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Arizona State Sun Devils Look to Keep Rolling When the EMU Eagles Visit Tempe Saturday

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Football

Sun Devil Football return home this Saturday, Sept. 10 against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

This will be the first ever meeting between the two teams. ASU is 1-1 against MAC schools all-time after beating Kent State in 2019. Eastern Michigan has recorded a non-conference road victory in every eligible campaign since the 2015 season - its longest streak in program history. The Eagles have not given up a first quarter score this season.

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...

  • End Eastern Michigan's streak of season with a non-conference road win in each season (2020 excluded) since 2015 - its longest in program history.
  • Extend ASU's home winning streak to four straight games dating back to last season.

SMART DEVILS

  • ASU  recorded a multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) average of 995 over a four-year period (2017-18 to 2020-21), an all-time ASU high and first in the Pac-12, the first time leading the conference.  ASU's single year overall APR score for 2020-21 is 994, which is the highest score in ASU history. Sun Devil Football earned a multiyear APR of 983, an all-time high for the program.
  • The Sun Devils saw nine players (four draftees and five undrafted free agents) sign NFL contracts after last season. All nine of those players earned their undergraduate degrees while at ASU.
  • The 2022 roster features 14 Sun Devils who are working toward graduate degrees.
  • A sample of the many Sun Devil Football majors that emphasize ASU's innovation and general availability to the masses as a university: Tevin White (Actuarial Sciences), Kolbe Stuckwisch (Aerospace Engineering), Ben Scott (Bioscience), Thomas Le Boucher (Sports Science and Performance), Javen Jacobs (Architectural Studies), Des Holmes (Film and Media Studies), George Hart (Healthy Lifestyles and Fitness Science), B.J. Green (Mechanical Engineering), Elijhah Badger (Real Estate/Media Analytics), Finn Collins (Film and Media Studies); Anthonie Cooper (Nutrition and Healthy Living); Willie Harts (Parks and Protected Area Management/Public Administration).

MILESTONE WATCH

  • 492 rushing yards for X Valladay to reach 4,000 for his career (currently at 3,508)
  • 278 passing yards for Emory Jones to reach 4,000 in his career (currently at 3,722)

BY THE NUMBERS
31 - ASU has held opponents to less than 30 points in 31 of 45 games under Herm Edwards, notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of 43 previous games dating back to a span from 2013-17. The Sun Devils have allowed just 124 offensive touchdowns (2.8 per game/45 games) since Edwards assumed the reins in 2018 -the 20th-fewest among FBS programs. For reference, ASU gave up 109 offensive touchdowns alone between 2016-17 (4.4 per game/25 games). Since 2019, ASU has allowed an opponent scoring drive just 115 times on 383 drives, a 30.0 score % that is 29th-lowest in the FBS. ASU has allowed just 54 second-half touchdowns to opponents since '18 - 10th fewest in the FBS.

27 - According to Pro Football Focus, Merlin Robertson has been credited with just 27 missed tackles in his career on 2,612 snaps, which is the second-fewest of any FBS linebacker with over 2000 snaps played over the last four+ seasons (USF's Dwayne Boyles on 24 on 2,232 snaps – over 300 fewer than Robertson). He has played 2,612 career snaps – the second-most among active linebackers in the FBS this season (Troy's Carlton Martial at 2,774) and seventh-most of any active defensive player in the FBS. Robertson has collected 255 tackles in his career, a total that currently ranks him 22nd among active FBS players while his six career interceptions lead all active FBS linebackers.

20 - ASU has rushed for at least 100 yards as a team in 20 straight regular season games. It is the longest streak of rushing for over 100 yards as a team since the last 10 games of 1995, all 11 of 1996 and the first two of 1997 - a 23-game stretch over two seasons. The 20-game streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS. Since 2020, ASU has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 5.5 percent of its rushes - the fourth-lowest tally in the FBS. Since 2020, ASU has picked up a first down or touchdown on 32.3 percent of its rushes - 12th-most in the FBS and sixth in the Power Five. ASU has 100 runs of 10+ yards since the start of last year, the 20th-best tally in the FBS.

17 - ASU was the only team in the FBS to not allow a 50-yard play last year and extended their streak to 17 straight games without allowing a 50-yard play against Oklahoma State, the longest active streak in the FBS. ASU has allowed just seven plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 45 games. The .16 50+ yard plays per game are 2nd-fewest in the FBS in that time behind only Washington (.11 per game on 5 plays over 45 games). ASU ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in 50+ yards played allowed each year from 2014-17. ASU is one of  three teams in the country to rank in the Top-35 in fewest plays over 30 yards allowed in EACH of the last four seasons (Cal, Utah).

0 - LaDarius Henderson was third-highest pass blocking guard in the Pac-12 in Week 2 (86.6) and 10th-highest graded in the FBS for the week. He is the 31st-highest graded guard in the FBS this season as a pass blocker (84.8).  Henderson has not been credited with a QB pressure allowed in the first two games this season - one of just 43 guards in the nation with such a claim. He allowed just 10 quarterback pressures during the 2021 regular season - tied for fourth-fewest among Pac-12 offensive guards and among the Top-50 fewest among all guards in the FBS while also being tied for 38th among FBS guards with just one sack allowed on the year.

0 - No active player in the FBS this season has more career rushing yards than Sun Devil Football's X Valladay (3,515). His 234 rushing yards are the second-most by an ASU running back in the first two games of the season since 1996 (D.J. Foster - 363 in 2014). Valladay has 74 explosive runs (10+) yards since 2019 - tied for most among active FBS backs with USC's Travis Dye. His five 20+ yard rushing plays this season are tied for first in the FBS with Illinois' Chase Brown, who has an extra game and over twice as many carries as Valladay. He has forced 106 missed tackles in his career, seventh among active FBS backs.