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arizona state previewOCt. 2, 2013 The Big Stage ✦ Game Facts The Sun Devils head to Dallas hoping to prove they won't wilt under the bright lights By Dan Murphy A rizona State did itself no favors on the schedule during the month of September. Saturday's trip to AT&T Stadium in Dallas to play Notre Dame will be the grand finale of an early-season gauntlet loaded with brand-name opponents. The Sun Devils have returned from a bout with mediocrity under second-year head coach Todd Graham, but the program has yet to prove it can be a consistent winner on the big stage. Arizona State is 0‑19 against top‑10 teams this decade, and is 4‑15 against all ranked opponents since 2008. Athletics director Steve Patterson gave his players a string of chances to get over that hump in the past month. The Sun Devils (3-1) have played then-No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 5 Stanford and USC in the three weeks leading into their game against the Irish. Despite the murderer's row of nationally prominent teams, the school's fan base has had its sights set on a victory in Dallas since this summer. "It's pretty much all that people have been talking about around here for several months," said Doug Haller, who covers Arizona State sports for the Arizona Republic. "If they don't win, there are going to be a lot of people jumping off the bandwagon." After a season-opening warm-up against Redshirt junior Taylor Kelly is one of just three Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks to pass for at least 300 yards in each of his starts this season, and he was averaging 342.5 passing yards and 2.8 touchdown throws per game after four contests. photo courtesy arizona state Sacramento State (55-0), the Sun Devils beat USC and Wisconsin in two very eventful games. Lackluster officiating cost the Badgers a chance to kick a last-second field goal in a 32-30 ASU triumph. Their 62-41 win over USC was enough to bump Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin out of office. Sandwiched between those games, Stanford pushed the Sun Devils around in a 42-28 result that was more of a beat-down than the final score indicates. Playing against tough, physical opponents early in the year kept Graham and his offense from establishing a running game. The Sun Devils averaged 146.2 yards per game on the ground, a total that includes the 158 they stacked up against Football Championship Subdivision school Sacramento State. Junior quarterback Taylor Kelly threw more than 50 passes in games against Wisconsin and Stanford, setting back-to-back career highs in that category. Meanwhile, Marion Grice, the team's top offensive threat a season ago, is averaging only 3.9 yards per rush. "Without question they're going to have to start running the ball," Haller said. "… I think that's an emphasis going forward in the Notre Dame game. They have to find a way to establish the run." Kelly is holding his own with the increased workload that landed on his shoulders during the past couple weeks. The second-year starter has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,370 yards and has thrown 11 touchdown passes compared to four interceptions against a few talented defenses. Date: Oct. 5, 2013. Site: AT&T Stadium (80,000). Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET. Television: NBC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Series Facts: This is the third meeting between Notre Dame and Arizona State. The Irish hold a 2‑0 advantage over the Sun Devils. Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (31-13, fourth season). Arizona State — Todd Graham (11-6, second season). Noting Arizona State: In Shamrock Series games, Notre Dame's annual home-away-from-home contest, the Irish remain undefeated heading into their trip to Dallas (they have won the four contests to date by an average mar‑ gin of 28 points) … Arizona State head coach Todd Graham is facing the Irish for the third time in four years; he beat Notre Dame while at Tulsa in 2010 and lost as the Pitt coach in 2011 … The Irish are 4-2 under Brian Kelly in profes‑ sional sports stadiums — and they'll play in NFL stadiums twice this season — against Arizona State in Dallas and at Pittsburgh. The biggest question mark for the Sun Devils offense heading into their recent gauntlet was the receiving corps. Kelly seems to have found an answer in junior college transfer Jaelen Strong. The sophomore caught 31 passes for 433 yards and two scores — all team highs — in his first four games at the NCAA level. Haller ex-