Continuing previews of Oregon State’s 2021 football schedule, this one focusing on season’s final home game, Nov. 20 against Arizona State.
Previously:
Purdue, Hawaii, Idaho, USC, Washington, Washington State, Utah, California, Colorado, Stanford
ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
Coach: Herm Edwards (fourth year, 17-13)
2020 record: 2-2
Key returnees: QB Jayden Daniels (701 passing yards, 223 rushing yards, 9 TD), RB Rachaad White (420 yards, 10 yards per carry), P Michael Turk (first team all-conference), S Evan Fields (38 tackles), LB Merlin Robertson (six career takeaways, four forced fumbles).
Key losses: WR Frank Darby, K Christian Zendejas
OSU v. Arizona State previously: The Sun Devils lead the series 30-14-1. The matchup has been very competitive of late, as the Beavers have won six of the last 11 games, including 2019, a 35-34 decision in Reser Stadium. There was a stretch during this series from 1972-2005 when OSU won just two of 26 games.
Vegas 2021 Arizona State win total: 9 (though off the board at some establishments because of offseason recruiting violations investigation).
What’s to like: Jayden Daniels, for starters. He’s on a short list for Pac-12 first-team quarterback because of his skills and experience. Through 16 games, Daniels has thrown for 3,644 yards and run for 578, and accounted for 29 touchdowns (22 pass, 7 run). The 6-3, 185-pound third-year sophomore ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in last year’s win over Oregon State. Daniels is just the start to what should be a terrific ASU offense. Running back Rachaad White might be the conference’s best at his position. Last year White, who averaged 10 yards a carry in 2021, ran 13 times for 158 yards and two scores against OSU. The Sun Devils return three players who ran for at least 220 yards over four games a year ago. Four of the five offensive line starters return. If there’s any hesitancy, it’s that the receiving corps are unproven. Arizona State returns seven starters from a defense that was among the Pac-12′s best in points allowed, takeaways and pass defense. The Sun Devils top two tacklers return in safety Evan Fields and ILB Kyle Soelle, as well as defensive end Tyler Johnson, who had five sacks. Junior linebacker Merlin Robertson is a playmaker who has career numbers of 15 tackles for losses, seven sacks, six takeaways and four forced fumbles.
How we see it: There’s no game more difficult to forecast than Arizona State. Never mind that it’s in late November when injuries might completely change the game’s makeup. With ASU, it’s the recruiting investigation. Who knows what might happen to this team in a month or two. Will Edwards still be coaching the team? Sun Devils stripped of postseason possibilities? It’s a crapshoot. So we’ll approach as though nothing will happen, because until proven guilty, ASU is what it is on paper. And that is, a handful for Oregon State. The Beavers run defense, certainly not among the Pac-12′s best, will have its hands full stopping Daniels and White. ASU did what it pleased on the ground a year ago vs. the Beavers. Oregon State should move the ball on the Sun Devils, but as always with ASU, there’s a big hit or two and a killer takeaway.
Score prediction: Arizona State 41, Oregon State 35
Where Arizona State ranks
Athlon Sports (OSU 75): No. 15
Pro Football Focus (OSU 84): No. 33
Lindy’s (OSU 69): No. 19
Phil Steele (OSU 72): No. 20
What they’re saying about the Sun Devils
College Football News: “There’s no Oregon on the regular season slate and USC comes to Tempe. Start with that, and that’s as much of a break as any Pac-12 South team can get.
“What’s missing outside of the prove it factor? The program has showed under Edwards that it can hang and beat the occasional great team … It’s been able to do a whole lot of good things, and yet five of the 13 losses under Edwards came against teams that finished with a losing record.
“So yeah, ASU should be able to pull off a win at Washington here, or a victory over Utah on the road there, but it can’t do that and lose to Colorado or Washington State or at Oregon State. This is the best team under Edwards so far by a mile. Now it has to get the job done.”
Lindy’s: “The Sun Devils have an experienced, hungry group focused on proving the final two games of the 2020 season – a 70-7 victory over Arizona and a 46-33 victory over Oregon State – are indicators of things to come. Daniels is a smart, steady leader who responds well to pressure.”
--Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
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