Arizona State Football: 4 Reasons Why ASU Can Beat the Ducks

The No. 18 Sun Devils (5-1) are on a roll, and they will take their current success onto their biggest challenge yet.

This Saturday, the Sun Devils will be visiting the No.9 Oregon Ducks (4-1) in Eugene.

The Ducks are tough at home, but the Sun Devils haven't been easy on any opponent this season.

It won't be easy, but the Sun Devils can beat Oregon this week.

Here are four reasons why Arizona State will prevail Saturday night.

Brock Osweiler Is Elite

Brock Osweiler has proven time and time again that he can compete with the best. The Ducks defense will arguably be the toughest defense he has faced all season, but all signs point to him prevailing.

Even if the Sun Devils get down quick, that hasn't stopped Osweiler. Throughout the season, he has kept his composure high even after turning the ball over or leading ineffective drives.

Osweiler and the Sun Devils lost in Week 3 at Illinois, but ever since that game, they have figured things out.

You can't argue the competition Osweiler has faced thus far. The Sun Devils have had a tough schedule so far this season, facing Missouri, Illinois, USC, Oregon State and Utah.

Osweiler has 13 touchdown passes on the season, while completing 66.7 percent of his passes. He also has ran two touchdowns in, and that is no surprise as Osweiler has been effective on the ground as well.

Against Utah, Osweiler ran for 34 yards on seven carries. Oh, he also threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns as well.

Look for Osweiler to light things up against Oregon.

Cameron Marshall Is Running at Full Throttle

Sun Devil fans were scared at the beginning of the season when running back Cameron Marshall just seemed to be totally ineffective. Things have certainly changed over the last three games, as Marshall has broken for more then 100 yards twice and has a total of six touchdowns in three games.

The Sun Devils were in dire need of another aspect to their offense, and Marshall came to answer.

Marshall will need to have another big game against Oregon, as the Sun Devils have learned they cannot fully rely on their passing game, even if it is effective.

Expect to see Marshall used a lot, as he has proved to be an effective change of pace for the Sun Devils.

Defensive Turnover Machine

The Arizona State Sun Devils defense has been nothing short of spectacular. Through six games, they have forced 18 turnovers. 14 of those turnovers have been in their three last games. The defense has been incredibly effective, and don't expect them to play at a lower level against Oregon.

The Sun Devils, who were neck and neck with Oregon a year ago, remember losing what could have been a huge upset a year ago.

The major roadblock is the Ducks' 50-plus points per game on the season, but they haven't faced a defense like the Sun Devils. Well, check that. The Ducks did look more normal against the LSU Tigers, where they only scored 27 points.

The Sun Devils should take that game as inspiration that this Oregon team can be stopped.

LaMichael James Is Shelved

At this point in time, Oregon's biggest weapon in running back LaMichael James is currently shelved for this Saturday's game. James is by far the Ducks' greatest asset on offense, so it will be interesting to see how they perform without the star back.

Oregon has a lot of playmakers though, so who knows who they will have coming out and taking on a bigger role with the back out.

The Sun Devils should be ready to take advantage though. Quarterback Darron Thomas has been effective, but he isn't a true quarterback. He has 15 touchdowns on the season and has passed for over 1000 yards, but the Ducks could be looking very one dimensional if they don't have a successful running game.

With the Sun Devils' recent success in forcing turnovers, this game could spell disaster for the Ducks if they rely only on Thomas.