- Here is the injury report per head coach Clay Helton: OG Damien Mama (stinger - anticipated back Wednesday), OT Zach Banner (ankle - anticipated back Wednesday), CB Jack Jones (more severe ankle injury - 50/50 to play). S John Plattenburg is "about ready to go" after a long battle with a concussion.
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DL Noah Jefferson is being held out as he focuses on his academics and rehabbing, according to Helton. The head coach hopes to have him back by November.
- While the fan base is largely depressed after three September losses, the players do not have the time to sulk. "It hurts a lot, but you can't just sit back and just think about it knowing that you've got eight more games ahead of you," said WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. "As a grown man and as a professional, there's no time to be sad --- there's a whole other future of eight games in front of you."
- Smith-Schuster is buoyed by his best performance of the season, catching eight balls for 98 yards. "The whole game plan wasn't set up around me, but there were plays that were made for me," he said about his breakout game. "A lot of the plays were nine-yard stop routes and with the defense they were playing, I was allowed to get the ball more."
- Redshirt freshman QB Sam Darnold ignited Smith-Schuster and the rest of the offense with his impressive starting debut. "I felt a lot of nerves, you know it was the first game, first starting college football game and in that atmosphere it's really nerve-wracking, but you can't show that to your guys and you can't show that to everyone watching the game," Darnold said. "You just got to be poised and you've got to be able to make plays when they're there. After the first couple series, even after the first series, I thought I wasn't nervous at all."
- While he knows he played well, Darnold values team success over personal achievement. "I think it is reassuring but at the same time you've got to get wins. I mean as a quarterback your job is based on how much you win - it doesn't matter how well you play, you've just got to get those wins...especially when you're up 24-10."
- Arizona State plays one of the most aggressive defensive schemes in the country, Helton expects that the Sun Devils will be "chomping at the bit to be able to pressure" a young quarterback.
- Darnold is preparing himself for the challenge. "They're a really good football team, a really good bunch," he said. "Obviously late in games, what you saw in that Cal game with two late interceptions, that was obviously huge for them. It's a great football team, we're just looking to execute and play our style ball."
- On the other side of the ball, generating a pass rush is a "point of emphasis for Clancy this week" both from a scheme and personnel standpoint, said Helton. With ASU running such a fast tempo, backup outside linebackers Connor Murphy, Olajuwon Tucker and Oluwole Betiku could potentially see more playing time.
- Here is Helton with an extensive scouting report on ASU and more:
