Arizona State Football: 5 Things to Watch for Against Washington State

After losing a pivotal road game on the road last week to the UCLA Bruins, the Arizona State Sun Devils will be looking to redeem themselves on the road against the Washington State Cougars.

While the Sun Devils stand at 6-3 at this point in the season, the Cougars sit at a 3-6 mark. The Cougars have been nothing spectacular this season, but they also haven't had the easiest schedule. The Sun Devils are another one of these difficult opponents, so the Cougars should be in for another scare.

The Sun Devils will be out to kill following their detrimental loss to the Bruins, so they will need to play their hardest to get back in the picture following their last road loss. Here are five things to watch for when the Sun Devils visit the Cougars in Week 11.

Can the Sun Devils Keep Their Composure High?

The Arizona State Sun Devils' road loss to the UCLA Bruins was their third loss of the year. It was also their third loss on the road, making their traveling record 1-3. That sole victory was against a weak Utah Utes squad, which is arguably better than their upcoming opponents.

The Washington State Cougars have not done anything that should stump the Sun Devils this weekend. The Sun Devils need to keep up their half though. It is important that they play strong on the road this week; otherwise the road will continue to be their worst enemy.

Keep the Turnover Machine Rolling

The Arizona State Sun Devils have managed to force a turnover in every game so far this season. In nine games, they have forced a total of 27 turnovers. This defense has the ability to turn any game in the Sun Devils' direction. Look for it to continue to do so this weekend against the Washington State Cougars.

The Cougars have turned the ball over 13 times this season, and the Sun Devils will likely increase that number in an unfavorable direction for the Cougars. The Sun Devils have managed to force 12 turnovers on the road this season; the road crowd doesn't scare off this Sun Devils squad.

Brock Osweiler Needs to Keep the Offense Moving

One thing that the Arizona State Sun Devils must work on during this final stretch is keeping quarterback Brock Osweiler consistent. Osweiler started out the season great, but ever since the game against the Oregon Ducks in Week 7 he has seemed to take a step back.

Osweiler has only been throwing two touchdowns a game over his last three games, and he needs to work on getting this number up in order for the Sun Devils to be able to win against tougher teams than the UCLA Bruins or Colorado Buffaloes.

While the rushing game has improved significantly over the weeks, Osweiler must step up his game at this point in the season in order to get the Sun Devils to the next level going into the final parts of the season. The Cougars present an excellent opportunity for Osweiler to get himself back into the picture and lead this offense to success.

Stopping Marshall Lobbestael Is a Must

If there is one positive to the Washington State Cougars' season, it is quarterback Marshall Lobbestael. On the season, Lobbestael has thrown the ball for 2,231 yards and 16 touchdowns. While those are not phenomenal numbers, they are the key to the Cougars offense.

The Arizona State Sun Devils must focus on stopping this. If they can stop Lobbestael, then they should have no problem winning this game. The offense will, of course, have to keep things going as well, but the defense should have no problem doing its job.

Lobbestael did have a great game against the Oregon Ducks, passing for 337 yards and a touchdown. If the Cougars get into a toss-up game, the Sun Devils have to make sure they stop the pass. Otherwise, the Cougars can light up the secondary, which they have proven in the past.

Can Cameron Marshall Keep Things Going?

After starting out the season slow due to nagging ankle injures, Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cameron Marshall has been on a tear. So far this season, he has run for a total of 800 yards and 13 touchdowns, including three against the Colorado Buffaloes.

Marshall, along with quarterback Brock Osweiler, is essential to the Sun Devils keeping things going this season on the offensive side of the ball. While Osweiler needs to increase his presence in the coming weeks, Marshall needs to just keep things going.

Against the UCLA Bruins, he broke out for a season high of 167 yards, and things can only get better with the remaining schedule. With a solid game against Washington State, Marshall could possibly jump to the top of the running back class of the Pac-12.