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

Quick shoutout to the No. 8 ASU women’s volleyball team, which toppled No. 16 Baylor 3-0 yesterday in impressive fashion. The 13-2 Sun Devils have won seven straight matches while dropping just two games over that span — that’s a 21-2 stretch. Absolutely crazy.

Arizona State isn’t out of the woods yet, as it hosts No. 24 Colorado on Friday at Desert Financial Arena.

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

This is a big week for both ASU and UA.

The No. 21 Sun Devils hit the road for Salt Lake City to face Utah, while the Wildcats host No. 18 BYU in Tucson, and the stakes are similar for both teams. Arizona State is 2-0 in the Big 12 and could take a huge step toward defending its conference title with a win, while Arizona can erase the memory of a painful loss to Iowa State earlier this season by stunning the Cougars.

Easier said than done.

Let’s dive in to this weekend’s matchups

No. 21 Arizona State (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) at Utah (4-1, 1-1)
Game info: Saturday, 7:15 pm, ESPN
bet365 odds: Arizona State +5.5
Last Meeting: W, 27-19 (Oct. 11, 2024)

The Utes will be looking for a little revenge.

Arizona State toppled Utah last season — when the Utes were ranked No. 16 overall — and that set the two schools on very different trajectories for the remainder of the season. The win vaulted ASU to 5-1 en route to an 11-2 season and College Football Playoff appearance, while Utah plummeted following the defeat, and would go on to lose five more in a row to finish the season 5-7.

You’d better believe Utah wants some payback.

The forecast for Saturday’s game shows a high likelihood of storms rolling through the area, and of course, Kenny Dillingham is preparing the team for such a scenario. Still, a football that’s soaked by a water bottle is a far cry from dealing with the elements, and if it truly gets nasty out there, it’s likely going to come down to the battle in the trenches.

Statistically speaking, both teams are ready to battle it out on the ground. Utah leads the conference by averaging 242.6 rushing yards per game, while the Sun Devils are third with 216.6 yards per game.

The ASU defense needs to make life difficult on Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, who leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th in the nation in completion percentage (72 percent). Dampier also ranks third in the conference with 22.2 completions per game, though the aforementioned inclement weather may impact that.

The Utes are a fundamentally sound team, ranking in the top 20 nationally with both scoring defense and scoring offense. They allow jut 14.6 points per game while scoring 39.0 points per game, however, their body of work is also slightly suspect.

Utah has wins over UCLA, Cal Poly, Wyoming and West Virginia, but lost handily at home to No. 17 Texas Tech on Sept. 20.

No. 18 BYU (5-0, 2-0) at Arizona (4-1, 1-1)
Game info: Saturday, 5 pm, ESPN2
bet365 odds: BYU -2.0
Last Meeting: L, 41-19 (Oct. 12, 2024)

One win can erase a bad memory awfully quickly.

The Wildcats still have a whole lot to play for this season, and a win against the Cougars would go a long way. BYU isn’t exactly battle tested — the best win on their schedule is probably either Colorado (24-21) or West Virginia (38-24), so they don’t jump off the page.

Still, you can’t fault a team for being perfect, and the Cougars are just one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the conference.

The Cougars defense hasn’t allowed many opportunities to score this season, as it is second in the conference by only allowing 12.2 points per game. BYU has also allowed the fewest yards per game from scrimmage (239.6). Arizona’s defense has held its own this season as well, ranking fourth in scoring defense per game (15.6). It has not allowed a passing touchdown all season.

Head-to-head this is a very even matchup, and the team that capitalizes on its opportunities will leave Tucson with a W.

Quarterback Noah Fifita continues to be one of the most dynamic QBs in the league, and he’s making his mark within the UA program. He ranks fourth in school history in career passing yards (7,296) and third in touchdowns (57), and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week last week after throwing for 376 yards and five touchdowns against Oklahoma State.

Rain or shine, the Wildcats need more of that from Fifita this week, especially against one of the best defenses in the league.

Ouch: The Mercury dropped a heartbreaker to the Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals yesterday, falling 90-88 despite a frantic rally in which they came back from 17 points down entering the fourth quarter. DeWanna Bonner’s last-second shot rimmed out at the buzzer, sending Phoenix into a 3-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

Most concerning, though, was an injury to Satou Sabally, who hit her head very hard in the fourth quarter. She was helped off the court after a lengthy injury delay, and did not re-enter the game. No further update was available prior to this newsletter being scheduled, but make sure to check our PHNX Mercury account to stay up-to-date.

Game 4 is on Friday at 5 pm here in Phoenix.

Unsteady Footing: Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is day-to-day, and did not practice Wednesday, after sustaining an injury to his foot in Sunday’s loss to the Titans. He did briefly leave that game, but returned and finished what ended up being an ugly loss to Tennessee.

Backup Jacoby Brissett separated himself during preseason and secured the backup position, and his name will be called if Murray is unable to go against the Colts on Sunday.

That step-back is ::chefs kiss::

Mercury lose, Kyler injured, it was NOT a good day for AZ sports