👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Thursday! Almost to the end of the week!

How about those Blue Jays? What a stunning turn of events following the Dodgers’ 18-inning triumph earlier this week — it’s hard to not be impressed by the mettle and character shown by Toronto. From Game 7 of the ALCS to a 3-2 World Series while heading back to the 6ix.

Trey Yesavage struck out 12 batters, setting a World Series rookie record, which is an incredible story for the 22-year-old who started the season in Single-A ball.

How can you not be romantic about baseball? On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

It’s hard to believe, but we’re nearing critical mass in the conference schedule.

Both Arizona State and Arizona desperately need a win, albeit for seemingly different reasons.

The Sun Devils dropped a disappointing game to Houston in Tempe last week, putting their Big 12 title defense very much in doubt. Those same Cougars? Yeah, they knocked off the Wildcats two weeks ago, a tough loss as Arizona went into its bye week.

Both schools are back in action this week, and both need wins for very different reasons.

Arizona State (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) at Iowa State (5-3, 2-3)
Game info: Saturday, 10 am, TNT / HBO Max
bet365 odds: Arizona State +7.5
Last Meeting: W, 45-19 (Dec. 7, 2024 in the Big 12 Championship)

The Sun Devils already know they’re without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt after he got injured against Houston. Star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson’s status was updated to doubtful yesterday, and that’s a giant question mark hovering over this weekend’s game.

A win would likely put them on trajectory for an eight-win, possibly nine-win, season. The Sun Devils’ remaining games come against West Virginia (2-6, 0-5) and Colorado (3-5, 1-4) before the Territorial Cup, in which all bets are off.

Iowa State is pretty strong up the middle, allowing just 139 yards per game on the ground. The Cyclones’ secondary, though, is incredibly banged up, and has been torched over the past few games. Seriously, they are down to their third-string cornerbacks, and it’s an area that Jeff Sims and the Sun Devils wide receiver corps needs to expose, with or without Tyson in the lineup.

ISU quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown for almost 2,000 yards, but he has been prone to throwing interceptions this season, tossing 10 touchdowns and six picks. He has also been sacked 15 times, and therein lies the strategy when the ball is in his hands:

The Sun Devils need to pressure early, and often.

Becht is at his best when he needs to get creative, and he’s pretty good on the move, even if he isn’t known as a scrambling quarterback. Running backs Abu Sama III and Carson Hanson are both threats, but if ASU can shut down Becht, I think they’ll come away with a win.

They’d better, or any hope of a Big 12 title repeat is essentially kaput.

Arizona (4-3, 1-3) at Colorado (3-5, 1-4)
Game info: Saturday, 4 pm, FS1
bet365 odds: Arizona -4.5
Last Meeting: L, 34-7 (Oct. 19, 2024)

If revenge is a dish best served cold, then it should be noted the low in Boulder, Colo. this weekend is 30 degrees.

It’s time for Noah Fifita and Co. to offer a little payback to Coach Prime after last year’s embarrassing defeat in Tucson. Fifita passed for just 138 yards with one touchdown and one interception, finishing with a quarterback rating of 41.5

Did Utah figure out the Buffaloes last week in a game Colorado lost 53-7?

Perhaps.

The Buffaloes’ offensive line has been pretty solid all season long, but the Utes brought nonstop pressure en route to recording seven sacks. Colorado was held to just 140 total yards of offense, recording only 12 first downs compared to Utah’s 25.

For what it’s worth, the Utes have one of the top defenses in the conference in terms of yards allowed per game, but hey, so does Arizona. The Wildcats allow the fourth-fewest in the Big 12, at 293 yards.

If not for a 24-17 home win over then-No. 22 Iowa State, the Buffaloes would likely look wayyyyyy overmatched. After all, their only other wins have come against Delaware and Wyoming, so it’s not exactly a resume that instigates fear.

But don’t let the record fool you — Colorado is not as bad as it may seem.

Yes, last week’s loss to Utah was horrifyingly ugly, but that’s all the more reason that Wildcats coach Brent Brennan should be on guard. Colorado lost to conference-leading BYU a few weeks ago by just three points. The quarterback position has been shaky lately, but presumed starter Kaidon Salter has shown flashes this season.

Ouch: The Suns rallied from a 10-point deficit with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Devin Booker’s last-second heave rimmed out in a 114-113 loss to Memphis. It’s the Suns’ fourth straight defeat, however, keep in mind Jalen Green has yet to make his Phoenix debut, and Dillon Brooks also missed his second straight game.

Booker had a rough night, finishing 10-for-26 from the field. Even so, he led the team with 32 points and almost won the game at the end, so it was still an incredible effort from a player who has averaged 50 percent from the field this season.

The Suns are back in action on Friday, hosting the Utah Jazz at 7 pm.

TC-Lose: The No. 6 ASU women’s volleyball team notched a huge win yesterday, toppling No. 13 TCU 3-1 to (yet again) exert its dominance in the Big 12. The Sun Devils are 18-2, have won 12 straight matches this season and 25 straight Big 12 matches overall, which is the third-longest streak in the nation.

The 12-match winning streak is the fifth-best in school history. Up next, a trip to Ames to face the Cyclones on Friday.

Too good to not share.

Watching the Dodgers go down 3-2 in the World Series: