THE GAME - Sun Devil Football will play back-to-back road games for the first time this season at it treks west to Los Angeles to take on the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m. AZT in the Rose Bowl Stadium. The contest will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network and can be heard over the airwaves locally on ESPN Phoenix 620 AM.
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THE OPPONENT - UCLA leads the all-time series against the Sun Devils, 20-14-1, though ASU has been victorious in three of the last four games and is looking for its third win in the last four trips to the Rose Bowl.
UCLA in winless in three games at home this season, but enters the game with a potent offense that has racked up 512.3 total yards of offense per game over the last four games and has rushed for over 200 yards in three straight games.
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KICKING OFF
-ASU is one of just 7 teams nationally to not give up a 50-yard play this season.
-The Sun Devils have converted 112 consecutive extra points, the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
-Kyle Williams has at least one pass receptions in 35 consecutive games, tied for the fifth-longest streak in ASU history and currently the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS.
-ASU is coming off a season-high 9.0 tackles for loss in the loss against #13 Utah as well as a season-high four takeaways. Utah had only three turnovers all season prior to ASU.
-ASU has now held opponents to less than 30 points in 14 of 20 games since Danny Gonzales took over as defensive coordinator.
-Two of the longest standing streaks in ASU and FBS history came to an end against Utah. ASU had matched an FBS modern record with 125 consecutive games scoring over 10 points tied with Louisiana Tech (2008-18) prior to the 3-point outing against the Utes. Additionally, ASU had what was longest active streak of games scoring at least 7 points ended at 140 consecutive games.
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AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
- Improve ASU to 3-1 in road games this season. The three road wins would be the most since 2014 (4-2).
- Be ASU's fourth win in the last five matchups against the Bruins.
- Be the Sun Devils' third win in the last four games against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
- Keep UCLA winless at home this season.
- Be the fifth time in seven year that the Sun Devils have won their road game in Los Angeles (2013-15, '18). ASU is 4-2 in the last six seasons in Southern California after going 1-12 from 2000-12.
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MILESTONE COUNTDOWNS
- 1 100+ yard rushing game for Eno Benjamin to tie Art Malone (14 from 1967-69) for fourth in ASU school history.
- 58 rushing yards for Eno Benjamin to pass Ben Malone for 13th in ASU career history (currently at 2,417 yards behind Malone's 2,474 total from 1971-73).
- 83 rushing yards for Eno Benjamin to reach 2,500 rushing yards in his career (currently at 2,417 yards)
- 1 game with a catch needed for Kyle Williams to move into fifth in ASU history in consecutive games with a receptions (currently at 35, needs 36).
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#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. Brandon Aiyuk is second in the FBS with 433 yards after the catch and has forced 11 missed tackles this year - good for 12th in the nation.
2. On run defense, Evan Fields has recorded a 8.9 run-stop percentage that leads the league and is fifth in the FBS. His 16 defensive stops this season are 11th among Power Five safeties.
3. In Pac-12 games, @eno_benjamin5 has earned 298 yards after contact, one yard off the Pac-12 lead and tied for 18th among FBS running backs since Week 4. His 106.0 yards per game in Pac-12 games only are currently third in the league.
4. Aashari Crosswell (@YkgAashari) has been credited with just one missed tackle this season, a total that is tied with three others for first among Power Five safeties.
5. Jermayne Lole has the 12th highest positive run impact score in the country at 24.1 percent among players graded as interior linemen.
6. .@JayD__5 has done his part to escape pressure as shown by his 39 QB scrambles this season, a total that leads FBS quarterbacks. His 306 yards on the ground - excluding quarterback sacks - are 24th among FBS quarterbacks.
7. Senior wide receiver @kylewilliamsVI has caught at least one pass in 35 consecutive games, dating back to his freshman season - a total good for fifth in ASU history and the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS.
8. ASU is one of just seven teams in the country to not allow a 50+ yard play from scrimmage this year. The Sun Devil defense is also first in the country in allowing just 14 rushing plays over 10 yards this season.
9. The Devils have turned the ball over just six times this season - the 10th-lowest total in the FBS. ASU is 19th nationally in turnover margin this season (0.71).
10. Williams has only been thrown at just 19 times this season - tied for the 10th-lowest total among corners that have played at least 50 percent of the coverage snaps this season.
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BY THE NUMBERS
42 - Eno Benjamin has continued to do his part to make people miss this year, forcing 42 missed tackles this season - a total tied for 11th nationally among running backs. In Pac-12 games, Benjamin has earned 298 yards after contact, one off the Pac-12 and tied for 18th among FBS running backs since Week 4. His 106.0 rush yards per game in Pac-12 games only is third in the league. He has helped rally the offense when attempting to come back, recording 12 rushing first downs when the team is trailing - the second highest total nationally - while his five rushing touchdowns while trailing lead the nation.
19 - Kobe Williams has only been thrown at just 19 times this season - tied for the 10th-lowest total among corners that have played at least 50 percent of the coverage snaps this season. He has been targeted just once every 9.6 snaps in coverage this season, 12th-lowest among the nation's corners. Williams has allowed just 88 yards in coverage thus far, the 7th-lowest total among the nation's corners with at least 50 percent of their snaps in coverage.Williams is the 8th-highest graded defender in the Pac-12 at 79.6. He is the 31st-highest graded corner in covers in the FBS this year.
14 - ASU has held opponents to 30 or less points in 14 of 19 games in Danny Gonzales' defensive scheme, notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of 43 previous games dating back in a span from 2013-17. ASU is 18th in the country and third in the Pac-12 in allowing just 18.1 points per game. The Sun Devils allowed just 25.5 points per game last season, good for 53rd nationally. The totals are notable as ASU was 103rd nationally at 32.8 points per game allowed in 2017 and had finished 99th or worse in three consecutive seasons prior to the marked improvement the past two seasons.
12 - ASU's defense has held opponents to an average of -12.9 points per game under their current scoring averages for the season. With those opponents games against the Sun Devils removed from their scoring offense statistic, ASU has held opponents to an average of 14.1 points per game under their season averages to date. The Sun Devils are 39th nationally in allowing just 5.1 yards per play this season. Opponents average just 19.3 first downs per game this season, tied for the 31st-lowest total in the country. The Sun Devil defense is currently ranked 34th in the FBS in the DFEI rankings.
8 - ASU has played eight total games decided by four points or less in the Herm Edwards era, the most in the FBS since the start of last year. ASU's six wins in games of four points or less (6-2) is tied with Nevada for the best in college football the past two seasons. The Sun Devils have now played 13 games under Herm Edwards decided by a touchdown or less, going 7-6 in those contests. Those 13 games are second-most in the country behind Texas (14) since the start of last season. ASU's seven wins in those games are second in the FBS in that time behind Texas.
1 - Aashari Crosswell has not been credited with a missed tackle on a running play this season, marking him one of just 10 safeties in country to lay such a claim. His one missed tackle on the season, period, is tied with three others for fewest among Power Five safeties. Crosswell has allowed just 23 yards after the catch this season, the second-lowest total among Pac-12 safeties and 29th nationally - and his 71 total passing yards allowed are also fourth-lowest in the conference. Crosswell's five forced incompletions this season are most among Pac-12 safeties and sixth among Power Five safeties.