ASU Football: Oregon State players to watch

The Arizona State Sun Devils return home looking for a way to break a two game losing streak. Luckily for ASU, the Oregon State Beavers don’t expect to pose much of a threat to the Sun Devils on a warm, Saturday night in Tempe.

The Beavers come to Tempe with a 1-3 record following an opening Pac-12 loss against the Arizona Wildcats in Corvallis. Despite the disappointing record, OSU has not struggled to put points on the board in the early going. They will present another challenge for the ASU defense, a unit that has thrived at home this season.

Here are some players to watch on Saturday:

QB Conor Blount — redshirt sophomore

Forced into duty following an injury to incumbent quarterback Jake Luton, Blount has performed fairly well all things considered. He’s posted solid statistics and kept the offense afloat despite the inexperience.

Blount has completed just under 66 percent of his passes for 707 yards and one touchdown. Even more importantly, Blount has thrown only one interception in that timeframe keeping the Beavers’ offense on the field and in contention.

ASU’s defense will try and make Blount beat them by throwing the football, this combined with the Sun Devils’ aggressive defense will try and force the inexperienced quarterback into difficult situations.

RB Jermar Jefferson — freshman

This Oregon State offense revolves around some young, talented players. Jefferson is the cream of the crop.

He broke onto the scene in his second collegiate game, when he ran for 238 yards and four touchdown in OSU’s first win of the season against Southern Utah. Jefferson is a dynamic running back that could pose problems for ASU’s defensive linemen who will be tasked with limiting his production.

The Beavers will also trot out junior Artavis Pierce as a change of pace. Pierce has scored three touchdowns on only 23 carries through the season’s first four games.

LB Hamilcar Rashed, Jr. — redshirt sophomore

Saturday’s game will be a homecoming for Rashed Jr., who played high school football at Chandler High School. He’s excelled in his sophomore season with an increase in playing time.

Rashed Jr. leads the Beavers with 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. His ability to get into the opponent’s backfield is his biggest strength, and will be a player ASU will likely seek to contain during Saturday’s game.