While the University of Arizona is entertaining a real wildcat on their practice field, ASU is preparing for a road showdown against the Oregon State Beavers.
↵What are the keys to this matchup? Mainly, the Sun Devils need to exploit the same flaws that exposed the Beavers against Boise State and TCU - in those two games, OSU quarterback Ryan Katz completed only 41% of his passes.
↵Pressuring the inexperienced QB will yield dividends for the Sun Devil defense, which proved that it can play with the best last weekend against Oregon's high-flying attack.
↵Shutting down the Rodgers family will be very high on the priority list as well. Jacquizz and James are ASU killers, but that is in the past. A fresh start is necessary, and the linebackers will be tasked with stopping the run at the onset.
↵On offense, Steven Threet must cease his interception-prone affairs. Throwing five last week was an aberration, but even two or three interceptions may be too much for this team to recover from.
↵Deantre Lewis must play a significant role once again, using his speed to make plays. I wouldn't be surprised to see the running back motion on display again, allowing Threet's receivers to run slant routes up the middle of the Beaver defense.
↵In the end, this game will come down to efficiency and turnovers. Both teams are good (but not great) on both sides of the ball, and the team that plays clean will come out with the win.
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