Arizona State ready for showdown with Oregon

• No. 24 Arizona State's team and fans plan to wear all black when No. 2 Oregon visits Thursday.
• The Sun Devils are expecting a near-sellout of their stadium.

TEMPE, Ariz. — In a push to raise interest, Arizona State allowed fans to choose the Sun Devils' uniform for a game this season. Students voted on another. But for a showdown with Oregon — a Thursday night home game on the national television stage – the players picked.

The choice wasn't difficult.

"It's something new," left tackle Evan Finkenberg said, "and different."

Debate the notion if you want; going with all-black uniforms isn't really a novelty anymore. Compared with the mix-and-match fashion trending in college football, it's almost old-school. What's new and different, so far, is Arizona State football.

In Todd Graham's first season, the Sun Devils (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12) sit atop the Pac-12 South and are No. 24 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. That turns the date with No. 2 Oregon (6-0, 3-0) into a Pac-12 showdown. The accompanying theme is "Blackout the Duck," with fans urged to match the team's uniform color in hopes of creating an intimidating, electric atmosphere at Sun Devil Stadium.

"It's big for excitement," Arizona State safety Alden Darby said. "It gets the fans going."

And if the Sun Devils get going? Arizona State officials expect a near sellout of 71,706-seat Sun Devil Stadium. Locally, buzz for the game has been building for a while. Graham knows an upset, especially in prime time with little college football competition, could be a springboard for the program.

"Fill it up," Graham said. "Black it out and give them something to cheer about, and it will be a pretty special atmosphere."

It's also an opportunity for the first long look at Oregon in adverse conditions. The Ducks have been dominant, winning their first six games by an average of 32 points, but they've played inferior competition in friendly environs. Although Chip Kelly says a game against Washington State in Seattle should qualify, Arizona State is the first true road game for the Ducks and redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Only the Sept. 29 victory against the Cougars was played away from Eugene. Mariota has been solid for most of the season but didn't play well against Washington State, getting intercepted twice.

The road gets tougher, beginning now. Beginning with Arizona State, four of Oregon's final six games are away from home.

"It's the indicator," Kelly said, "are you a good team or a great team? If you want to win your league, you've got to win on the road."

The competition figures to be better, too. The Ducks' opponents so far have a combined record of 18-21. The second half of the season includes currently ranked teams in Southern California, Stanford and Oregon State, which presents tougher tests but also much needed opportunities for Oregon to gain points for its BCS ranking.

Arizona State might easily be the best team Oregon has faced. The Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in total defense (272.7-yard average) and scoring defense (14.2), employing an attacking style that has resulted in 26 sacks and 59 tackles for loss. But blacking out the Ducks is easier than blocking or tackling them.

"This is as good a football team as there is in the country," said Graham, referring to Oregon. "We are excited for the opportunity. I think the atmosphere and it being loud and it being hot, it is just a different deal."