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ASU football set for Notre Dame, national spotlight

Can the Sun Devils conquer the lights and land their biggest win of the Todd Graham era?

Christian Petersen

If you were to summarize ASU football 2013 in a word, they'd be ______________ because ________________________.

Kerry Crowley, House of Sparky: Unpredictable because there's no telling what Arizona State has up its sleeve next. Will special teams woes bring this team down or will a dominant offense make up for all of the team's shortcomings? Only time will tell.

Cody Ulm, House of Sparky: A butterface. If Arizona State as a woman you saw in a bar from behind, your jaw would drop. But when she turned around and revealed her face, you'd instantly have second thoughts. The Sun Devils are appealing in so many aspects. Yet, what remains to be seen is if the team can overcome its fatal flaws (run defense and special teams) to earn the roses and become a beauty queen

If you were to compare ASU football 2013 to a music band, they'd be ______________ because ________________________.

Kerry Crowley, House of Sparky: Journey because Journey played the National Anthem for the USC game and every week feels like it's been a journey so far.

Cody Ulm, House of Sparky: Rage Against The Machine. Arizona State has dealt with controversy (Wisconsin) but they're still capable of producing their fair share of high-octane hits.

A big test awaits in Notre Dame in Dallas. What do you see as the keys to victory against a weaker Irish squad?

Kerry Crowley, House of Sparky: I wouldn't really call this a weaker Irish squad. Losses to Michigan and Oklahoma aren't exactly reasons to hit the panic button and aside from some questionable Tommy Rees decisions, this team is very disciplined. The keys for Arizona State are creating turnovers, stopping the run, and using the no-huddle offense to its advantage. Those are keys every week for the Sun Devils, but it's important to play fundamental football because this Notre Dame team can really capitalize on an opponent's mistakes.

Cody Ulm, House of Sparky: Kerry might not want to call them weaker but I won't hesitate to. In my opinion, it's just going to come down to forcing turnovers and maintaining a fast pace. The Irish have yet to play a complete game this season so if ASU can force them out of their comfort zone early, I highly doubt they'll be able to recover. Of course, that means Arizona State can't allow someone like George Atkinson III to bust a huge run like he did last week. But even if Notre Dame is able to get their run game going - and I expect they will - it's still going to be difficult for them to match the Sun Devils score for score.