Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1-1) vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0)
Saturday, September 19, 7:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona State -20.5

Sam’s Take (14 – 4):

I believe we will learn a lot about ASU in this game. No one is going to confuse Louisiana Monroe with LSU, but the team is full of exceptional athletes that could give the untested Sun Devils a little trouble.

Remember, ULM knocked off Alabama in 2007 and gave Arkansas a huge scare last year (lost 28-27). Although the Warhawks were beaten soundly by Texas in their opener this season, they still managed to put up 20 points and 300 yards of offense on the Longhorns.

I will be closely watching the play of Danny Sullivan and the offensive line against a tricky 3-3-5 defense. Ultimately, the Devils season will likely come down to how well Sullivan and the o-line fare, and this should be a nice test considering ULM will be blitzing from everywhere with a variety of speedy athletes.

The ASU defense will certainly be challenged more this week than they were against Idaho State, but I expect another strong performance from Craig Bray’s unit nonetheless.

I expect a nerve-racking game for three quarters before ASU finally pulls away in the fourth.

Prediction: Arizona State 30 – Louisiana-Monroe 17

Louisiana-Monroe Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Frank Goodin - Goodin is one of the best tailbacks in the Sun Belt and he’s off to a great start so far this season.

Arizona State Player to Keep an Eye On: RT Tom Njunge - Njunge will get the start at right tackle this week since Zach Schlink’s injury has forced Matt Hustad to fill in at guard. Njunge must prove that he is ready to be a full-time starter because it is uncertain when Schlink will return.

Dave’s Take (14 – 4):

I like this game for the Sun Devils; it’s a winnable one off of the bye week, but it isn’t a total pushover of a team; when they are on, the Warhawks can definitely keep a team honest.

ASU is one of the biggest unknowns in the conference to this point. A blowout win over a very weak opponent and a bye week; not exactly a ton of information to go on. The question marks still come on the offensive side of the ball; how will the offensive line hold up, and will the Sun Devils be able to establish a running game this season?

This week won’t give us all the answers, but it will give us an idea of how focused this team is. How will they look off of the bye, and will they be looking ahead to next week? A nice clean game on both sides of the ball would be a great sign.

Look for the Sun Devil’s D-Line to wreak havoc throughout the game and set the tone for the entire defense. It should be a long day for the Warhawks on offense.

Prediction: Arizona State 27 – Louisiana-Monroe 10

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