had just five combined games where it did not turn the ball over.
TAKING DOWN THE TOP
- The Sun Devils have gone 10-9 in the last 19 games against ranked teams.
- In his time at ASU, Todd Graham is 10-12 against AP-ranked opponents after defeating Oregon and Washington this season. Those 10 wins are the 5th-highest total in the Pac-12, one behind USC's total of 11.
- ASU's victory over No. 5 Washington this season was one of just four victories over a Top-Five team in program history and the first since a fateful 19-0 victory over #1 Nebraska in 1996.
- Graham has more than doubled the Top-25 win total of Dennis Erickson (3) and Dirk Koetter (2) during their tenures. In the previous 14 seasons, ASU was 5-40 in games against teams ranked in the AP poll.
- ASU is 28-22 in Pac-12 Conference games since 2012, the second-best total in the Pac-12 South behind USC (35-16).
DIRTY HARRY
- Possessing deceptive speed and elusiveness, N'Keal Harry has 334 yards after the catch this season on 713 yards (46.8 percent) and is averaging 6.2 yards after catch per reception this season. The 334 yards after catch are third in the Pac-12 behind USC's Deontay Burnett (401) and WSU's Tavares Martin (355).
- Harry has proved himself as a valuable possession receiver as well and has 54 receptions on 79 targets this season, both totals tied for third in the Pac-12.
- At 713 yards thus far this season, Harry has already surpassed his freshman total of 659 receiving yards.
- The sophomore has started every game at Arizona State, now at 20 straight games - the most among all offensive players. He has a reception in every one of those games.
LIGHT 'EM UP
- ASU has scored 50 or more points 16 times since Todd Graham arrived in Tempe for the 2012 season.
- To put that in perspective, ASU eclipsed 50 points 10 times total in the previous 10 years before the current coaching regime (2001-11).
- Against Pac-12 opponents, the Sun Devils have scored 50 or more points 10 times under Coach Graham, after only tallying nine in the conference era prior (since 1978).
- ASU went 86 games without scoring 60 from 2005-2011. Under Coach Graham it has scored 60 or more four times ('12-63 NAU, '12-62 Navy, '13-62 USC, '16-68 TTU).
- The Sun Devils have dropped 50 on Arizona twice in the last three years after doing so just three times in 86 previous contests.
BRING THE WOOD...OR THE WICKER...OR THE LATU
- Tashon Smallwood is third nationally among all FBS defensive tackles with 23 quarterback pressures this season
- JoJo Wicker is eighth among defensive ends with 20 pressures this season.
- Tashon Smallwood logged a career best 4.0 tackles for loss with two sacks against NMSU, becoming the first Sun Devil to have 4.0+ tackles for loss since Antonio Longino against Arizona in 2015.
- After having just 1.5 tackles for loss and no sacks in his career entering the season, A.J. Latu already has 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks this season.
- Four times in the Todd Graham era has a defensive player had at least 10 sacks in a season. ASU had just two players reach the milestone from 2003-2011.
- For the fifth consecutive season under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils had at least two players that reached double digits in tackles for loss (Koron Crump, JoJo Wicker and DJ Calhoun). ASU has had 17 such occurences under Graham (2012-present) after having just 17 TOTAL players reach the mark in 10 previous seasons (2002-11) with at least two players reaching double digits in the same season just six times in that span.
IN THE RIGHT HANDS...OR FEET
- The Sun Devils came into the season as one of just three teams in the country that started the year with no kickers OR punters with D-I experience on the roster, along with Virginia and UAB.
- Brandon Ruiz set an ASU record with his 52-yard field goal in the opener, his first career field goal to make him the first Sun Devil to have their first career field goal go for 50 or more yards.
- Ruiz became became the first Sun Devil in school history to kick two or more field goals longer than 50 yards in their freshman season.
- The true freshman is currently ninth nationally and first among all freshmen and in the Pac-12 in touchback percentage (75.56 percent) and is 7th nationally with 34 total touchbacks.
- Ruiz is tied for second among all freshmen kickers in the country with 12 field goals this season and is 21st among all kickers.
- Ruiz has twice been honored as the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week (vs. Oregon, at Utah).
- Against Washington, the Devils faced the nation's top punt returner in Dante Pettis, tied for the NCAA record for most punt returns for a touchdown and averaging 33 yards per return this season. Sleep-Dalton finished the game with six punts for 40.5 yards while allowing Pettis just three returns for 7 total yards and a muffed return.
- Sleep-Dalton has six punts inside the 20 in the last 19 punts (33.3 percent). In his four prevous games, he had just three punts downed inside the 20 on 19 attempts (15.8 percent).
- The team is replacing unanimous All-American and 2017 Lou Groza Award winner Zane Gonzalez at the placekicking position in addition to current starting punter for the Miami Dolphins, Matt Haack.
AIR IT OUT
- 39 of Jalen Harvey's 48 career catches (81.3 percent) have gone for a first down (20 of his 23 catches this season) while he has averaged 17.2 yards per catch average in career and 47 yards per catch on two career touchdown receptions.
- Harvey is currently 18th nationally and first in the Pac-12 in averaging 18.35 yards per reception this season.
- John Humphrey introduced himself to the Sun Devil nation in a big way in the opener, catching seven passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. The debut is the second best for a first collegiate game in Sun Devil history, trailing only Calvin Demery's 1969 school record of 201 yards in his first game.
- Kyle Williams is currently the top rated receiver in the Pac-12 in terms of a quarterbacks NFP QBR when targeting a certain receiver, grading out at 119.5 with 40 catches on 48 targets with three touchdowns.
- The Sun Devils have had 5 different receivers with 100+ yards in five games this season, a total it had never reached in an entire season prior to this year.
- Only six times in school history has ASU had four different players with at least 100 receiving yards in a game in a single season (2004, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017) - notable as four of the six times in history it has happened have come since 2012 when Todd Graham arrived.
- ASU currently has the 40th-highest graded receiving corps in the country this season, according to PFF.
GO D.J., THAT'S MY D.J.
- D.J. Calhoun is one of just three inside linebackers in the country this season - and the only Pac-12 ILB - to not miss a single tackle on a running play this season.
- Calhoun has missed just one tackle, period, this season (on a passing play) and is third in the nation in tackling efficiency with 70 total tackles to just one missed tackle (70.0 efficiency per PFF).
- Calhoun is fifth among Pac-12 inside linebackers with 19 combined tackles in the passing game. According to PFF, Calhoun has 11 "stops" in the passing game - or a non-productive play for the offense - a total that is second in the Pac-12 and 11th nationally.
- Calhoun is fifth in the conference and 40th nationally with 8.8 tackles per game. He is tied for 23rd nationally and is third in the Pac-12 in averaging 5.5 solo tackles per game.
SAM, I AM
- Christian Sam is currently ranked 3rd in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 6.9 solo tackles per game.
- He is 8th nationally and first in the conference in averaging 10.4 tackles per game.
- He is ranked 6th in the country among inside linebackers with a 13.3 run-stop percentage - good for first in the Pac-12 - with 30 total stops on 225 run snaps played.
- Sam has 20 tackles in the passing game this season, a total good for 19th nationally among all inside linebackers.