ASU Football: Players to watch vs. Colorado

No matter how poor Colorado may have looked in their first two games, conference play can push any team into the right gear. It's still a team in the Pac-12 and as Todd Graham has iterated this week, it's not a team the Sun Devils should take lightly. Buffaloes' wide receiver Nelson Spruce has shown a lot of explosive potential in the first few weeks and there is no telling when their offense might click. The maroon and gold will still need to show improvement over the course of the first two games to beat Colorado comfortably. With that being said, here are your players to watch in Boulder.

Laiu Moeakiola

Through two games, the redshirt sophomore SPUR linebacker has 13 tackles including 2.5 for loss. He was named a captain by Todd Graham this week and has received a lot more media attention for it. There could be times on Saturday where Moeakiola will be called upon to cover Nelson Spurce. Will he rise to the occasion under added pressure or crumple under it?

Devilbacker

I've put this in every players to watch so far this season but for good reason. Graham gave Antonio Longino work at first-team Devilbacker on Wednesday at practice after Edmond Boateng started the first two contests and hasn't had much of an impact, only recording one tackle. Neither player has had even close to the level of production that Carl Bradford was able to provide. Who will Graham start and will that player step up and perhaps cement their starting role Saturday?

D.J. Foster

Can the Sun Devils' junior running back continue the early season pace he has set for himself? He has 363 yards with four touchdowns on 34 rushes so far this season. He is second in the entire country in rushing yards and fourth in yards per game. Last week against New Mexico he became Arizona State's first rusher with 200 yards in a single game since 2001.

Zane Gonzalez

He had a very weird game against New Mexico which included the two-point conversion catch, two blocked extra points, a made 27-yard field goal and a missed 44-yarder off the left upright. He'll need to have a short memory heading into Saturday and hopefully he can find some easier success in the thin air of Boulder