ASU Football: Opposing players to watch- New Mexico

The Sun Devils travel one state to the east for their first road test of the 2014 season in week two. Here are three players who might give the Sun Devils some trouble.

Defense: Dakota Cox (6-foot-0, 229 pounds)

The sophomore came on incredibly strong for the Lobos during his freshman year season in 2013. He had 99 tackles last season but didn't even start until week four. Cox finished last year strong, averaging 12.6 tackles per game over his last five games and he was named a freshman All-American at the end of the year.

Defense: David Gutherie (5-foot-9, 208 pounds)

Gutherie will be a senior but has only spent one year with the Lobos so far after transferring from junior college. He started 11 games for New Mexico in 2013, recording 65 tackles which was good for third on the team last season. He transferred to Albuquerque from the College of the Siskiyous in 2012 where he had 53 tackles and five interceptions in 11 games. His production in junior college led him to a ranking as the No. 12 junior college safety in the country.

Offense: Cole Gautsche (6-foot-4, 234)

The Lobos quarterback returns for his junior season in Bob Davie's option offense. He completed 35 of 78 passes for 639 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions last season. Gautsche only started five games and played in nine, missing the rest with concussion like symptoms. He split time with Clayton Mitchem, who had the better stat line at the end of the season. Gautsche can use his feet well, running for 777 yards on 118 attempts with eight touchdowns. To put that number in perspective, that's 6.6 yards per carry which was second in the country last season for quarterbacks behind Oregon's Marcus Mariota.

If Gautsche can keep himself on the field and show Davie that his arm is improved, he should be Arizona State's number one priority on game day.