Arizona State returns to normalcy by hosting Baylor on Saturday night in a Big 12 game in Tempe, Ariz.
The Sun Devils lost at Texas A&M on Sept. 12 and then headed straight to London, where they opened conference play with a 24-17 win over Kansas on Sept. 19.
Arizona State (2-1, 1-0 Big 12) then had its lone bye week of the season before visiting Baylor (3-1, 1-0).
The Bears won their Big 12 opener last Saturday with a 23-13 decision over Colorado at Waco, Texas.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday that Baylor is a formidable opponent that is a play away from being unbeaten and ranked.
“If they reach the ball 4 more inches, this is a Top 25 team coming to town,” Dillingham said, referring to Baylor’s 17-16 loss to Auburn in the season opener on Sept. 5.
Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway’s pass to tight end Matthew Klopfenstein on a two-point conversion attempt fell short of the end zone late in the game, giving Auburn the victory.
Arizona State won 27-24 last season at Baylor in a competitive game in which Dillingham said the Bears “stoned us for most of the game.”
Against Colorado last week, the Bears produced five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
First-year defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman has built his unit around pressure and depth along the defensive front.
“When you have a rotation of D-linemen and defensive ends that you can roll through and you can go three deep and feel good about a guy making a play, that’s different from what it’s been,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said Monday.
Lagway, a transfer from Florida, completed 19 of 39 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and an interception last week.
Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley, also an SEC transfer from Kentucky, has used Reed Harris and Omarion Miller as his primary targets. The two receivers have accounted for 39 of Arizona State’s 58 receptions.
Aranda is anxious to see how the Bears play in their first true road game of the season.
“It’s very tough to play (at Tempe),” Aranda said. “It’s just loud, and at night it can be electric.”
–Field Level Media
