This is the third in a 12-week Friday series looking at the Wisconsin football team's 2013 opponents.
Following two sure-fire cakewalks, the first test of the 2013 season will be substantial for Wisconsin. And the Badgers had better hope they play better than the last time they traveled to face a Pac-12 team.
A year ago, Oregon State stunned Wisconsin, 10-7, in Corvallis, Ore., leading to the firing of an assistant coach, a reshaping of the offensive line and a quarterback change. Wisconsin should be better equipped to handle its first road game of the season this year, but Arizona State could be a legitimate Pac-12 title contender.
The Sun Devils finished 8-5 last season and destroyed Navy, 62-28, to win the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Arizona State ranked No. 25 nationally in total offense (464.5 yards per game) and 14th in scoring offense (38.4 points). So if the Badgers aren't careful, they could be in for a shootout.
Personnel: Redshirt junior Taylor Kelly returns at quarterback for Arizona State, and he brings with him some serious credentials. Last season, Kelly finished second in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency and ninth in the nation. He also set the school record for completion percentage (.671), shattering Brock Osweiler's mark of 61.8 percent. Kelly threw for 3,039 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Junior college transfer Jaelen Strong could provide Kelly with a deep threat that will test Wisconsin's relatively unproven secondary. Strong caught 67 passes for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Pierce (Calif.) Community College.
Senior Marion Grice and sophomore D.J. Foster both return at running back for the Sun Devils. Grice rushed for 679 yards with 11 touchdowns last season, while Foster tallied 493 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, tackle Will Sutton might just be the best defensive lineman in the nation. Sutton tied for second in the country with 23.5 tackles for loss last season alongside South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney. The only player with more tackles for loss, Georgia's Jarvis Jones (24.5), was taken 17th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Sutton and linebacker Carl Bradford combined for 24.5 sacks last season, and the duo is expected to wreak havoc on even more quarterbacks in 2013. Defensive lineman Jaxon Hood also was a freshman All-American last season, so Arizona State's defense certainly won't be fun to handle.
Fun fact No. 1: Wisconsin and Arizona State last met in 2010 in Madison, and the Badgers escaped with a 20-19 victory. Wisconsin's Jay Valai blocked a possible game-tying extra point try with 4:09 remaining in the fourth quarter to preserve the win. Badgers quarterback Scott Tolzien completed 19 of 25 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Tailback John Clay ran for 123 yards and a score.
The only skill position players still left on Wisconsin's roster that contributed in the game were running back James White (six carries, 40 yards) and wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (three catches, 35 yards). Abbrederis returned two punts for 22 yards, White returned four kickoffs for 93 yards, and Kyle Zuleger returned a kickoff for 21 yards.
Fun fact No. 2: Arizona State's official mascot, Sparky the Sun Devil, was first conceived by Disney illustrator Bert Anthony. Anthony, who drew the mascot with a pitchfork, was said to have based the character's facial features on that of his former boss Walt Disney. The mascot made its debut in 1951.
Tough line: The Golden Nugget, a Las Vegas casino, released college football point spreads last week for 250 games in the upcoming season. Of those 250, only seven came in as pick ‘em lines — including the Wisconsin-Arizona State game.
Prediction: Arizona State 27, Wisconsin 21
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