ASU Gameday: Washington preview

THE SKINNY

This is another one of those tossup games that will make or break Arizona State’s season. The Sun Devils lost the first one, at home against Oregon State, and badly need a win over the Huskies to improve their chances at a bowl game. A victory moves Arizona State to 4-2 and within two games of bowl eligibility. A loss knocks the Sun Devils down to .500, with four straight games coming up (at Stanford, vs. California, vs. USC and at Oregon) in which they will likely be underdogs. The Arizona State pass rush ignited against Washington State with a school-record 12 sacks, but dominance was expected against an inferior offensive line.  Quarterback Danny Sullivan struggled against the Cougars, throwing three interceptions. Backup Brock Osweiler saw playing time in the first half, but he only threw four passes, completing three. Wide receivers Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha have been solid of late, as has running back Dimitri Nance. But, as always, it could come down to the play of the quarterbacks. Sullivan needs to limit mistakes and make a few plays for ASU.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

• Jake Locker: The Washington quarterback should be one of the first signal-callers to be taken in the NFL draft come April, and he is a handful for any team trying to slow him down. Locker is a dual threat, throwing for 1,423 yards this season with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 199 yards on the ground. The Sun Devil defensive line will have to stay disciplined because players moving out of their lanes in the haste to sack Locker could give him an avenue to run. Arizona State matches up favorably in many of the other spots on the field, but Locker is a true difference-maker and a huge advantage for the Huskies.

• The ASU kickers: Thomas Weber has been kicking field goals in practice and could be in line for an early return from a groin injury. Backup Bobby Wenzig missed a pair of extra points against Washington State, one fewer than Weber has missed in his three-year career with the Sun Devils. If Weber returns in any capacity, it is a boost for an Arizona State team that needs all the points it can get.

• Brock Osweiler: He got his first meaningful chance under center  against Washington State. While coach Dennis Erickson won’t commit to a specific amount of playing time, if Osweiler continues to improve, he might begin to start stealing some playing time from Sullivan. A platoon might be something that lingers for a while, but both quarterbacks know the pressure is on to perform.

STARTING LINEUPS

Arizona State offense

WR — Kerry Taylor

LT  — Shawn Lauvao

LG — Jon Hargis

C — Thomas Altieri

RG — Brent Good

RT  —  Tom Njunge

TE  —  Dan Knapp

WR — Kyle Williams

QB — Danny Sullivan

RB — Dimitri Nance

WR — Chris McGaha

Arizona State defense

DE — Dexter Davis

DT — Lawrence Guy

DT — Saia Falahola

DE — James Brooks

OLB — Travis Goethel

MLB — Vontaze Burfict

OLB — Mike Nixon

CB — Terell Carr

FS — Jarrell Holman

SS — Ryan McFoy

CB — Pierre Singfield

Washington offense

WR — Devin Aguilar

LT — Ben Ossai

LG — Nick Wood

C — Ryan Tolar

RG — Senio Kelemete

RT — Cody Habben

TE — Chris Izbicki

QB — Jake Locker

FB — Paul Homer

RB — Chris Polk

WR — D’Andre Goodwin

Washington defense

DE —Daniel Te’o-Nesheim

DT — Alameda Ta’amu

DT — Cameron Elisara

DE — Darrion Jones

OLB — Mason Foster

MLB — Donald Butler

OLB — E.J. Savannah

CB — Quinton Richardson

SS — Nathan Fellner

FS — Nate Williams

CB — Desmond Trufant