ASU keys to success against Cincinnati

TEMPE, Ariz. – Coming into the week, many thought this would be a close game. The fans are traveling, the boys are buzzing, and Cincinnati is reeling. But wait, a news flash came out on Tuesday that redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt will not play. The young phenom will be out due to a rib injury sustained during ASU’s win against Utah. So now, ASU will turn to senior backup quarterback Jeff Sims, a journeyman of sorts in his career. He played three years at Georgia Tech, one year at Nebraska, and then transferred to the valley for his fifth year of eligibility to compete for a starting spot. What do we know about Jeff Sims?

Well, we know that he has the wheels to be a very successful quarterback on the ground if the defense doesn’t bottle him up. When he gets under pressure, there are times when he makes bad decisions. Bad decisions as a quarterback can be detrimental to the team’s success. In his five-year career, he has 31 touchdowns compared to 29 interceptions. When you tack on his 21 fumbles to his name in five years, people may ask, why Sims?

Head coach Kenny Dillingham and offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo have both put their full faith in the veteran, Sims, under center.

“We would not have brought him in if we didn’t think he could compete,” Dillingham said. “We don’t want Sam injured, but he is, so now we turn to our vet.”

So the coaches believe in him, why don’t the fans? Do the coaches see something in Sims that the daily watcher doesn’t see? Only time will tell as we are bound to see Sims on Saturday and potentially after ASU’s bye in three weeks against Oklahoma State.

How can ASU be victorious in Queen City?

There are many things that fans can likely look for when deciding whether or not the Sun Devils will be successful in Cincinnati this weekend. Here are some things you should consider!

1. ASU Run Game

The Bearcats rank 100th in yards per carry this season allowing nearly five yards per carry. While the defense may sell out to stop the run, senior running back Cam Skattebo ranks No. 1 in broken tackles this season. ASU will likely use a heavy dose of the running game while Sims figures out his rhythm. Let’s not forget that Sims also has wheels averaging nearly 50 yards per game on the ground, which can help mix up what Arroyo runs this game. No pun intended! I think it’s likely ASU will use a heavy dose of redshirt sophomore running back Raleek Brown, barring injury concerns and you can factor in redshirt junior running back Alton McCaskill as well.

2. ASU Defense

Overall, the defense has been elite this season ranking No. 20 in yards per game, No. 35 in takeaways, and No. 17 in turnover margin this season. To ASU’s benefit, the Bearcats’ offense ranks No. 50 in turnovers on offense averaging 1.2 turnovers per game. Although, it could get ugly if ASU cannot defend the pass. In the Sun Devils’ lone loss this season, the opposing quarterback had 201 passing yards at a 55 percent completion rate. While the completion rate is not phenomenal, he was throwing it at will into the teeth of ASU’s defense. The Sun Devils will likely see a lot of that tomorrow as the Bearcats do not have an elite running back. Expect defensive coordinator Brian Ward to be aggressive early on and get to the quarterback. Cincinnati has not had many games where it had to throw under pressure.

Forcing a quarterback to throw under pressure likely results in some turnovers which is what ASU has been good at this season. A success in this category, in my opinion, looks like one or two turnovers on defense. If the Sun Devils’ defense can win the turnover battle and create short-field opportunities, that is a massive win!

3. Jeff Sims

While many news outlets are trying to talk about how bad Sims is as a passer due to his ball security issues, people fail to mention the fact that he has a 123 quarterback rating in his five-year career. I am by no means expecting Jeff Sims to have a Dillon Gabriel, Quinn Ewers, or Cam Ward-esque performance. However, I think many fans should be happy with limiting turnovers through the air. If Sims can have no interceptions, that is the best-case scenario in tomorrow’s game. I’d expect Jeff Sims to have one touchdown through the air and pair that with one on the ground tomorrow.

Expectations Setting

While many fans expect a win every game for the Sun Devils, it’s a good reminder that ASU is well ahead of its rebuild. While a win goes to show how quickly Dillingham has changed the culture of this team, Cincinnati is a very good football team, and a loss isn’t the end of the world.

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