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Arizona State vs. West Virginia: Cactus Bowl Preview By the Numbers

Our final by-the-numbers preview examines the Cactus Bowl between ASU and WVU.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

2nd

This is the second meeting between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Sun Devils won the previous game 42-7 in 1979, which was legendary coach Frank Kush's final season at ASU.

13-2

Arizona State is 13-4 all time against Big-12 opponents. Its last meeting against a Big-12 opponent was against Texas Tech in the 2013 Holiday Bowl, which ASU lost 37-23.

14-13-1

ASU is 14-13-1 all time in bowls. The Sun Devils have appeared in five straight bowls, and have a 2-1 record under fourth-year coach Todd Graham.

2004-05

The last time the Sun Devils won back-to-back bowls was in 2004-05. Coincidentally, those wins came in the Sun Bowl and the Insight Bowl (which is now known as the Cactus Bowl).

4

This is the fourth time Graham and Dana Holgersen will have met, but only the second time with both as head coaches. Holgorsen was an offensive coordinator for Houston when the Cougars beat Graham's Tulsa Hurricanes in 2008 and 2009, and Holgorsen defeated Graham's Pittsburgh Panthers in his first year with the Mountaineers.

127th

Arizona State is 127th in the country in passing yards allowed per game, yielding 321.7 yards per game. The only team worse in the FBS is Indiana, which gives up 326.3 per game.

100-3

Per West Virginia's sports information department, the Mountaineers are 100-3 since 2000 when scoring 30 points or more in a game.

23

West Virginia has 23 interceptions for the year, which ranks second nationally. One more pick would tie a school record for most in one season.

370

Per ASU's sports information department, junior kicker Zane Gonzalez has 310 career points, and just need 11 to break Luis Zendeja's school record.

30

Per ASU's sports information department, ASU punter Matt Haack has 30 punts downed inside opponents' 20-yard line, which is the fourth most in the nation.

7

Per ASU's sports information department, ASU running back Demario Richard has seven 100-yard rushing games this season, becoming just the fourth Sun Devil to have that many in school history.

16th

West Virginia ranks 16th in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging 235.3 yards. ASU's rush defense ranks 19th nationally, yielding 124.4 per game.