Washington St. going for bowl eligibility when ASU visits
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05: Jaden Hicks #25 of the Washington State Cougars celebrates after he returned a fumble for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter of an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on November
PULLMAN, Wash. - The Washington State Cougars hope to become bowl-eligible with a win in chilly Pullman while Arizona State seeks to keep its postseason hopes alive under interim coach Shaun Aguano.
Washington State broke a three-game losing streak last weekend when they pounded Stanford 52-14 on the road. The Sun Devils lost 50-36 at No. 9 UCLA.
KEY MATCHUP
A porous Arizona State defense against a Washington State offense that scored 52 points and rushed for 306 yards against Stanford. The Sun Devils allowed 402 yards rushing to UCLA.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arizona State: QB Trenton Bourguet completed 38 of 49 passes for 349 yards against UCLA. Bourguet, who replaced Florida transfer Emory Jones in the starting lineup, has thrown for 966 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions. RB Xazavian Valladay leads the FBS with 4,126 career yards, including 852 this year. The Wyoming transfer leads Pac-12 running backs with 12 touchdowns.
Washington State: QB Cameron Ward shook off a three-game slump as the Cougars beat Stanford, in part because of a stellar day by RB Nakia Watson. Freshman safety Jaden Hicks is the Pac-12 freshman player of the week after scooping up a fumble and returning it 17 yards for a touchdown against Stanford.
FACTS & FIGURES
TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 05: Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins leaps over Jordan Clark #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils for a touchdown in the first quarter of the game at Sun Devil Stadium on November 5, 2022 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by
Arizona State ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in scoring (27 points per game). The Cougars lead the conference in fewest points allowed per game (20). The Sun Devils have produced only 11 sacks. Washington State’s running backs are at full strength and will attack a defense that allows 153 rushing yards per game. Washington State has given up a conference-high 30 sacks, and must find a replacement for star offensive tackle Jarrett Kingston, who suffered a season-ending injury last weekend.
Arizona State (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) at Washington State (5-4, 2-4), Saturday, 12:30 p.m. PT (Pac-12 Network).