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Sun Devil Football Readies for Territorial Cup Clash in Tempe

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Sun Devil Football Readies for Territorial Cup Clash in TempeSun Devil Football Readies for Territorial Cup Clash in Tempe

THE GAME - The Sun Devils will conclude the 2017 regular season this weekend in the team's annual Territorial Cup against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 25. The game will be the final home game of the season at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe and is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. AZT kickoff and will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network.

SENIOR DAY - The Sun Devils will honor 19 seniors prior to Saturday's game: DB Chad Adams, DB Marcus Ball, RB Kalen Ballage, RB Jacom Brimhall, LB DJ Calhoun, DB Maurice Chandler, RB Mark Cosgrove, WR Tyler Eggers, LS Mitchell Fraboni, WR Ryan Jenkins, LB Alani Latu, TE Grant Martinez, OL Tyler McClure, OL A.J. McCollum, FB Frank Ogas, LB J'Marcus Rhodes, RB Demario Richard, DL Tashon Smallwood, DL Corey Smith. 

TERRITORIAL CUP - This will be the 91st Duel in the Desert, with Arizona leading the all-time series 49-40-1. The Sun Devils downed the Wildcats in Tempe, 52-37, the last time the team's squared off at Sun Devil Stadium behind two fourth quarter pick-sixes. That said, neither team has truly dominated the series since the Wildcats went 8-0-1 against ASU over the course of the 1980s. Since then, there have only been two occurences where one team has posted a three-game winning streak - once for each team (ASU 2005-07, UA 1993-95). The Sun Devils will be looking to take their fifth victory in the past eight contests against Arizona while improving Todd Graham to 4-2 over the rivals since his arrival in 2012. 

Eight of the previous 13 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Five of the past eight games have been decided by a grand total of 22 points - ASU's 58-21 rout in 2013 and Arizona's 56-35 victory last seson being the lone outliers. The 2015 contest was a one-possession game with seven minutes left despite the final margin. Among the close calls there have been a fourth-quarter comeback, two blocked extra points, a late field goal and two late defensive stands marking the difference in the matchups.

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD... 

  • Lock up a second-place finish in the Pac-12 South for the Sun Devils at 6-3.
  • Give ASU its fifth victory over Arizona in the last 8 games.
  • Move Todd Graham to 4-2 all-time against the Wildcats.
  • Give ASU seven wins in a season - and ensure a winning season - for fourth time in the last six years, but the first time since 2014. It would be the first time with four such seasons in a six-year span since doing it in four straight seasons from 2004-07. Prior to that, you'd have to go back to 1978-82 with ASU did it in four of five seasons. 
  • Move ASU to 30-10 at Sun Devil Stadium since the 2012 season.

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. N'Keal Harry is the only sophomore in the country to have a reception in every single game he has been at Arizona State - 23 consecutive games.

2. .@FootballASU is 1st nationally in red zone scoring at 97.6% (40-of-41) trips with lone blemish coming while kneeling at end of UW win.

3. In last 5 games, Chase Lucas targetted team-high 48 times, allowing 22 catches (45.8%) for 292 yards, 3 passes defensed and two INTs and a paltry 55.21 QBR. 

4. ASU has rushed for 961 yards its last three games - good for 49.7 percent of ASU's total 1,932 rushing yards this season.

5. ASU joins BC and KSU as the only programs in the FBS with at least 4 defensive linemen with 15+ QB pressures (Smallwood 27, Wicker 24, Latu 20, Wren 15)

6. Demario Richard needs just 13 rushing yards to become only ASU's fifth career 3,000-yard rusher. 

7. No quarterback in ASU history that had played 11 games with fewer than five interceptions. @MannyWilkins5 has became the first with just four on 359 attempts.

8. ASU has lost only nine turnovers (3 on tipped ball interceptions) this season, good for 4th nationally. Was 82nd last year with 21 turnovers.

9. .@CodeBlackRich4 now has 12 career games with over 100 rushing yards, tied for fifth in ASU history.

10. Jalen Harvey has 14 catches on third down this season - and all 14 have gone for a first down.
 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

  • At 66 catches this season, N'Keal Harry is already tied for seventh in receptions in Sun Devil single-season history. The single season record is 87 by Shaun McDonald in 2002. 
  • Harry has started every game at Arizona State, now at 22 straight games - the most among all offensive players. He has a reception in every one of those games and is the only true sophomore in the country to start and log a catch in the first 22 games of their career.
  • Chase Lucas has allowed just 46.7 percent of the passes thrown his way to be completed this season (28-of-60) with four breakups and an interception. In his last four games, he has been targetted a team-high 35 times, allowing just 15 catches for 202 yards and a paltry 59.46 QBR. 
  • Demario Richard is currently 6th in Sun Devil history with 2,868 career rushing yards and needs just 132 yards to become ASU's fifth career 3,000-yard rusher. 
  • ASU has taken the chunk plays up a notch against conference opponents, currently 15th nationally with 19 plays over 30 yards against conference opposition only and 37th nationally in such games with 99 plays longer than 10 yards.
  • D.J. Calhoun has missed just one tackle, period, this season (on a passing play) and is second in the nation in tackling efficiency with 86 total tackles to just one missed tackle (86.0 efficiency per PFF) - 31 points higher than any other inside linebacker in the nation.

STRIKE FIRST

  • Arizona State has scored first in 50 of the 76 games with Todd Graham at the helm and is 37-13 when doing so.
  • The Devils are 5-2 this season when scoring first (wins vs. NMSU, ORE, WASH, UTAH, OSU).

STRIKE FAST...?

  • 285 of the Devils' 422 scoring drives since 2012 have come in three minutes or fewer (67.7 percent).
  • The fast paced-offense was in full effect against Oregon with four drives coming under two minutes in that effort while five of ASU's seven scoring drives against Colorado came under the three-minute mark. Four of ASU's six scoring drives against Oregon State also fit the bill.
  • 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 26 of 56 scoring drives coming under three minutes (46.4 percent). 
  • The Sun Devils are currently 17th nationally in averaging 32:15 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 18 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.
  • 18 of the last 35 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 18 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 647-396 in the first quarter under Todd Graham
  • ASU is currently 25th nationally in scoring 8.5 points per first quarter this season, though the Colorado victory marked the first time this season that ASU was held scoreless in the first quarter.
  • The Sun Devils are 28-4 under Graham when holding their opposition scoreless in the first quarter. 
  • ASU has posted an impressive 36-4 overall record under Graham when leading at halftime.

DON'T CROSS THAT LINE

  • ASU forced 19 plays against Oregon State that resulted in negative or no yardage (11 incomplete passes, 5 tackles for loss, 3 plays for no gain) of the 70 total plays in the contest (27.1 percent)
  • This season, ASU has forced 254 plays resulting in negative or no yardage of 778 total (32.6 percent).
  • Under Graham, ASU has forced 1,912 plays that have not resulted in positive yardage out of 5,424 (35.3 percent).

SERIOUSLY, DON'T CROSS IT

  • The Sun Devils are 14th nationally and third in the Pac-12 in averaging 3.00 sacks per game this season.
  • ASU is second in the nation in averaging 3.10 sacks per game since 2012. Additionally, ASU is first in the Pac-12 and second in the nation (Clemson) with an average of 7.7 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. With JoJo Wicker reaching the mark this season, ASU has had 18 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

  • 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 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.
  • After having just two interceptions in the first six games of the season, ASU has eight interceptions in the last four games.
  • Leading the charge has been redshirt freshman Chase Lucas, who has allowed just 47.9 percent of the passes thrown his way to be completed this season (35-of-73) with six breakups and and two interceptions. 
  • In his last five games, he has been targetted a team-high 48 times, allowing just 22 catches (45.8 percent) for 292 yards, three passes defensed and two interceptions and a paltry 55.21 QBR.

HE'S THE MANNY

  • Despite being pressured on 31.9 percent of his dropbacks - the 21st-highest total nationally and highest in the Pac-12 - Manny Wilkins is 16th nationally with a 84.3 NFL QB rating under pressure - fifth-highest among all QBs pressured at least 31 percent of the time and second among all Pac-12 quarterbacks.
  • His five touchdowns under pressure are tied for 21st nationally among all quarterbacks. Against Colorado, Wilkins had a 119.0 passer rating outside the numbers with two touchdown passes. 
  • Wilkins has shown what he can do in a clean pocket however, ranked 14th nationally with a 70.3 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 123.6 NFL quarterback rating on deep passes (passes of more than 20 yards), good for 4th nationally and first in the Pac-12.

.MANNY OF THE HOUR

  • 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.
  • Wilkins has just four interceptions this season (three of which have come on tipped balls). This number is notable as only once in the Pac-12 era has a quarterback had 5 or fewer interceptions in a season where they started over 75 percent of the games (Taylor Kelly with 5 on 278 attempts in 2014, missed three games).
  • In fact, outside of Kelly, no quarterback in Sun Devil history with at least 275 attempts in a season had fewer than seven interceptions in a season (Wilkins is currently at 359).
  • Since 1960, only two starting quarterbacks have finished with fewer than five interceptions in a season (Ron Cosner threw 3 on 56 attempts in 1960 and John Goodman threw four on 175 attempts in 1965.

GOLD RUSH

  • ASU has 23 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. 915 of ASU's total 1932 rushing yards this season have come after contact (47.4 percent) with Richard logging 454 on 812 total yards (55.9 percent) of those and Ballage accounting for 355 of those on 621 yards (57.1 percent)

GOLD ZONE

  • ASU is tied for first nationally in converting on 97.56 percent of its red zone appearances this season (40-of-41), 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 17th nationally in red zone touchdown scoring with 30 touchdowns on those 41 attempts (73.17).
  • 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 6th in Sun Devil history with 2,987 career rushing yards and needs just 13 yards to become ASU's fifth career 3,000-yard rusher. 
  • He became just the sixth Sun Devil in the Pac-12 era to reach 2,500 career rushing yards this season and is second among all Sun Devils in that time in career yards.
  • Richard has 12 100-yard rushing games in his career, tied for fifth in school history. If he posts 100 or more yards in each of the remaining games, he would set the school record for most games during the Pac-12  - currently tied with J.R. Redmond.
  • Richard has a touchdown rush in seven of his last nine games and has 31 touchdowns overall in his career - tied for ninth in Sun Devil history. 
  • 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 tied for ninth in Sun Devil history.

NO RUSH

  • The Sun Devils have held 25 opponents under 100 rushing yards in the Todd Graham era (76 games/33.0 percent), including four of 12 games last year and twice so far in 2017. (Texas Tech and #5 Washington). Colorado was held to just 109 rushing yards. 
  • 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 35.9 points per game in the Graham era.
  • Arizona State and Louisiana Tech are tied for the active FBS record of 119 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 67 of those games (56.3 percent).

MAKE 'EM PAY

  • ASU has outscored opponents 580-322 in points off takeaways since 2012 and 44-38 this year. 
  • Since 2012, ASU has scored 68.5 percent of the time following an opponent turnover (98 of 143) while finding the end zone 74 times in that span (51.7 percent).
  • Conversely, opponents have scored just 52.4 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (54 of 103) with 42 touchdowns (40.7 percent).

A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

  • The Sun Devils have forced 143 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 (22).

TURNOVER FACTORY

  • ASU is ranked 9th in the nation with a .51 average turnover margin per game since Graham took over the helm and is 9th in the nation with a +39 total turnover margin since 2012.
  • The Devils are second in the Pac-12 and tied for 10th in the nation with 90 total interceptions in that span.

WINNING THE BATTLE FOR FIELD POSITION

  • Since 2012, ASU has an average starting yard line of its own 34.0 in 45 victories compared to 25.4 for their opponents in such contests.  
  • Conversely, opponents have an average starting field position of their own 31.2 yard line compared to ASU starting at its own 27.9 in ASU's 31 losses under Graham.

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 12 such plays against Oregon State and 103 total this season.
  • The Devils are tied for 17th nationally with seven passing plays of over 50 yards this season. It had one in all of 2016. 
  • ASU is 39th nationally with eight plays over 50 yards this year after having just two total last season. 
  • ASU has taken the chunk plays up a notch against conference opponents, currently 22nd nationally with 21 plays over 30 yards against conference opposition only and 33rd nationally in such games with 114 plays longer than 10 yards.
  • 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 37.4 penalty yards per game since 2012, good for the fourth-lowest total in the country behind only Navy (27.3), Georgia Tech (36.7) and Army (37.1).
  • Since Todd Graham arrived at Arizona State, the Sun Devils have had just 335 penalties in 76 games (4.41 penalties per game).
  • ASU is 38-17 since 2012 when it has fewer than six penalties in a game compared to a 7-14 record when it has 6 or more. 
  • ASU is currently sixth in the nation in fewest penalties per game (4.00) and is eigth in fewest total penatlies (44). It is 15th in fewest penalty yards per game (39.36) and 17th fewest penalty yards (433).

PROTECT THIS HOUSE

  • ASU is 29-10 at Sun Devil Stadium since Todd Graham took over in the 2012 season. The 29 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 286-106-3 (.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 12-8 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 3-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less this season.

HOLD ON TO THAT BALL, ALSO

  • ASU is now 15-3 under Todd Graham in games where it does not have a turnover after the Washington victory this season and 3-0 in such games in 2017.
  • The Sun Devils have turned the ball over just nine times this season (three on tipped ball interceptions), a total good for 4th nationally. ASU finished 82nd in the country a year ago with 21 turnovers. 
  • ASU is 13th nationally with just four fumbles lost this season, and none of those have been by a running back.
  • ASU's five total interceptions this season are the ninth fewest in the country, and three occured on tipped balls. 
  • 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 29-23 in Pac-12 Conference games since 2012, the second-best total in the Pac-12 South behind USC (36-17).

DIRTY HARRY

  • Possessing deceptive speed and elusiveness, N'Keal Harry has 426 yards after the catch this season on 957 yards (44.5 percent) and is averaging 6.2 yards after catch per reception this season. The 426 yards after catch are second in the Pac-12 behind USC's Deontay Burnett (465).
  • Harry has proved himself as a valuable possession receiver as well and has 69 receptions on 103 targets this season - both totals good for second in the Pac-12 this season behind Burnett.
  • At 957 yards thus far this season, Harry has far surpassed his freshman total of 659 receiving yards and is second in the Pac-12. He is on pace to be ASU's fifth 1,000-yard receiver in the last seven seasons after ASU had just six players reach the mark from 1990-2010.
  • At 69 catches this season, Harry is seventh in receptions in Sun Devil single-season history. The single season record is 87 by Shaun McDonald in 2002. 
  • The sophomore has appeared in all 23 games at Arizona State - starting 22 of those - and has a catch in all 23 games.  He is the only true sophomore in the country to have a catch in the first 23 games of their career.
  • Harry is second in the nation with four first-down conversions on fourth down this season. He has 539 receiving yards in the second half of games this season - good for the fourth-highest total nationally.

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 fifth nationally among all FBS defensive tackles with 30 quarterback pressures this season.
  • JoJo Wicker is third among 3-4 defensive ends with 34 pressures this season while also sitting 21st among all ends with a 5.8 run-stop percentage.
  • With A.J. Latu's 24 quarterback pressures this season and Renell Wren's 15 pressures, ASU is one of just three programs in the country with four defensive linemen with over 15 quarterback pressures this season, alongside Kansas State and Boston College..
  • 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 8.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 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 18 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 13th nationally and second among all freshmen in touchback percentage (69.7 percent) and 7th nationally with 46 total touchbacks.
  • Ruiz is first among all freshmen kickers in the country with 18 field goals this season - good for a tie for 12th among all kickers in the country. 
  • Ruiz has twice been honored as the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week (vs. Oregon, at Utah).

AIR IT OUT

  • 44 of Jalen Harvey's 57 career catches (77.2 percent) have gone for a first down (25 of his 32 catches this season) while he has averaged 16.8 yards per catch average in career and 47 yards per catch on two career touchdown receptions.
  • Harvey is a perfect 14-for-14 on third down receptions and conversions 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 121.7 with 57 catches on 71 targets with five 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 39th-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 with 64 tackles and none missed.
  • Calhoun has missed just one tackle, period, this season (on a passing play) and is second in the nation in tackling efficiency with 90 total tackles to just one missed tackle (90.0 efficiency per PFF) - 32 points higher than any other inside linebacker in the nation.
  • Calhoun is third among Pac-12 inside linebackers with 27 combined tackles in the passing game. According to PFF, Calhoun has 13 "stops" in the passing game - or a non-productive play for the offense - a total that is second in the Pac-12 and 17th nationally. 
  • He is 31st nationally and third in the Pac-12 in averaging 5.3 solo tackles per game.

SAM, I AM

  • Christian Sam reached double-digit tackles in seven consecutive games prior to the UCLA contest, more than any other Sun Devil had accomplished since AT LEAST 2000 - let alone in consecutive games. He has eight total games this season with double-digit tackles. 
  • Over the last three years, there have been 32 instances of a Sun Devil reaching double digit tackles. Sam is responsible for 12 of those while 10 other players combined for the other 20. 
  • Christian Sam is currently ranked 3rd in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 7.0 solo tackles per game. 
  • He is 7th nationally and first in the conference in averaging 10.4 tackles per game. 
  • He is 10th nationally among inside linebackers with a 12.6 run stop percentage - good for first in the Pac-12 - with 40 total stops on 317 run snaps played according to PFF. A stop constitutes a "loss" for the opposing team's offense. 
  • Sam has 15 stops in the passing game this season, a total tied for 6th among all inside linebackers in the FBS and first in the conference while his 31 total tackles in passing situations also lead the league.