👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Friday! I hope you had a good week!

A cool report surfaced yesterday indicating the ASU football team will face Kansas at Wembley Stadium in London next year. Absolutely nothing is confirmed at this point, but it’s pretty cool to think about the Sun Devils bringing the first-ever college football game to such a historic venue!

According to Scott Hamilton of Post and Courier, the event will be called the “Union Jack Classic.” I’m sure there’s plenty more to come on this, so stay tuned!

It’s Friday - get ready for your weekly chuckle: Where do football players go when they need a uniform? New Jersey!

Let’s run it back next week. On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

It’s officially Week 4, and college football is in full swing.

The Wildcats are off this week, resting up before a huge clash in Ames vs. Iowa State next weekend. The Sun Devils, though, hit the road for Waco, where a dangerous Baylor Bears team awaits.

The Bears’ high-scoring offense has been impressive early on, and their only loss of the season came in Week 1 vs. Auburn. Despite the setback, Baylor responded the next week with a three point win over then-No. 17 SMU before destroying Samford 42-7 the following week.

Now it’s time to swan dive into conference play.

Here’s what to watch for as the Sun Devils get set for their second tough road game of the season.

Arizona State (2-1) at Baylor (2-1)
Game info: Saturday, 4:30 pm, FOX
bet365 odds: Arizona State +2.5
Last Meeting: Baylor 13, Arizona State 34 (Sept. 8, 1990)

These two schools have only met once on the football field, and holy cow, that was 35 years ago. The Bears’ program has grown exponentially since then, and they joined the Big 12 in 1996, which is where they have resided ever since.

Buckle up for this one, because oddsmakers expect a high-scoring affair with an over/under of 59.5, which is the highest mark of all Big 12 games this week.

The Sun Devils can gash Baylor’s rush defense, especially when you consider the Bears’ defense ranks at the bottom of the conference in nearly every statistical category. Through three games this season they allow the second-most points (30), third-most rushing yards (188.3) and third-most total yards (356) per game.

It’s a dream matchup of sorts for Arizona State, which has posted the third-most rushing yards per game, at 232.3. Raleek Brown leads the way with 292 yards and two touchdowns on 35 attempts, but don’t sleep on quarterback Sam Leavitt, who has found the end zone three times while accumulating 157 yards on 27 carries.

Baylor’s hands will be full in the trenches, which will undoubtedly create opportunities for Leavitt and star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. That duo has been lethal lately, and Tyson ranks seventh in the nation with 314 receiving yards. His four touchdowns are tied for third-most in the country.

On the flip side, the Sun Devils have quite a test, because Baylor’s offense is just as formidable. Quarterback Sawyer Robinson has already racked up 1,070 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, which ranks second and third, respectively. He’s shared the wealth, across his receiver corps, as well.

Kobe Prentice has caught four touchdowns, Josh Cameron has caught three, and three other receivers each have caught one score apiece.

Baylor’s rushing attack is just as strong, with running back Bryson Washington ranking 13th nationally with 304 yards from scrimmage. He’s scored four touchdowns on the ground.

The Sun Devils’ defense ranks slightly higher than Baylor’s, but has allowed 326.3 yards per game. Their 19.3 points per game is the fifth-worst mark in the conference.

Both Baylor and Arizona State are similar in terms of the turnover margin so far this season — the former has forced five turnovers while committing four, while the latter has both forced and committed three. This game is almost assuredly going to come down to who commits fewer mistakes.

In reality, the Sun Devils and Bears have faced similar challenges this season: Both have already lost a game to an SEC team, and both have CFP playoff aspirations that will be awfully tough to achieve with a loss this weekend … so buckle up!

Win or Go Home: The Mercury host a deciding Game 3 tonight against New York in their First Round matchup (6 pm, ESPN2), and the winner will advance to the WNBA Semifinals. Phoenix stayed alive with an inspired effort on Wednesday, and have put themselves in a position to advance with the win.

Meaningful Baseball: Get out to Chase Field this weekend! The D-backs continue their pursuit of the NL’s final Wild Card spot against one of the best teams in baseball, hosting the Phillies for a three-game set tonight at Chase Field. Not to sensationalize here, but a series win is critical as Arizona looks to catch the Mets and stay ahead of Cincinnati and San Francisco.

Rise Up: Rising FC has earned a draw in three of its last four games, though last time out they rallied from an 0-2 deficit to do so. Phoenix hosts Loudoun United FC tomorrow night (7 pm, Arizona’s Family Sports), who rank third in the USL Eastern Conference table.

Phoenix has 31 points and is tied for seventh in the Western Conference table — just two points ahead of Orange Country SC.

It’s not going to be easy.

Heading into the weekend like: