TEMPE -- The #24 (USA Today Coaches Poll) Arizona State Sun Devils return to action in conference play for their second consecutive Thursday night game as the team welcomes the No. 2 Oregon Ducks for a key Pac-12 tilt at Sun Devil Stadium on Oct. 18. Arizona State has won three straight to open conference play and enters the matchup at the top of the Pac-12 South standings. Oregon brings an unblemished record to Tempe, leading the Pac-12 North with a 6-0 overall record and is 3-0 in Pac-12 action. The matchup is notable for Oregon as it will be the Ducks' first true road test this season and just the sixth time in ASU history that a team ranked #1 or #2 in the AP Poll has visited Sun Devil Stadium. This week's matchup will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 6 p.m. PT. ASU is 566-357-24 (.610) all-time on the gridiron.

ON THE AIR: The MidFirst Bank Sun Devil-IMG Sports Network will carry all 12 of ASU's football games live on their 10-station radio network, including flagship station Sports 620 KTAR AM. Tim Healey (play-by-play) and former Sun Devil quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst (color analyst) will call the action with Doug Franz reporting from the sidelines. This week's game will be broadcast on KTAR 620 AM. The game will be broadcast on Sirius and SiriusXM Channel 85.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: This week's matchup will be broadcast on ESPN for the second consecutive week. The normal ESPN Thursday night crew will consist of Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack in the booth while Samantha Steele will report from the sidelines. This will be Arizona State's fourth game on an ESPN affiliate this season.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: They don't make college football schedules like they used to and the 2012 ASU schedule is the perfect example of that. This will be the third of three Thursday night games for ASU this season (Aug. 30 vs. NAU, Oct. 11 at Colorado and Oct. 18 vs. Oregon). ASU will also take on rival Arizona in Tucson in a Friday-night matchup in the regular season finale on Nov. 23.

SUN DEVILS vs. DUCKS: In a series that dates back to the 1966 season, this will be the 33rd matchup in the history between the Ducks and Devils with the series split dead even at 16 wins each. Last season, Oregon downed ASU at Autzen Stadium, 41-27, in relatively similar circumstances with ASU coming in undefeated in conference play and a 5-1 overall record. The Ducks have won the previous seven meetings, including the last four at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona State's last win over the Ducks game in 2004, a 28-13 win in Eugene.

WHAT GIVES?: Something is going to have to give in Thursday night's tilt and here are a look at some of the notable statistics from the two teams that reflect this:

--Oregon (52.3 ppg) and Arizona State (40.5 ppg) enter the weekend ranked 1-2 in the Pac-12 in scoring offense. Conversely ASU (14.2 ppg) and Oregon (20.0 ppg) also rank first and fourth in scoring defense.

--Taylor Kelly (176.0) and Marcus Mariota come in ranked 1-2 in the conference in passing efficiency but both ASU (89.4) and Oregon (107.3) lead the conference in pass efficiency defense

--Taylor Kelly has gone 180 consecutive minutes (99 consecutive passes) without throwing an interception while Oregon has forced 10 such plays and returned four for touchdowns (leads nation)

--Oregon enters the game second in the conference at 541.7 yards of total offense per game where ASU leads the conference in total defense, giving up just 272.7 per game

--Arizona State in second in the nation in forcing 9.83 TFL per game and this is an area where Oregon has struggled, giving up an average of 6.83 TFL per game - 102nd in the FBS

LAST TIME OUT: Rashad Ross returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to break open a close game, and Taylor Kelly threw three scoring passes to tailback Marion Grice in Arizona State's 51-17 victory over Colorado on Thursday night. Grice caught touchdown throws of 37, 16 and 20 yards from Kelly, who threw for 308 yards and five TDs with no interceptions thanks to a steady diet of successful screen passes. He also tucked it and ran for 67 yards through huge chunks of open space all night long. Ross took the kickoff a yard deep in his end zone and darted down the right sideline untouched, reaching the other end zone 11 seconds later to make it 27-17. That jump-started a 31-0 second-half onslaught by the Sun Devils. Grice's third touchdown, from 20 yards out, made it 34-17 heading into the fourth quarter.

OTHER NOTES FROM COLORADO:

-ASU racked up a season-high 593 total yards of offense, including 261 rushing yards and 332 passing yards. ASU's 593 yards is the most in a conference road game since it had 651 yards at Arizona on Nov. 23, 1996 in a 56-14 win that clinched an 11-0 regular seaon.

-The win over Colorado gives ASU back-to-back road wins in conference play for just the second time in 15 seasons. In its 2007 Pac-10 Co-Championship season ASU beat Stanford 41-3 on Sept. 29, 2007, and then won at Washington State 23-20 the next weekend (Oct. 6) en route to sharing conference title honors. Back-to-back road wins also have included 2004 (beat Northwestern 30-21 on Sept. 11 and then won at Oregon 28-13 on Oct. 2 en route to a 9-3 mark) and 2002 (won at San Diego State 39-28 on Sept. 14 and then had one of the best wins in school history with a 45-42 win at No. 6 Oregon on Oct. 19 as it went 8-6).

-ASU held Colorado to a season-low 75 net rushing yards. They had 32 attempts and averaged 2.3 yards per carry. The previous season low was 88 yards against NAU.

-Marion Grice's 37-yard catch and run was the longest scoring play of the season for ASU. It was also Grice's longest catch of the year. Taylor Kelly had his longest run of the season with a 23-yard scamper in the first quarter. Cameron Marshall had his longest run of the season with a 19-yard run in the first quarter.

LEADING THE PAC: Entering this week's matchup, Arizona State leads the Pac-12 Conference in several statistical categories: pass efficiency defense (89.38), total defense (272.67), scoring defense (14.17), kickoff returns (26.23), pass defense (144.17), passing efficiency (173.93), quarterback sacks (4.33) and tackles for loss (9.83). Additionally, Taylor Kelly leads the conference in passing efficiency at 175.98.

STRIKE FIRST...STRIKE FAST: ASU has made a habit of scoring first this season, doing so five times and winning all five games, including the last tilt against Colorado. The Sun Devils scored on five consecutive possessions against the Utes (getting on the board first for the third time this season) to start the game and put it away early. Arizona State scored on six of its first seven possessions against NAU and four of its first five against Illinois. ASU has done itself favors early in games this year, outscoring the opposition 62-10 in the first quarter, and shutting out NAU, Illinois, Utah, Cal and Colorado. The Sun Devils didn't have a scoring drive longer than three minutes against the Fighting Illini, its longest lasting 2:59. The quick-hitting offense has been the staple of this year's team, with 26 of ASU's 37 scoring drives this season coming in three minutes or less.

Best coaching I've seen first half of coll fb season---Graham (Arizona State), OBrien (Penn State) Mullen (mississippi State) #statingtruth
-- Colin Cowherd (@ESPN_Colin) October 16, 2012

FINISH STRONG: While ASU has gotten out to several fast starts this season, the team has closed impressively, allowing its first fourth quarter points this season against Cal but still outscoring the opposition 64-7 in the frame.

PUSH `EM BACK: ASU has prided itself on its aggressive defense through four games this year, having forced 59 tackles for a loss of 258 total yards - a mark that is second in the nation after posting 10 such plays against Colorado. Not only is ASU getting into the backfield, but it has been a team effort as 17 different players have logged a TFL through five games. As a whole, ASU has a combined 78 defensive plays that have gone for a loss or no gain out of 417 offensive plays the opposition has run. That means an impressive 18.7 percent of the plays run by opponents this year have not advanced beyond the line of scrimmage. If you tack on incomplete passes to the mix, then ASU has forced 168 plays that did not result in positive yardage (40.3 percent of opponent's plays from scrimmage).

FOREVER YOUNG: One of the driving forces behind ASU's tackle for loss numbers has been SPUR linebacker Chris Young, who has 10.5 tackles for loss this season through six games. His 1.75 TFL per game ranks t-14th in the nation and is currently tied for fourth in the conference. To put that number into perspective, Arizona State had no player with more than eight tackles for loss on the entire season in 2011 (Oliver Aaron finished with 8.0). With 40 total tackles, Young is second on the team.

A SUTTON IMPACT: Perhaps no player on ASU's roster has earned as much praise from Todd Graham as junior defensive tackle Will Sutton. Sutton has been a beast on the interior line for ASU, especially against Cal, where he finished the game with four tackles-for-loss, including two sacks, for a total loss of 21 yards. He recorded three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an 8-yard sack in the first quarter. Sutton's forced fumble was his first of the season. Sutton was honored as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Pac-12 Player of the week for the performance. Sutton added three more TFLs and two extra sacks against Colorado to keep the momentum going. Sutton has posted 13.0 tackles for loss on the season (leads team), 8.5 sacks (leads team) and 39 total tackles (third on team). Sutton is currently ranked fifth in the nation at 2.17 TFL per game and second in the nation with 1.42 sacks per game.

EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF THE TIME, HE SCORES ALL THE TIME Marion Grice is proving to be one of the top junior college additions to the conference as he currently leads the team with nine touchdowns (five rushing, four receiving) on the season. Grice had a coming out party against Colorado as he posted five receptions for 101 yards and three touchdowns - all career highs. Grice has also found a knack for getting into the end zone, having posting touchdowns on nine of his 50 offensive touches this year (18 percent). Grice is ranked 31st in the country and third in the conference at 9.0 points per game.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER Aside from the impressive defense and great quarterback play from Taylor Kelly, it has been ASU's stable of running backs that have helped propel the team this year, mainly on the backs of Cameron Marshall, Marion Grice and D.J. Foster. ASU running backs have have accounted for 32 percent of all the team's passing yards this season. Of the 1,723 total receiving yards, running backs have collected 555. Grice, Marshall and Foster have accounted for 19 of the team's 30 total touchdowns. Grice with nine (five rushing, four receiving), Marshall with six (five rushing, one receiving) and Foster with four (two rushing, two receiving). That trio is averaging 5.3 yards per carry on the season. (763 yards, 144 attempts). Grice, Marshall and Foster are averaging 208 yards of total offense per game as a unit. The team is averaging 479 total yards per game.

FOSTER THE PEOPLE D.J. Foster came to ASU this season as what many consider the "gem" of the Sun Devil recruiting class and he has lived up to the hype thus far. Foster currently leads the team in all-purpose yardage with 566 yards (269 rushing, 297 receiving). Foster also leads the team in yards per carry (6.0) and is second in yards per catch (14.8). His ability to make what the ASU coaching staff calls "explosive plays" (rushes of 12 or more yards, receptions of 16 or more yards) has helped him stand out amongst an offensive full of talented players as he leads the team in such plays with 20 total (12 receiving and eight rushing).

WINNING BY WAY OF TKO (Taylor Kelly OFFENSE) While the running backs have been explosive for ASU this season, quarterback Taylor Kelly has been one of the many bright spots for the ASU offense. The sophomore leads the Pac-12 in passing efficiency at 175.98 and is third in the nation in that category. His ability to extend plays has also been exceptional, as demonstrated by his 210 net rushing yards on 57 attempts this year - a mark skewed by the fact that sacks count against his rushing total.

NOT PLAYING COY Chris Coyle's performance against Illinois (10 receptions, 131 yards, two touchdowns) garnered him honors as the College Football Performance Awards Football Bowl Subdivision Tight End Performer of the Week. As of Oct. 15, Coyle is second among the nation's tight ends in receiving yards per game on the season with 67.6 and is also in tight end receptions per game with 4.67. His 28 receptions lead the Sun Devils, as do his 386 receiving yards on the year.

MORE ON COYLE: Chris Coyle had a coming out party against Illinois, snagging 10 catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers put the junior in pretty select company at a school with a pretty decent history at the tight end position. His 10 grabs tie for the 15th most ever by a Sun Devil in history and also put him in a tie with Zach Miller as the most single-game snags by a tight end in school history. In addition, his 131 receiving yards are the second most for a tight end in school history behind only Todd Heap's 170 yards against Arizona in 1999. Here's a look at how Coyle's game stacks up against the greats:

Chris Coyle Career Highs

Receptions: 10 vs. Illinois (9/8/12)

Receiving Yards: 131 vs. Illinois (9/8/12)

Longest Reception: 49 vs. NAU (8/30/12)

Touchdowns: 2 vs. Illinois (9/8/12)

Todd Heap Career Highs

Receptions: 8 at Notre Dame (10/9/99).

Receiving Yards: 170 vs. Arizona (11/27/99).

Longest Reception: 50 vs. California (10/7/00).

Touchdowns: 2 vs. Arizona (11/27/98).

Zach Miller Career Highs

Receptions: 10, twice, last at Washington State (11/5/05)

Receiving Yards: 102, at USC (10/16/04)

Receiving Touchdowns: 2, vs. Iowa (9/18/04)

SECONDARY A PRIMARY: The season is young yet, but ASU's secondary has been a dominant force. The unit ranks second nationally in pass efficiency defense (89.4) and is fourth in passing defense (144.2 ypg) and leads the Pac-12 in both. Not a bad start for a group that finished 11th and ninth, respectively, in those categories in the conference last season. In addition, the squad's nine interceptions this year (giving some love to the linebackers, who have four of those) is 18th in the nation.

BETTER SUITED FOR HANDKERCHIEFS: The Sun Devils haven't given the referees much reason to reach for their pockets this season. ASU was penalized just once for five yards against Illinois (on what appeared to be a purposeful delay of game to create some space for a punt). That marked the lowest single-game total since 2006, when ASU was penalized once for five yards against Washington State. On the year, ASU has had just 26 penalties for 188 yards. ASU had just its first penalty on defense called in the Missouri game. ASU leads the Pac-12 and is seventh in the nation with 31.3 penalty yards per game. Here's a look at ASU's lowest single game penalties since 2006, three of which having come this year:

FEWEST SINGLE-GAME PENALTIES SINCE 2006

Pen/Yards Opponent (Date)

1-5 -- vs. Illinois (2012)

1-5 -- vs. Washington State (2006)

1-15 -- vs. Cal (2012)

3-20 --vs. UCLA (2006)

3-20 -- vs. USC (2007)

4-30 -- vs. NAU (2012)

4-35 -- vs. UNLV (2008)

4-31 -- vs. Washington (2010)

4-35 -- vs. USC (2010)

MARSHALL OF THE TOUCHDOWN: With his rushing touchdown against Colorado, Cameron Marshall has rushed for 34 touchdowns in his career with Arizona State. He is one of only four Sun Devils all-time to score at least 30 touchdowns on the ground. Marshall is currently tied for second on ASU's all-time rushing TD list with Leon Burton, just behind just Woody Green (43). There was some confusion as to whether Green had 39 or 43 touchdowns in his career. ASU research has shown that Green's four touchdown performance at the 1972 Fiesta Bowl against Missouri had been omitted from his stats. That correction has been made and Green officially is credited with 43 touchdowns.

Most Career Rushing TDs in ASU History

TDs Player Years

43 Woody Green 1971-73

34 Leon Burton 1955-58

34 Cameron Marshall 2009-Present

32 J.R. Redmond 1996-99

28 Art Malone 1967-69

25 Ben Malone 1971-73

23 Nolan Jones 1958-61

AMONG THE NCAA'S BEST: With his 18 rushing touchdowns in 2011, Marshall returned in 2012 as the nation's fourth-leading returning rushing scorer among NCAA Division I-A student-athletes. Only Wisconsin's Heisman Trophy finalist Monte Ball (33), KSU quarterback Collin Klein (27) and Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle (24) return having found pay dirt on the ground more than Marshall last season. In addition, Marshall's 34 career rushing touchdowns rank him fifth among active Division I-A student-athletes returning in 2012 that played in 2011. In that category only Ball (66), Klein (43), SMU running back Zach Line (37) and Michigan QB Denard Robinson (41) have more.

TOP RETURNING NCAA DIVISION I-A RUSHING SCORERS (TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS)

Name, School 2011 2012 Career

Montee Ball, Wisc. 33 11 66

Collin Klein, KSU 27 10 43

Joseph Randle, OSU 24 6 30

Cameron Marshall, ASU 18 5 34

Zach Line, SMU 17 3 37

Denard Robinson, Mich. 16 6 41

RETURN RECORD: Jamal Miles now has 1,728 kickoff return yards in his career. With a 31-yard return to start the game against Illinois and one other kick return, Miles passed Rudy Burgess (2004-07) for the top spot in Sun Devil history. In his prior three seasons in Tempe, Miles had returned 69 kickoffs for 1631 yards and three touchdowns. Miles totaled 788 of those yards last season, the second highest single-season total in ASU history. Miles' total was second only to the 879 yards that Burgess gained in 2007. Miles has 73 career kick returns, giving him an average of 23.4 yards per return. Burgess had 68 returns, with an average of 22.3 yards per return. Miles has three kick return TDs, while Burgess had one.

WELCOME BACK, BRANDON: After sitting out Arizona State's victory against Illinois, senior Brandon Magee made up for lost time against Mizzou, collecting 12 tackles (eight solo) to lead the team while also nabbing his second interception of the season. Magee returned one 45 yards for his first career pick-six against NAU in the opener. Magee earned College Football Performance Awards Bowl Subdivision Linebacker Honorable Mention honors for week three for the performance. Against Utah, Magee forced one fumble and recovered another while adding 10 tackles as he is proving to be a force to be reckoned with from his linebacker position. Despite his absence in that one game, Magee currently leads the team with 41 tackles and is fourth in the conference at 8.20 tackles per game. Magee missed the entire 2011 season with an Achilles injury.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP: The 2012 Sun Devil roster features 17 seniors, many of which who will play pivotal roles as the season goes on. Senior RB Cameron Marshall, OL Andrew Sampson, LB Brandon Magee and S Keelan Johnson have been named captains for the 2012 season.

JUST KICKING IT: Alex Garoutte bumped his extra point streak to 75 against Colorado, going 5-for-5 on extra points. He is now 81-for-82 in his career.

TAYLOR GANG: For the fourth time in as many years, the Sun Devil season opener featured a new quarterback under center. Redshirt sophomore Taylor Kelly made his first career start against NAU and followed Danny Sullivan (2009), Steven Threet (2010) and Brock Osweiler (2011) as the fourth different quarterback to start on opening day since Rudy Carpenter started three straight from 2006-08. Sullivan and Threet were making their first career starts period, while Osweiler had made a start later in the season in 2009 and 2010. Since 1997, ASU quarterbacks making their first career start are 9-5.

According to research done by Jack Duggan at the University of Southern Mississippi, Arizona State is one of just 13 FBS schools that returned no quarterback with a start for the 2012 season. That list included: Akron, Arizona State, Boise State, East Carolina, Hawai'i, LSU, Memphis, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Southern Miss, Stanford and Texas A&M.

ASU QB FIRST CAREER STARTS SINCE 1997

Taylor Kelly 2012/N. Arizona/W, 63-6 15/19, 247 yards, 1TD, 0 INT

Steven Threet 2010/Portland State, W, 54-9 14/21, 339 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Brock Osweiler* 2009/Oregon, L, 44-21 5/10, 14 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Samson Szakacsy 2009/UCLA, L, 23-13 15/22, 197 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Danny Sullivan 2009/Idaho State, W, 50-3 13/25, 165 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Rudy Carpenter 2005/Washington, W, 44-20 27/34, 401 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Sam Keller 2004/Purdue, W, 27-23 25/45, 370 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Chad Christensen 2002/Nebraska, L, 48-10 6/16, 77 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Andrew Walter 2001/Arizona, L, 34-21 10/22, 132 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Jeff Krohn 2000/San Diego St., W, 10-7 18/42, 160 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Griffin Goodman 1999/Wake Forest, L, 23-3 10/16, 142 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Chad Elliott** 1998/Stanford, W, 44-38 OT 8/17, 92 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Steve Campbell 1997/Iowa, W, 17-7 5/11, 109 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Ryan Kealy 1997/New Mexico St., W, 41-10 11/19, 107 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

* -- Osweiler left the game early due to injury

** -- Elliott left the game early and Ryan Kealy led the team to the overtime victory

PUT ME IN, COACH: Jaxon Hood and D.J. Foster joined John Jefferson (1974), Terrell Suggs (2000), Zach Miller (2004) and Will Sutton (2009) as true freshmen to start season opener at ASU on offense or defense. The NCAA began allowing freshman to compete in 1972, with the 2012 season marking the 40 year anniversary. In total, 25 Sun Devils saw their first Division I action and seven true freshmen played (Evan Goodman, Laiu Moekiola, Carlos Mendoza, Easton Wahlstrom and Richard Smith in addition to Foster and Hood).

EARN YOUR KEEP: ASU has had eight players score their first career touchdowns this season: Taylor Kelly (pass), D.J. Foster (rush), Brandon Magee (INT return), Marion Grice (rush), Michael Eubank (rush), Richard Smith (reception), Chris Coyle (reception) and Darwin Rogers (reception). Brandon Magee put his name on the top of that list with a 45-yard pick-six against NAU - his first defensive touchdown ever. Chris Coyle added his first career TD grab against Illinois, which also served as Eubank's first career touchdown toss.

PIN `EM DEEP: Redshirt senior punter Josh Hubner was among the best punters in the nation when it came to pinning opponents down the field, finishing the year tied for 17th in the nation with 24 punts inside the 20. He's back at it again in 2012 as he now has 10 punts on the year inside the 20 (out of 21 total punts) and is averaging 45.2 yards per punt, a mark that ranks second in the conference. Quarterback Taylor Kelly also showed off his talents in the category, having three pooch kicks this year (one for 40 yards against Utah) that have downed the opponents inside the 20 on each attempt.

IF YOU GOT IT, FLAUNT IT: The Sun Devils played seven true freshmen in their season opener against NAU (Evan Goodman, Laiu Moekiola, Carlos Mendoza, Richard Smith, D.J. Foster Jaxon Hood and long snapper Easton Wahlstrom). The school record for true freshmen playing in season is 10, set back in 2008. According to research done by Colorado Dave Plati, the three true freshmen that started at their positions (Foster, Hood and Wahlstrom) ties with Washington for the most in the conference in the first week of action.

EMERSON HARVEY: Arizona State University football will commemorate a milestone this season by honoring Emerson Harvey, the school's first African-American football student-athlete 75 years ago and played a major role in breaking the color barrier throughout the Southwest. The Sun Devils will recognize Harvey, who joined the roster in 1937, with black-and-white circular helmet stickers with Harvey's jersey number (57).

FIRST IMPRESSION WAS GOOD: ASU's 63 points vs. NAU in the Todd Graham debut is the most by a Sun Devil coach in his opener, topping the 47 scored by Frank Kush's squad in 1958 over Hawaii. Not all openers were great for eventual great coaches though, as ASU's 1996 National Coach of the Year Bruce Snyder scored seven in his first game in a 31-7 loss to second-ranked Washington on Sept. 5, 1992.

Most Points in ASU Coaching Debut

PTS Coach Year (Result)

63 Todd Graham vs. NAU 2012 (W)

47 Frank Kush vs. Hawaii 1958 (W)

45 Dennis Erickson vs. San Jose St. 2007 (W)

INFO-GRAHAM: So you want to know more about what Todd Graham brings to the program? Here's a couple more stats and tidbits about the ASU head coach to give you an idea. Special thanks Doug Haller (@DougHaller) of the Arizona Republic for all this information :

--Over his past four seasons -- one at Pittsburgh and three at Tulsa -- Graham's teams have rushed the ball on at least 53.4 percent of their total plays. In 2008, Tulsa rushed on 61.4 percent of its total plays. Last year, ASU rushed 44.5 percent of the time.

--Over the past six seasons at Pitt, Tulsa and Rice, only one Graham-coached team has ranked outside the top 50 nationally in sacks. Last year, Pittsburgh averaged 3.31 sacks, which ranked third nationally.

--In six seasons, Graham is 19-17 in true road games. Over the past four, ASU is 5-16.

--In five of the past six years, Graham's teams have ranked 39th or better nationally in fewest penalty yards per game. In 2008, Tulsa averaged just 37 penalty yards, which ranked 11th in the nation. Last season, Pitt averaged 39.5, which ranked 18th.

A BIG DEAL: Only six times in Sun Devil history has a team ranked second or higher visited Sun Devil Stadium, the last being top-ranked USC on Oct. 1, 2005, as the Trojans topped ASU 38-28. Oregon is only the fifth conference team to visit Frank Kush field with a ranking of No. 2 or higher.

ASU VS. AP TEAM RANKED #1 or #2 AT SDS

(ALL-TIME)

Oct. 18, 2012 #2 Oregon, ASU

Oct. 1, 2005 #1 USC 38, #14 ASU 28

Sept. 21, 1996 #17 ASU 19, #1 Nebraska 0

Sept. 5, 1992 #2 Washington 31, ASU 7

Nov. 12, 1988 #2 USC 50, ASU 0

Sept. 26, 1987 #2 Nebraska 35, #12 ASU 28

Oct. 14, 1978 ASU 20, #2 USC 7

MORE ON PENALTIES: Todd Graham has had a knack for having some of the most disciplined teams in the nation when it comes to penalty yards. In each of his seven seasons as a head coach, Graham's teams have ranked as some of the least penalized teams in the country in both yards and penalties per game. In 2012, the Sun Devils currently rank 13th in fewest penatlies and seventh in fewest penality yards per game.

PENALTY YARDS UNDER Todd Graham

(National Rank)

Year, School Pen. YPG Pen. PG

2006, Rice 34th 59th

2007, Tulsa 73rd 50th

2008, Tulsa 11th 11th

2009, Tulsa 39th 10th

2010, Tulsa 22nd 6th

2011, Pitt 73rd 91st

2012, Arizona State 7th 13th

STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT: Todd Graham became just the seventh Sun Devil coach to start his career 2-0. Before you ask about Frank, Coach Kush beat Hawaii 47-6 on Sept. 20th, 1958, in his opener but fell to Pacific 34-16 on Sept. 27, 1958. Graham is among five coaches in the 2012 season that have one or fewer losses in their first year at the helm of a new program thus far this season. There were 28 FBS coaches entering their first years at their respective schools this year.

COACHES IN FIRST SEASON AT SCHOOL WITH BEST RECORDS

Ohio State (Urban Meyer): 7-0

Rutgers (Kyle Flood): 6-0

Toledo (Matt Campbell): 6-1

Arizona State (Todd Graham): 5-1

Texas A&M (Kevin Sumlin): 5-1

LIGHT `EM UP: With 108 points in its first two games, Arizona State set its highest tally through the first two games of the season in ASU history (now in its 100th season). The prior record was 94 points, set under Dirk Koetter in 2005 as his team put up 63 points in a season opening victory against Temple before adding 31 in a tough loss against LSU the following week. At 40.5 points per game, ASU currently ranks 17th nationally in scoring offense and is second in the conference.

TAKE IT BACK: Rashad Ross took the second-half kickoff back 100 yards for a score vs. Colorado on Oct. 11, the second kick return for a touchdown in his short career. He also took one 98 yards vs. Boise State in the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl. ASU has had seven kickoff returns for a touchdown in the past 29 games, a span that started with Omar Bolden's 97-yard jaunt at No. 11 Wisconsin on Sept. 18, 2010. Ross is just the fifth player in school history to record a 100-yard kickoff return.

ASU KICKOFF RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS

(Since 2010)

Oct. 11, 2012-Rashad Ross, 100 yards at Colorado

Dec. 22, 2011-Rashad Ross, 98 yards vs. Boise State (Vegas Bowl)

Nov. 12, 2011-Jamal Miles, 95 yards at Washington State

Sept. 1, 2011-Jamal Miles, 98 yards vs. UC Davis

Nov. 26, 2010-Jamal Miles, 99 yards vs. UCLA

Nov. 6, 2010-LeQuan Lewis, 100 yards at USC

Sept. 18, 2010-Omar Bolden, 97 yards at #11 Wisconsin

ASU 100-YARD KICK RETURNS

(HISTORY)

Rashad Ross, 2012, Colorado

LeQuan Lewis, 2010, USC

Terry Richardson, 2006, Oregon

Tom Pace, 2001, UCLA

Wilford White, 1948, Pepperdine

PUTTING ON A SHOW: ASU racked up a season-high 593 total yards of offense, including 261 rushing yards and 332 passing yards. ASU's 593 yards is the most in a conference road game since it had 651 yards at Arizona on Nov. 23, 1996 in a 56-14 win that clinched an 11-0 regular season.

MOST TOTAL YARDS IN A PAC-10/12 GAME

(1996-Present)

Yards Opponent

667 #7 Oregon (Oct. 28, 2000)

651 @Arizona (Nov. 23, 1996)

623 Oregon (Nov. 15, 1997)

597 #5 Oregon (Sept. 25, 2010)

595 UCLA (Nov. 26, 2010)

593 @Colorado (Oct. 11, 2012)

591 Oregon (Sept. 28, 1996)