Arizona State is sitting pretty at 4-1 overall and with an unbeaten 2-0 record in Big 12 play. The Sun Devils are set for their next road trip to Utah against the mighty Utes, with them having won their last two conference games against Baylor and TCU. But a FOX analyst just delivered a hard-hitting reality check that Kenny Dillingham probably would not have wanted to hear. 

Joel Klatt broke down this matchup on his show, immediately pointing to the trenches as the deciding factor. “I don’t think Arizona State has the same level of defensive line play that Texas Tech is going to throw out there,” Klatt said, referencing the Red Raiders’ dominant performance where they embarrassed the Utes in a 34-10 win. 

Here’s where it gets really concerning for Arizona State, though. Klatt believes Utah’s offensive line is going to come out with something to prove after getting embarrassed by Texas Tech. “They were embarrassed by the way their offensive line played against Texas Tech,” Klatt explained, setting up Utah’s motivation for Saturday. If the Utes establish the run game with their dual-threat QB Devin Dampier, who leads the team in rushing with 258 yards and two touchdowns through five games, then Utah’s defense gets to play fresh. 

But that’s just one side of the argument. What about Arizona State’s side of things? How do you establish the run against the 8th-best rush defense in the country? Even in their loss against Texas Tech, Utah still managed 101 rushing yards, around 3.9 yards/carry. This was on a day when the O-line couldn’t establish the run. So far this season, ASU is conceding 2.8 yards/carry. Only 78 yards per game. Kenny Dillingham’s team won’t make it any easier than what the Red Raiders did.

Theoretically, having the run helps the team, especially on defense. “If they [Utah] control the tempo and the pace in the game, guess what happens? They protect their defense. What happens when you protect their defense? They can play fresh, and they can play that aggressive man-style coverage that gives offense fits.”

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt has been electric with his legs, rushing for 281 yards and five touchdowns this season, averaging over 56 yards per game rushing over the last three contests. Klatt acknowledged this threat, noting that “Leavitt’s been running it for about 60 yards per game over the last three games. That could come out to be a factor.” But the analyst clearly doesn’t think it’ll be enough against Utah’s aggressive man coverage scheme.

Klatt’s final verdict was blunt: Utah controls this game if it dominates the trenches, and he fully expects them to do exactly that. “So Devin Dampier in that run game behind that offensive line. Again, if they control the pace and tempo of the game, that sets up for Kyle Whittingham to get a home victory with Utah over Arizona State,” Klatt concluded.

Utah’s listed as a 5.5-point favorite at home, and after the Texas Tech disaster, Whittingham’s group has extra motivation to make a statement. For a Sun Devils team that’s won two straight but needed last-second heroics to survive, heading into Rice-Eccles Stadium against a Utah squad playing angry might be the worst possible timing. 

The one that got away

Kenny Dillingham isn’t the type to dwell on recruiting misses, but when it comes to Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, the Arizona State head coach is willing to admit he dropped the ball. “Yeah, he’s a phenomenal player. I mean, I definitely should have recruited him harder, to be honest. I mean, he’s definitely proved me wrong,” Dillingham confessed with genuine remorse in his voice.

The connection was right there. Dillingham’s defensive coordinator, Brian Ward, had recruited Dampier when he was at Washington State, watching him tear it up at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale. But somehow the Sun Devils let him slip away to New Mexico before he eventually transferred to Utah in December last year. Now Dillingham’s kicking himself watching Dampier light up the Big 12 for a conference rival.

The 35-year-old coach didn’t hold back on the praise, laying out exactly what makes Dampier such a problem for defenses. “You know, I always thought he was a really good player, but how productive he’s been in college football, super impressed by him. Completion percentage out of the roof, his ability to extend plays, how he runs the offense and operates it, super, definitely a miss by me, 100%, and kudos to them for having him on their team, because he’s a really, really good football player,” Dillingham said.

Utah’s Devon Dampier has been sensational this season, completing 73% of his passes for 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 258 rushing yards and two scores. The New Mexico transfer has been turnover-free and has already earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.