Run game will be key against Ariz. St.

Arizona State head football coach Herm Edwards came up as a player at a time when running the football was the way to go on offense.

He played with Wilbert Montgomery in Philadelphia. He coached Curtis Martin with the New York Jets and Larry Johnson with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I grew up in an era where running the football was important,” Edwards said this week during his weekly press conference with ASU media.

“I just like running. It’s fun to watch when you knock people down and you run it. Some people don’t like it because it’s boring.”

It may be boring, but on Saturday the run game will be a major factor when Edwards brings his Sun Devils (32, 11 Pac12) to Folsom Field to take on the 21stranked Colorado Buffaloes (40, 10).

Colorado and ASU both feature one of the best receivers in the country, with CU’s Laviska Shenault and the Sun Devils’ N’Keal Harry. Both are dynamic athletes and they’ll certainly have an impact on Saturday’s matchup.

Both teams, however, figure to emphasize running the ball and stopping the run.

“That’s critical,” CU defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said. “They have good backs, they have a good (offensive line), they have a pro mentality. You’ve got to be able to buckle down and make them earn their yards.”

Eliot and the Buffs are all too familiar with ASU’s ability to dominate the run game. While this is Edwards’ first season with the Sun Devils, ASU has had a history of running all over the Buffs. Last year, ASU rushed for 381 yards in a 4130 comeback victory. From 201115, the Sun Devils had at least 207 yards on the ground, winning each one by at least 14 points.

ASU’s run game is led by sophomore Eno Benjamin, who rushed for a schoolrecord 314 yards in a 5224 win against Oregon State last week.

Stopping the ASU run game, MacIntyre said, “is going to be a huge key in being able to win.”

CU’s ability to run the ball is key, as well. Although Shenault leads the country in receiving and quarterback Steven Montez leads the nation in completion percentage, the Buffs need Travon McMillian and their backs to find success.

“You have to be able to run the ball a little bit on them,” MacIntyre said.