Arizona State football vs. San Diego State: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score

Sun Devils battle Aztecs

Head coach Herm Edwards of the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half of the college football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Sun Devil Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Spartans 16-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Arizona State coach Herm Edwards returns to face his alma mater on Saturday night when the No. 25 Sun Devils take on San Diego State at SDCCU Stadium. Edwards, in his first season with the Sun Devils after 10 years away from the sideline, played his senior season with the Aztecs in 1976 and helped them to a 10-1 record.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Arizona State -4.5

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Edwards has already made his mark with Arizona State, guiding the Sun Devils back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in a 16-13 upset last week against No. 24 Michigan State in Tempe. That victory lifted Arizona State into the top 25, something San Diego State experienced this time last season after knocking off the Sun Devils in Tempe and then beating a ranked Stanford team in San Diego. The defensive coordinator for the Aztecs last season was Danny Gonzales, who now occupies that role for Arizona State, likely giving the Sun Devils an edge against a San Diego State defense that returned several starters and uses the same scheme as last year. Like the Aztecs in Edwards' time, the strength lies in their secondary, led by cornerback Ron Smith, who was 10th in the FBS with 18 passes defended last season, and safety Tariq Thompson, who had five interceptions as a freshman last season.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (2-0)

Manny Wilkins will have the task of getting the ball to his receivers against San Diego State's talented secondary, and he should feel confident after passing for a career-high 380 yards in the win against Michigan State. He was solid against the Aztecs last year, but didn't have the run game to back him up in the 30-20 loss. Arizona State's top two rushers from last season did not return, but sophomore running backs Eno Benjamin and Isaiah Floyd have stepped in nicely this season.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE (1-1)

The Aztecs continue to produce NFL-quality running backs and junior Juwan Washington appears to be the newest version. He has topped 150 rushing yards in each of the first two games, joining Marshall Faulk (1992) and Rashaad Penny (2017) as the only Aztecs to accomplish that feat, and is third in the nation with 314 yards on the ground. The Sun Devils limited Michigan State to just 63 yards on 27 carries, so Washington will need to make the most of his opportunities if San Diego State hopes to improve on its 1-10-1 all-time record against Arizona State.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona State has allowed the fourth-fewest points (20) in the Pac-12 through two games since 1988. 

2. Arizona State has scored more than seven points in 123 consecutive games, tied with Louisiana Tech for the FBS record.

3. San Diego State is one of seven teams with least 10 wins in each of the past three seasons, joining Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.

PREDICTION: San Diego State 28, Arizona State 27

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