SALT LAKE CITY — This Saturday night, No. 21 Arizona State makes its first trip to Rice-Eccles Stadium as a Big 12 opponent, setting the stage for a showdown between two 4–1 teams; and a possible revival of the late-night chaos once known as “Pac-12 After Dark,” stripped away by college football’s super-conference shuffle.
In classic Pac-12 fashion, this will be the lone primetime matchup among power schools, drawing national attention and giving both teams a chance to secure a quality win against a one-loss opponent.
Arizona State arrives in Salt Lake City with two impressive wins over ranked TCU and Baylor, earning them a spot in the AP Top 25. Their only loss came in Week 2 against an up-and-coming Mississippi State squad in Starkville. That game ended 24–20, with quarterback Sam Leavitt throwing for just 82 yards but adding a fourth-quarter touchdown to tie the game at 17. Head coach Kenny Dillingham leaned heavily on the run, calling 51 rushing plays for 251 yards while holding Mississippi State to just 61 yards on the ground, a game ASU arguably should have won.
Despite the loss, ASU’s effort was gritty. Nearly stealing a win on the road in the SEC while throwing for under 100 yards speaks to a team willing to rely on the run and play disciplined defense.
Looking back to 2024, ASU won the Big 12 in its inaugural season, earned a first-round playoff bye, and took Texas to overtime in Dallas. The Sun Devils erased a two-score deficit before questionable officiating helped Texas advance to face Ohio State, where they ultimately lost by 14. One glaring difference between last year’s ASU squad and this one is the absence of RB Cam Skatteboo, who moved on to the NFL after racking up 2,316 yards of total offense, a level of output nearly impossible to replace.
Still, ASU returns 17 starters, maintaining continuity that contrasts sharply with Utah’s massive offseason roster overhaul. Utah’s growing pains have been evident. ASU’s portal pickup of RB Kanye Udoh has helped lighten the load for featured back Raleek Brown, allowing Dillingham to balance the offense and mitigate turnovers.
One Sun Devil to watch is junior WR Jordyn Tyson. The former three-star recruit posted over 1,100 receiving yards last season and is on pace to comfortably surpass that mark. With seven touchdown receptions already, he’s tracking as the top pro prospect on ASU’s roster.
QB Sam Leavitt, though banged up, has delivered respectable passing numbers and remains a threat on the ground. In 2025, he averaged just over 50 rushing yards and a touchdown per game. Weather could be a major factor this weekend; videos have surfaced of ASU staff spraying Leavitt’s hands with a hose during practice to simulate the stormy conditions forecasted for Salt Lake City.
Defensively, ASU’s front doesn’t feature marquee names like Texas Tech’s, and they’ll be without star safety Xavion Alford. That opens the door for Utah to find success on offense as they chase their first Big 12 home win.
Utah’s bread and butter is the run game but it struggled mightily against Texas Tech. Unfortunately for the Utes, ASU ranks second in the conference in run defense, meaning Kyle Whittingham may need to take the shackles off Devon Dampier and let him air it out despite the suboptimal conditions. This could spell disaster for a Utah team that remains the butt of Big 12 jokes until they notch a home conference win.
For Utah to win, they’ll need to keep the offense balanced and force ASU into turnovers. If Dampier can keep his throws simple and take what the defense gives him on the ground, the Utes should cruise to a low-scoring win. Then again, these are two former Pac-12 teams playing in a thunderstorm at night; the point total is set at 48.5 but could very well reach into the 60s.
Turnovers doomed Utah against Tech, and they’ll need to protect the ball this week. Playing at night in wet conditions on turf means fumbles are likely, and the Utes need to be the ones recovering them.
The injury report is a bright spot for Utah. Aside from the absence of safeties Nate Ritchie and Rabbit Evans, the Utes are healthy, a rarity for this program as of late. Inversely, ASU is dealing with a laundry list of injuries. Utah’s intact offensive line should help keep Dampier upright and control possession, Whittingham’s preferred style of football.
The importance of this game can’t be understated. The victors will emerge 5-1 and likely earn a top 20 spot in the AP poll while the losers fall to 4-2 and will find themselves out of the poll and assuredly out of playoff contention.
Prediction: Field goal kicking and turnovers will be critical. Utah wins a rock fight, 17-13.
mitchlinsley.com 
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