The Arizona State Sun Devils haven't won on the road against the California Golden Bears since 1997. This year however, the Sun Devils have burst out of the gates with a 3-1 record while the Bears have languished with a 1-3 record.
Although head coach Todd Graham is trying not to focus on the historical significance of a possible win, it sits on a few of his player's minds.
"It'd be huge, we haven't beaten those guys in a while and I think it's going to help us stay in the driver's seat right now for the Pac-12 South," senior offensive lineman Evan Finkenberg said.
House of Sparky calls this one of the biggest games of the season, so far. The Sun Devils have struggled on the road over their last 23 games, going a mere 5-18. While the record suggests otherwise, the Bears are a talented team on paper. Their offense seems to be better than their record suggests. They average 411 yards and 27 points per game and are always capable of making a big play.
"They've got so many players at running back and receiver that can take the ball to the house, and I don't think we've played against anybody that has that to this point," coach Graham said.
The Sun Devils will counter with defensive tackle Will Sutton, who was just recently added to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List on Thursday. The yearly honor is awarded to the top defensive player in college football. Sutton anchors the Sun Devils defense, with 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the year so far.