Arizona State running back Marion Grice has been a true scoring threat for the Sun Devils with 9 TDs. (AP)

Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) at Arizona State (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12) 

Kickoff: Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Spread: Oregon by 9.5

Watchability: Thursday nights are made for this. They don't get much better than this matchup, pitting the best in the North and (currently) the best in the South. 

Shining Stars: Oregon: This is more of a reflection of us as statistical carnivores than it is on him, but what happened to De'Anthony Thomas? He has "only" two touchdowns in his last two games. Hey, don't blame us for wanting more. He had eight scores in his first three games. He's due for another one of those days. Arizona State: What Taylor Kelly has done this year has been nothing short of brilliant. Kelly is the leading passer in the Pac-12 and rated third in the country in passing efficiency. But the Ducks defense is starting to bloom, and they have been incredibly opportunistic. Kelly has thrived by not giving up too many opportunities, and if he's able to keep Oregon at bay, that says a lot.

Who could steal the show: Oregon: This is right around when DE Dion Jordan, a Phoenix-area product -- turned it on last year for the Ducks; his production in the second half far outweighing his early-season contributions. Jordan had a forced fumble, a QB hurry and a tackle-for-loss against the Huskies, and he's ready to break out. Arizona State: When RB Marion Grice scores, it's usually in bunches. He has nine touchdowns this year, twice scoring thrice and once scoring twice and once scoring once. In other words, when he's hot, he's scorching. The Oregon defense has allowed some quick strikes, and Grice could be the beneficiary.

You going? Ranking the road trip: Absolutely. This is the game of the weekend, and it kicks things off two days early. It's a black-out night at Sun Devil Stadium so the team and most of the fans will be sporting the sport's most popular color.

Magic number for Oregon: 239.33. Some point to the Ducks' meager 239.33 passing yards per game, ranking 56th nationally, as a cause for concern. But coach Chip Kelly has so much in his holster he hasn't unveiled, Marcus Mariota's arm included. Look, Oregon is second in scoring. Find fault elsewhere.

Magic number for Arizona State: 10 for 22. In the Sun Devils' one loss this season, a tightly contested 24-20 defeat at Missouri, ASU allowed the Tigers to convert on nearly 50 percent of their first downs. Against an Oregon offense that thrives on its ability to score quickly, the Sun Devils need to keep them off the field when they can.

The game comes down to: The Ducks' speed versus the Sun Devils' physicality. Arizona State has proven to be tougher than in years past, but Oregon is faster than a cheetah with a jetpack and a lot of caffeine.

Prediction: Oregon 44, Arizona State 28

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