Arizona State
Sun Devils

"It's frightening at times what they're able to do when things are going right and they have the timing," Erickson said.

"They'll hand the ball off one time and the guy will go 40 yards. The they'll keep it and then they'll throw it. They've got everything going. They've got a lot of weapons. Masoli, for that kind of stuff, is special. It's a challenge for us."

ASU's defense was up to the challenge last week against USC in a 14-9 loss, giving up only 258 yards and hounding freshman QB Matt Barkley into a miserable night -- 7 of 22 for 112 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

But Oregon's offense is an entirely different beast than USC's pro-style offense. The Ducks' read-option attack is unique in the Pac-10.

"The problem that you have is emulating it in practice; that is very, very difficult," Erickson said. "It's like trying to emulate the triple option or the wishbone, if you're playing Navy. It's just hard to do. It's by far the biggest challenge we've ever had on defense since I've been here."

As for his quarterback situation, true freshman Brock Osweiler played the entire second half against USC and appeared to be poised to make his first start in place of senior Danny Sullivan. Erickson said he wanted to evaluate during practice, and he added that he might not make a decision until game day.

"I've got to do what gives us the best chance to win," he said.

SERIES HISTORY: Arizona State leads Oregon, 16-13 (last meeting, 2008, 54-20 Oregon).

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Arizona State's offense needs a spark, and sometimes that means a quarterback change. Starter Danny Sullivan threw two interceptions in the first half last week against USC, which prompted coach Dennis Erickson to put in 6-8 true freshman Brock Osweiler in for the entire second half. He led the team on one touchdown drive, but couldn't get any points on four fourth-quarter possessions. He is more mobile than Sullivan, which could come in handy against a quick Oregon defense that had been playing well until last well until last week's 51-42 loss at Stanford.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: It will be strength on strength as ASU's best-in-the-conference rushing defense (87.4 yards per game) goes up against Oregon's league-leading rushing offense (233.6 yards per game). Stopping the Ducks' read-option attack requires discipline, which hasn't always been the defense's strength. Through it all, ASU is 15th nationally and first in the Pac-10 in total defense, yielding 291.8 yards per game.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Brock moved the football and scored a touchdown and made some plays and it was exciting for everyone to watch. However, there were times during that game that his inexperience came out, too, as far as not throwing it to the correct place in the fourth quarter a couple of times." -- Coach Dennis Erickson, on true freshman QB Brock Osweiler against USC last week.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

LB Vontaze Burfict -- The talented true freshman is known for his hard-hitting, not his discipline. He'll need the latter when defending Oregon, making sure he doesn't get out of position on the ball and leave big running lanes for Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli.

RB Cameron Marshall -- True freshman earned his first start last week against USC, and he's capable of delivering tough yards and moving the chains -- all the better to keep Oregon's offense of the field this week. He has 60 carries for 277 yards.

DE Dexter Davis -- It's been something of a quiet season for Davis, who had double-digit sacks in each of the past two years. That doesn't mean he isn't playing well this season; it's just that he has drawn a lot of attention. Davis, who has 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, has to be smart this week in taking the right angles against Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli.

ROSTER REPORT:

--RB Ryan Bass, who is the team's third-leading rusher with 29 carries for 173 yards, was suspended indefinitely by coach Dennis Erickson on Sunday for violating team rules. Bass, a sophomore, did not have a carry against USC last week and was unhappy with his playing time, according to the Arizona Republic. Cameron Marshall and Dimitri Nance remain ASU's top two backs, with Shaun DeWitty and Jarrell Woods moving up the depth chart behind them.

--CB Omar Bolden (knee) has missed the past five games.

--WR T.J. Simpson suffered a high ankle sprain against Cal and could miss the rest of the regular season. He has five catches for 94 yards.