Sun Bowl: Arizona State Offense Preview

BACKFIELD

Nov 22, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back D.J. Foster (8) celebrates his third quarter touchdown against the Washington State Cougars at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeats the Cougars 52-31. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The ground game is centered around feature-back junior D.J. Foster. Foster has come back to Earth after an insane start to the year, but has still gone over the 1,000-yard mark on the ground as he enters the Sun Bowl with 1,002 yards (5.5 yards per attempt) and nine rushing touchdowns.

On top of being a phenomenal runner, Foster is also a fabulous pass-catcher out of the backfield. He ranked second on the team in receptions and receiving yards with 59 catches and 646 yards. When Kelly or Bercovici find Foster in the flat, his ability to evade defenders is up there with the top running backs in the nation.

Freshman running back Demario Richard has also accepted the spotlight and has performed exceptionally well. After playing the entire regular season as a 17-year-old, the newly turned 18-year-old true freshman is ready to show out on a bigger stage. He was able to churn up 437 rushing yards on just 77 carries after Arizona State found their diamond in the rough.