Maintaining focus and intensity will be a key theme for the Stanford football team this week, as it hits the road to face Arizona State.

The No. 6 Cardinal (8-1, 5-1 Pac-10) is coming off its biggest win of the season, a 42-17 undressing of then-No. 15 Arizona. The victory put Stanford into the discussion for a possible at-large berth into a BCS bowl game and catapulted it back into the top 10 in all the major rankings for the first time since its Oct. 2 loss to now-No. 1 Oregon.

However, the Sun Devils (4-5, 2-4) can be a dangerous team, and have the good fortune of playing the Cardinal inside the friendly confines of Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona State needs to win out in order to become bowl eligible, since two of its four victories are over FCS teams and, per NCAA rules, only one of those wins can count toward bowl eligibility. Given the Sun Devils’ desperation, this weekend’s matchup could have the makings of a classic “letdown game” for Stanford.

Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh believes that, despite that possibility, his team won’t get distracted and overlook the Sun Devils.

“We’re going to come in fired up, too,” he said. “Both teams are very hungry to win the game, and we understand that. We have great respect for Arizona State and the kind of football team they are. They’ve lost four games by a total of 16 points–they could easily be 7-2 or 8-1.

“We have to worry about being exact, being detailed and being ready for this ballgame,” he continued. “Right now we’re in that process–getting mentally ready, getting physically ready and getting our minds right to play.”

“We have a saying around here…you’ve got an 18 to 24-hour window to enjoy any given win,” said senior center Chase Beeler. “After that point, you have to lock right back in and you have to jump right back on preparing–like you haven’t done anything, like it’s the first week of the season.”

Though it isn’t among the Pac-10’s elite teams, Arizona State’s sub-.500 record can be partially attributed to simple bad luck. The Sun Devils have twice lost a game by a single point. On Sept. 18, they fell 20-19 to Wisconsin on a blocked extra point with four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Last weekend against USC, Arizona State was again the victim of special-teams miscues–the Trojans first blocked an extra point and returned it to the end zone (which is worth two points), then ASU kicker Thomas Weber missed a 41-yard field goal with 1:34 left in the game that would have given his team a 36-34 lead.

The Sun Devils possess a strong passing attack that should allow them to compete against any team in the conference. Led by quarterback Steven Threet, Arizona State has the 16th-best passing offense in the nation and is 37th in scoring offense. Threet, a transfer from Michigan, has played well in his first season as head coach Dennis Erickson’s starter, sitting at second in the conference in passing yards per game. Compared to other Pac-10 schools, Arizona State’s passing offense has certainly been impressive–despite a plethora of strong-armed quarterbacks, the Sun Devil passing attack is currently rated second in the Pac-10.

However, Arizona State lacks a strong rushing game to complement Threet. The Sun Devils are eighth in the conference in rushing offense–their top backfield threat, freshman Deantre Lewis, is only gaining 57.3 yards per game on the ground, good for 10th in the conference.

ASU should provide another solid test for a rejuvenated Stanford defense, which has put up very good performances in its last two outings. Two weeks ago, the Cardinal went to Seattle and shut out Washington, 41-0, before holding highly touted quarterback Nick Foles and Arizona to 17 points last weekend.

The defense’s performance on the stat sheet wasn’t spectacular against the Wildcats, as Arizona was able to gain 428 yards for the game. However, Stanford killed three Arizona drives with clutch plays–an interception by senior cornerback Richard Sherman, a sack that knocked Arizona out of field goal range to force a punt and a pass deflection on fourth-and-goal at the Stanford five-yard line. Wildcat punter Keenyn Crier was kept busy, with five punts throughout the game.

Stanford will also rely on its offense to generate a lot of points, as it has all season. Led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck, the offense has been remarkably consistent, scoring between 37 and 42 points over its last four games. The Cardinal currently ranks fifth nationally in scoring offense, and should be able to move the ball against a Sun Devil defense that ranks in the middle of the Pac-10 in most statistical categories.

Luck’s performances over the past few weeks have begun to generate some Heisman buzz as well, a fact that his teammates are aware of.

“We knew he was that Heisman-caliber player all along, so it doesn’t really change our thought process or mentality,” Beeler said. “We’ll protect for him–we’ll see to it that he goes untouched, regardless of how he’s performing.”

Beeler and the rest of Stanford’s offensive line have certainly done their part this season for the Cardinal. Luck has been sacked just three times through nine games, and was not sacked against Arizona, which features one of the conference’s best defensive lines.

Stanford’s rushing attack has also been strong this season, helped by the success of the offensive line. Sophomore running back Stepfan Taylor, who has emerged as Stanford’s feature back, is currently fifth in the conference in rushing with 90 yards per game.

However, Harbaugh said he is still open to employing a rotation of backs, which the Card used to open the season. Last weekend against Arizona, sophomore Tyler Gaffney and true freshman Anthony Wilkerson both saw significant playing time.

“There’s definitely a healthy competition going on, for touches, carries and playing time,” Harbaugh said. “How they practice determines a lot of that, and it’s also determined on Saturday, by who’s got the hot hand.”

Saturday’s game has bowl implications for both teams. Arizona State is fighting to keep its postseason hopes alive, since a loss would technically eliminate the team from bowl eligibility. However, ASU would still have a chance at a bowl game even with six wins, since it could be granted a waiver if there are not enough eligible teams to fill the 35 bowls.

Meanwhile, Stanford needs to win out to keep its BCS bowl hopes alive. With an 8-1 overall record, the Cardinal is already assured of its second straight bowl game, but has its sights set on the Rose Bowl or another prestigious postseason game.

Despite the Card’s lofty ranking, it could take a little more to push it into a BCS at-large berth, since Stanford has a reputation for not being able to travel well and send a lot of fans to games.

Harbaugh has no plans to persuade the football powers to put his team into a BCS game.

“We’re not in the campaigning business,” he said.

Stanford will take on Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PST.