Arizona St Blog

November 24, 2009

UCLA Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: UCLA 23-13

Player of the Game: Dimitri Nance

In my preview, I said that the running game and turnovers would be the key to this game. I turned out to be correct, and Dimitri Nance definitely did his part to lead the Sun Devils to victory. Nance did most of his work in the first quarter and ended up with 110 yards on 21 carries. This was the best game of his Arizona State career. He found holes, broke tackles, and ran hard. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough and turnovers were the death of the Sun Devils. However, Nance has been a great Sun Devil, battled through numerous injuries and always put forth his best effort.

Offensive Stars

Kyle Williams - The senior WR also had his best game as a Sun Devil in his second to last game. He caught six of Samson Szakacsy’s 15 passes for 128 yards and the only two ASU touchdowns. His 35 yard touchdown in the 1st quarter tied the game at 7, and his 75 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter gave the Sun Devils hope. KW has always hoped to return a punt for a touchdown for ASU, but this game showed his big play ability.

Defensive Stars

The entire ASU defense - This was an unbelievable effort by the defense, even if the final score didn’t show it. Despite 6 turnovers by the offense, the Sun Devil defense only gave up nine points. UCLA was occasionally able to move the football, but the defense played a perfect bend-but-not-break defense. Kai Forbath’s three field goals were all the defense gave up. Pierre Singfield played a fantastic game for the depleted secondary, and Vontaze Burfict was his usual self.

Opportunity Areas

Turnovers - This is an obvious one. Arizona State might’ve dominated this game if they didn’t turn the ball over six times. They were moving the ball on the ground and making big plays through the air. Five fumbles and an interception (two returned for touchdowns) were the death of ASU’s bowl hopes. Along with the year long penalty issues, ASU needs to work on holding onto the football if it hopes to have a bounce back season in 2010.

Play Calling - Despite the success on the ground, I wasn’t a fan of the running plays that ASU called. Whenever they ran the zone read play out of the shotgun, a handoff went to Nance. The only time the used Samson’s mobility was on designed QB runs. The whole point of running the zone read is the duel threat: both the QB and RB are a threat to run. ASU also ran this play extensively when Danny Sullivan was at QB, and he is no threat to run. It’s no surprise that ASU has had limited success on the ground this year because of the predictable play calls.

Final Thoughts

Although ASU still has one more game, this feels like a season ending blog. 2008 and 2009 have possibly been the most disappointing back to back years this program has had in a long time. A win over Arizona would help heal the sting of two straight losing seasons, but it will definitely not cure it. UA will go to a bowl for the second consecutive year, and ASU will be sitting at home. All is not lost though. The Sun Devils will retain a top tier defense in 2010, and will have a promising, young starting quarterback. The offense will improve, whether behind Szakacsy, Brock Osweiler, or Michigan transfer Steven Threet. Since USC is no longer considered invincible, the conference is there for the taking. The Sun Devils have a long way to go, but they should be able to compete in 2010.

November 20, 2009

UCLA Preview
By: David Siorek

Arizona State (4-6, 2-5 T7th Pac-10) at UCLA (5-5, 2-5 T7th Pac-10)
Opening Line: UCLA by 5

This week’s game is a matchup of two very similar teams who are fighting for their bowl lives. UCLA needs a win here to reach bowl eligibility, and ASU needs to beat UCLA and Arizona to reach six wins. Both teams have beaten the Washington schools and lost to every other Pac-10 opponent they have faced. Both teams have stout defenses and suspect offenses. UCLA, however, comes in with much more momentum. They have won two in a row, while Arizona State has dropped their past four games. The two keys to this game will be running the football and turnovers. Whoever can sustain drives on the ground and hold on to the football should win this low scoring affair.

When ASU has the ball:

Once again, the quarterback position is the main focus of the week. Brock Osweiler got his first start last week at Oregon, was ineffective, and left the game due to injury. Danny Sullivan has started every game before that, but was hurt last week and wasn’t able to play. Samson Szakacsy was effective with his arm and legs last week in his first extended action at Arizona State. All three are healthy enough to play this week, and Dennis Erickson has announced that either Sullivan or Szakacsy will get the start, but hasn’t decided which one yet. UCLA is strong up front with stud DT Brian Price, so I think the mobility of Szakacsy would be more beneficial to ASU’s chances. Dimitri Nance was the workhorse last week against Oregon, and he and Cameron Marshall need to establish the run early and gain chunks of yards on 1st and 2nd downs. If Szakacsy gets the start, Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams will be huge for ASU. Samson’s arm strength is still suspect due to his lingering elbow issues, so those two sure handed receivers will have to get open over the middle.
Arizona State will struggle to get over 20 points and 300 total yards of offense against this UCLA defense.

When UCLA has the ball:

Just like Arizona State, UCLA’s offensive numbers are not impressive. Kevin Prince has played better of late (mostly due to Washington and Washington State’s defenses), but has thrown for 1578 yards, with 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. UCLA’s leading rusher, freshman Johnathan Franklin has 532 yards and 5 touchdowns, but he has been in Rick Neuheisel’s dog house due to fumbling issues. He has lost the ball three times in the last two games. Derrick Coleman got the bulk of the carries last week with 12 rushes for 50 yards, and he will probably see the most action again. Chane Moline will also see more action this week due to his 3 carry, 3 touchdown afternoon last weekend. Arizona State’s defense has had problems against Quizz Rodgers of Oregon State, Toby Gerhart of Stanford, and LaMichael James of Oregon, but none of UCLA’s backs are nearly as talented or effective as that extraordinary trio. Receivers Nelson Rosario, Taylor Embree, and Terrence Austin are a decent pass catching trio, and they could have some success deep against the Sun Devils’ depleted secondary.
Similar to ASU, I don’t see UCLA getting past 20 points or 300 yards on Saturday afternoon.

Final Thoughts:

On the surface, UCLA looks like they have a slight advantage due to the game being played at the Rose Bowl. ASU has been a poor road team this year, only defeating WSU. This is why turnovers will be such a huge factor. Last year, ASU beat UCLA 34-9 despite having only 122 yards of total offense. They were able to cruise to the win due to four returns for touchdowns (one fumble, three interceptions). While another four touchdown performance by the Sun Devil defense is highly unlikely, ASU is due for some big plays on defense. Despite the conundrum at quarterback, I think ASU will do just enough on D to defeat the Bruins.

Prediction:
Arizona State 17-13

November 17, 2009

Oregon Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: Oregon 44-21

Player of the Game: Samson Szakacsy
With Arizona State down two quarterbacks due to injury, Szakacsy stepped up in a hostile environment in his first extended action of his career. With Danny Sullivan out and Brock Osweiler injured in the 2nd quarter, Samson tried his best to lead ASU’s comeback attempt. The Devils were not able to get the offense moving behind Osweiler, who only had 14 yards passing on 10 attempts, including an interception. Szakacsy came in, led ASU to two touchdown drives, and cut Oregon’s lead to 10 late in the 3rd quarter. It is obvious that Samson’s arm strength isn’t quite as impressive as Brock’s, but he was able to scramble out of the pocket and make accurate throws to his wide receivers.

Offensive Stars

Dimitri Nance - The senior tailback returned from injury to lead the Devils in rushing with 77 yards and a touchdown. His yards per carry were not overly impressive at 3.0, but he ran hard early in the game when the passing game wasn’t working.

Pass Protection - Although this offensive line has been decimated by injuries, they have made major strides this season. With Rudy Carpenter at quarterback, the Sun Devils were always near the top in most sacks allowed. They only allowed two on Saturday and have been much improved all year. A major factor may be the mobility of Szakacsy and Osweiler or the ability of Sullivan to get rid of the ball quickly, but the lack of sacks is refreshing for Sun Devils fans. If they could only limit their penalties…

Defensive Stars

James Brooks - Brooks and the rest of the defensive line were shut down in the pass rush and were pushed around in the running game, but he made a very athletic play in the 1st quarter. He picked off a short Jeremiah Masoli pass and nearly took it back to the house. He ended up being tackled at Oregon’s 18, setting up ASU’s first touchdown. He does need to work on ball control though, I have never seen anyone carry the ball so far away from their body. Brooks managed to not fumble though and came up with the only big play for ASU’s defense.

Pass defense - Although Oregon isn’t a passing team and didn’t have much need to throw the ball, this injury plagued secondary played very well. Despite being down starters Omar Bolden and Terell Carr, Oregon was only able to complete 10 of 20 passes. Freshman Deveron Carr looks like he will have a promising career and injured freshman Osahon Irabor should return next year and give the secondary a boost.

Opportunity Areas

Run Defense (Against Good Teams) - Arizona State’s run defense has feasted on weaker opponents, but have been dominated by the two elite running teams they have played this year. Toby Gerhart and Stanford pounded ASU up the middle, while Masoli and LaMichael James shredded the D for 268 yards on the ground. The good news for ASU: UCLA and Arizona are not strong running teams. More good news: ASU will return Vontaze Burfict, Lawrence Guy, and other important pieces in the front seven.

Final Thoughts
ASU never really had a chance in this one. Oregon got out to a huge early lead, which seems to happen far too much against the Sun Devils. Szakacsy tried his best to lead the comeback, but Oregon just has too many weapons. The next two games are very winnable, but also very losable. UCLA has improved as of late and has a very strong defense. Neither team will be able to do anything on offense. Unless there are a plethora of defensive and special teams touchdowns, I wouldn’t be surprised if the teams combined for under 20 points. Arizona is obviously a better football team this year, but ASU will be playing at home and anything can happen in rivalry games. I’m anxious to see what Dennis Erickson does with the quarterback position. Each QB has their own strengths and weaknesses. Sullivan has the most experience, but has been too mistake prone. Osweiler is just a true freshman, but has the best arm of the bunch. Szakacsy doesn’t have the arm strength of the other two, but he is very mobile and accurate. I would assume that Erickson will go with whoever is the healthiest, but I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Sullivan behind center.

November 12, 2009

Oregon Preview
By: David Siorek

Arizona State (4-5, 2-4 T-7th in Pac-10) at Oregon (7-2, 5-1 1st in Pac-10)
Opening Line: Oregon by 17

For the second straight week, Arizona State finds itself in a matchup between two teams coming off of a loss. Oregon’s defense was mauled by Toby Gerhart and Stanford 51-42, while ASU outplayed USC, but fell 14-9 at home. On the surface, this looks like a mismatch in favor of the Ducks. Oregon has beaten ASU by an average of 24 over their last four meetings, including a 54-20 win at Sun Devil Stadium last season. The Ducks’ offense has been pretty much unstoppable after their opening week loss at Boise State, while the Sun Devils have averaged under 20 ppg in conference play. LaGarrette Blount will return this week for Oregon, but it remains to be seen if he will actually see any action. Coach Chip Kelly said this week that Blount is 4th or 5th on the depth chart at RB and freshman LaMichael James already has over 1,000 yards rushing this season. ASU has the defense to slow down the rushing attack, but they are very thin this week at cornerback. Starter Terell Carr has been suspended indefinitely, Omar Bolden is out for the year, and backup Josh Jordan might miss the game as well. That leaves ASU with redshirt freshman Deveron Carr (who got his first start last week), backup Pierre Singfield, and converted WR LeQuan Lewis. The biggest news for the Sun Devils is true freshman Brock Osweiler getting his first career start this week.

When ASU has the ball:

Senior QB Danny Sullivan was pulled last week against USC after a bad throw led to a pick-six that put USC up for good. Osweiler came in, gave the fans some hope, and led ASU to a touchdown drive, but couldn’t pull out the victory against the favored Trojans. Sullivan was also slightly injured last week when his bicep hit against an opposing helmet. Erickson finally decided on Brock after practice on Wednesday. Sullivan had the experience advantage and may have been better suited to handle the hostile atmosphere at Autzen Stadium, but he has been ineffective as of late and has made many poor decisions. A road game against Oregon may not be the most favorable venue for Brock to get his first college start, but ASU needs a spark. This season is essentially lost, and Erickson might as well see what he has at QB for the future. Running back is also a problem area for ASU going into the week. Ryan Bass was suspended earlier this week and Dimitri Nance has been playing at less than 100%. Cameron Marshall will probably get the bulk of the carries, but he struggled against USC and had a costly fumble. Oregon is vulnerable against the run, as shown by Gerhart last week, and ASU needs to get a strong performance from Marshall (and possibly Osweiler) on the ground. The only sure things for ASU on offense are wide receivers Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams. They also need to have huge games if the Sun Devils have any dreams of an upset. Another big problem that faces the Devils this week is the penalty problems on the offensive line. False start penalties will probably be plentiful because of the noise factor at Autzen. Too many false starts and holds will halt any drives before they get started. The Ducks have proven that they are a vulnerable football team on defense, but ASU will have to play a perfect game to expose that.

When Oregon has the ball:

The best offense in the Pac-10 plays one of the best defenses in the conference. Jeremiah Masoli has been nearly Heisman good at QB, making plays with his arm and feet. He has thrown for nine touchdowns and run for nine more. Arizona State’s did play well against the only mobile quarterback they’ve played this season when they faced Washington’s Jake Locker, so going up against Masoli isn’t such a tall task. Locker was able to hurt ASU more through the air than Masoli and Oregon’s receiving corps will be able to. Ed Dickson is a very productive ball-catching tight end, but Oregon doesn’t really have any other receiving threats. This is great news for a team that is severely short staffed in the defensive backfield. Freshman RB James has probably been the second best freshman RB behind Pitt’s Dion Lewis, but his style of running also plays into ASU’s favor. The one game that ASU struggled against the run was against powerful Gerhart of Stanford. James is quicker and smaller, similar to Jahvid Best, who the Sun Devils contained. Blount is the type of back that could give the Sun Devils big problems, but he probably won’t be a factor in his first game back. He hasn’t played in over two months and is probably not in football shape. Although the matchups seem to favor ASU’s defense, this is an Oregon offense that has put 40 up in every Pac-10 game except for one. They won’t get there this week, but they will put up some points.

Arizona State has shown that they can be very competitive against top teams this year. They have had a chance against Georgia, USC, and California all the way up to the last seconds of the game. Playing at Oregon, however, provides a much different challenge. Just like last week against USC, ASU will be playing a very angry Oregon team after their loss to Stanford. Oregon will come out ready to play; they will guarantee a trip to the Rose Bowl by winning out. ASU fans are hoping for a repeat of 2002 when they upset sixth ranked Oregon in Eugene.

Prediction:
Oregon 27-23

November 10, 2009

USC Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: USC 14-9

Players of the Game: Arizona State’s Defense

USC was able to run the football effectively at times on Saturday, but the Sun Devils’ defense made this offense full of very highly touted recruits look very pedestrian. Top freshman QB Matt Barkley only completed 7 out of his 22 passes for 112 yards (75 of those were on one catch and run by Damian Williams in the 3rd quarter. Barkley was only sacked once, but was pressured into quick decisions and was hampered by drops from the USC receivers. ASU’s secondary was also able to knock some of those passes down. Barkley’s one pick could’ve either been three because one interception was negated by a penalty another tipped pass was dropped. Allen Bradford and Joe McKnight were able to get their yards on 1st and 2nd down, but the defense was unbelievably stout on 3rd down. Pete Carroll’s Trojans were only 2 for 13 on 3rd downs, and 0 for 1 on 4th down.

Offensive Stars

Brock Osweiler -The true freshman QB’s numbers weren’t impressive (11-27, 153 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception), but most of those incompletions were on obvious passing downs late in the 4th quarter. His arm strength was on display as he gunned completions to his receivers down the field, and he gave the Sun Devils hope by throwing a beautiful 23 yard touchdown to Chris McGaha in the 3rd quarter. Perhaps the most impressive thing that Brock did on Saturday was keeping drives alive with his feet. Right before the TD pass, he stiff-armed a USC defender and spun out of bounds for a 1st down. This is simply something that Danny Sullivan was never equipped to do. Osweiler’s insertion into the lineup also gave the fans at Sun Devil Stadium some much needed energy. The crowd has been largely unsupportive this year, especially towards Sullivan, but the place erupted whenever Brock came into the game. As long as Sullivan was managing the game and not making mistakes, I was in favor of keeping him in the lineup. However, Danny has started throwing interceptions, is flat-footed in the pocket, and just doesn’t have the arm strength to make big plays. I don’t see any reason why Brock wouldn’t be the starter for the rest of the season.

Chris McGaha - He was as sure handed as always, pulling in 9 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown catch. Chris made some nice catches in traffic and always seems to have a step or two on the defense. He’s not the quickest or biggest receiver on the field, but his hands and route running ability make him a legitimate NFL prospect.

Defensive Stars
I’ve already praised the defense above, but the secondary deserves even more praise. Other than the Williams catch for the touchdown, USC’s longest pass was 13 yards. They made Matt Barkley look like a scared freshman, and they were able to fix a problem that has been plaguing the secondary all year: the deep pass. All of Barkley’s passes down the field were well defended and none of them were even close to connecting. With a young QB and RB along with this dominant defense, the Sun Devils look like a team to be reckoned with in 2010.

Opportunity Areas

Penalties (Again) - ASU was able to limit their personal fouls against USC, but holding calls and false starts were killers for a struggling offense. ASU was in prime position to take a 7-0 lead in the 2nd quarter, but two penalties caused them to settle for a field goal. Kyle Williams caught a ball at the USC 1 that would’ve given ASU a 1st and Goal, but a hold brought that back. A few plays later on a 1st and Goal at the 9, a false start pushed ASU back another 5 yards.

Turnovers - Without turnovers, Arizona State probably should’ve been up 10-0 at the half. Cameron Marshall halted a strong opening drive by fumbling deep in USC territory and Danny Sullivan’s pick six before the half negated a dominant 1st half and gave USC the lead. Penalties and turnovers are primarily the reason why ASU has lost their three games against ranked teams by a total of 10 points.

Final Thoughts

Arizona State had a prime opportunity to get back into the bowl picture, but they failed down the stretch again. There’s really not much else that needs to be said. If ASU dreams of a better season next year, they need to fix their mistakes and get better at finishing games. This week they visit an Oregon team that demolished USC two weeks ago, but fell to Stanford on Saturday. Oregon looks beatable, but it will take another strong effort from the defense and a full, productive game from Osweiler. I can’t see any possible reason why Sullivan would start again; he is banged up, making mistakes, and not able to move the football. Osweiler brings an added dimension in the running game, and has a far better arm that Sully. LaGarrette Blount returns from suspension for some reason after punching a Boise State player and going after the Broncos fans in the opening game. The Sun Devils run defense will have to come up big against Blount, LeMichael James, and Jeremiah Masoli for the game to be competitive.

November 6, 2009

USC Preview
By: David Siorek

USC (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10) at Arizona State (4-4, 2-3 Pac-10)
Opening Line: USC by 11

A very angry USC Trojans team comes to Sun Devil Stadium looking to take out their frustrations from last week’s Oregon blowout loss on the struggling Sun Devils. In their visit to Autzen on Halloween, USC suffered their worst loss under Pete Carroll and also surrendered the most points during his tenure. The loss moved USC essentially three games back of Oregon for the Pac-10 title because Oregon would have the tiebreaker. Another Pac-10 Championship and BCS bowl for the Trojans seems highly unlikely. Although ASU’s Halloween loss was by a slimmer margin, it was just as scary. Penalties haunted the Sun Devils again, and their vaunted defense allowed Cal to drive the length of the field for the game winning field goal. Another big problem for ASU this year has been getting out to very slow starts. In their four losses, the Devils have been outscored 52-6, while in their four wins; they have outscored opponents 31-7.

When ASU has the ball:

Don’t expect for USC to give up anywhere near the 47 points that Oregon put up last week unless ASU scores 5 defensive touchdowns. Cameron Marshall will probably get the start at tailback because Dimitri Nance is still banged up. The true freshman Marshall has taken advantage of the playing time and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Running room will be hard to come by against USC’s tough front seven, so ASU will probably have to rely on the pass to move the ball. Taylor Mays will make that difficult as well, so Danny Sullivan will have to be extremely accurate and efficient on screen passes and short throws across the middle to his receivers. If the Sun Devils continue to kill themselves with holding penalties, Sullivan will have to force passes down the field on 3rd and long. The two most likely results would be turnovers or a short field for the Trojans. I would also likely to see Dennis Erickson get Samson Szakacsy or Brock Osweiler involved if ASU gets near the goal line. Both backup quarterbacks have much better mobility than Sullivan, and the threat of a play action pass may open up the middle for runs. Running the ball up the middle three times against an angry USC defense at the goal line won’t get it done this week. ASU has scored at least 14 points in every game this year, but unless the defense creates points or field position, two touchdowns will be difficult to come by.

When USC has the ball:

USC has also had a subpar year by their standards on the offensive side of the ball as well, but they still have plenty of weapons at their disposal. True freshman QB Matt Barkley doesn’t have an impressive TD-Int Ratio (9-6), but he has still completed almost 60% of his passes and has thrown for almost 250 yards per game; not too bad for someone who was in high school at this time last year. He did lead the game winning drive against Ohio State, but Joe McKnight did most of the heavy lifting on that drive. USC has a plethora of productive backs that will see action on Saturday. McKnight and Allen Bradford have combined for over 1100 yards, 11 touchdowns, and over a 6.5 YPC on the ground, but ASU’s defense should be in a good position to contain them. ASU has held quick running backs Jahvid Best and Jacquizz Rodgers to under 85 yards apiece, but were devastated by Stanford’s bruising Toby Gerhart for 125 yards. USC’s backs fit the mold of Best and Rodgers, and the front seven won’t allow the running backs to beat the Sun Devils. USC’s two main weapons in the passing game are Damian Williams and TE Anthony McCoy. ASU hasn’t yet faced an imposing ball catching tight end like McCoy, but they have struggled against those types of players in the past. Fred Davis terrorized the Sun Devils in 2007 for over 100 yards and a touchdown. ASU’s secondary is a question mark because of injuries and changes. Deveron Carr and Clint Floyd maybe start in the defensive backfield over Pierre Singfield and Jarrell Holman. The secondary played poorly last weekend, allowing over 300 yards passing to Kevin Riley, and did not force any interceptions. Lawrence Guy and the defensive front were imposing early on, but the lack of pressure in the second half allowed Riley to scan through the open receivers and make good decisions. ASU will also need to eliminate big penalties on defense. If personal fouls and pass interferences continue to happen, the defense will be playing with their backs against the wall.

The twelfth man for Arizona State will also be a big factor. The fans have been less than supportive this year; either not coming out to games, or booing mercilessly when they do go. A perfect game from the offense, defense, and the crowd will be necessary in pulling off the upset. If ASU gives up an early touchdown or two, the crowd will immediately turn on them; that is what happened against Oregon State and California. This is precisely why ASU needs to score on defense early, pressure Barkley into a fumble or interception. Unfortunately for ASU, they have always gotten off to slow starts under Erickson, and I think that trend will continue this weekend. If it does, the game will get out of hand in a hurry.

Prediction:
USC 27-10

November 5, 2009

California Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: California 23-21

Player of the Game: Lawrence Guy

Arizona State was able to stay in the game in the 1st half, despite a struggling offense, mainly because of the efforts because of Guy’s efforts. He recorded two sacks, recovered a 1st quarter fumble, and forced a fumble in the 2nd quarter that led to a touchdown. Ryan Bass fumbled on Cal’s 1 yard line, then Guy forced QB Kevin Riley to lose the ball on the next drive. Samson Szakacsy then threw a 3 yard touchdown on the next play. Guy did make a big mistake in the 1st half when he recovered a fumble. During the return, he slipped around the 25 yard line, spiked the ball, and cost ASU 15 yards on an unsportsmanlike penalty.

Offensive Stars

Cameron Marshall - The freshman tailback filled in for an injured Dimitri Nance and an ineffective Bass. He carried the ball 16 times for 71 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter. Bass has been clamoring for playing time since he has been at Arizona State, got his chance in the 1st half, but couldn’t come through.

Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha - The senior wideouts did their part in an effort to lead the Sun Devils to victory. Williams caught a deep ball from Danny Sullivan in the 2nd quarter that tied the game at 14, and McGaha was the go-to-guy in the air in the 4th quarter drive that gave ASU their first lead of the game at 21-20.

Defensive Stars

Other than Guy, no one really stood out on defense. However, the Devils did a very good job of slowing down Cal’s high powered offense after a very fast start. Jahvid Best was limited to 63 yards on the ground, and ASU forced two turnovers. Riley, Best, and Cal’s receivers were able to cut apart the secondary, but the Sun Devils played a great bend, but not break defense by limiting Cal to five field goal attempts after the two early touchdowns. Vontaze Burfict was all over the place again, getting seven tackles, eliminating silly penalties, and nearly intercepting a pass in the end zone that would’ve ended the game.

Opportunity Areas

Penalties (Again) - Not much needs to be said here that hasn’t already been said. The Sun Devils lead the nation in penalty yards, and most of those are devastating. Pass interference calls and holding penalties are mostly acceptable because the players are trying to make plays, but the personal fouls are drive killers for the offense and put the defense in impossible situations. I don’t think this problem will be solved this year. There is too much of a sample size to blame these issues on the referees or inexperience. These are things that winning football teams eliminate. ASU hasn’t eliminated the dumb penalties, and therefore aren’t playing winning football right now.

Play Calling - Calling the plays on offense is one of the most difficult jobs out there, and it’s always easier to criticize the play calling after the game. Two drives stand out to me. In the 2nd quarter, Ryan Bass got the call on runs up the middle on consecutive plays. He couldn’t find any room on either play, and fumbled on the second one. On the next drive, a play action pass worked for a touchdown. Putting Szakacsy or Brock Osweiler in the game on the goal line gives defenses more things to worry about. Bass is a small, quick running back and would be better suited to run on the edges. In the 4th quarter, nursing a one point lead, ASU again ran the ball right up the middle three times. I understand the concept; get a first down and the game is pretty much sealed, but the play calling is too bland to work. A Pac-10 defense can stop the same up the middle run three times. Marshall almost converted on 3rd and short, but another play action pass might’ve converted the 3rd down and won the game.

Final Thoughts

This was the second devastating loss for ASU this year. Hypothetically, the could be 6-2 and bowl eligible right now. Now they stand at 4-4 and pretty much need a road win against UCLA and an upset of a top 20 team to avoid consecutive losing seasons. The defense is up for the challenge, but it is a tall task. USC will be a very angry team when the descend upon Sun Devil Stadium next week, Oregon looks like a top 5 team, and Arizona has been unstoppable since Nick Foles has been inserted at QB. If Dimitri Nance is again limited, Cameron Marshall looks up to the task to take over the running back duties this season and going forward. The wide receivers have been playing well as of late, and while Danny Sullivan isn’t playing well, he is keeping ASU in ball games. I would like to see a supportive, loud, and packed Sun Devil Stadium against USC, but if USC pulls out to a big early lead, the fans will turn on Sullivan, Dennis Erickson, and the rest of the team. An early touchdown will be essential against a vulnerable USC team, and ASU will need at least one defensive/special teams touchdown to upset the mighty Trojans.

 

October 30, 2009

California Preview

By: David Siorek

California (5-2, 2-2 Pac-10) at Arizona State (4-3, 2-2 Pac-10)

Opening Line: California -6.5

Arizona State will try to rebound after their worst performance on both sides of the ball this season last week at Stanford. Toby Gerhart, Andrew Luck, and the rest of the Cardinal moved the ball at will, and Stanford’s defense never let ASU get going on offense. Hopefully, a Halloween Homecoming game against the Golden Bears is the right medicine to get ASU back on track for a bowl game. Jahvid Best is one of the best running backs in the country, and junior QB Kevin Riley plays mostly mistake free football. Arizona State’s offense comes into the game banged up, and they will need the defense to come up huge this week if they want to escape with a win.

When ASU has the ball:

Danny Sullivan will get his eighth consecutive start, but the honeymoon from his game-winning touchdown pass against Washington is essentially over. He was largely ineffective against Stanford before leaving the game in the 4th quarter due to injury. Brock Osweiler should again get playing time this week, but he didn’t play well last week either. Wide receivers Kyle Williams and Kerry Taylor both missed last week’s game, and that might’ve been one of the reasons that the offense lacked rhythm. They are listed as probable for this week’s game, and that should give the quarterbacks more options. Dimitri Nance is also battling injuries, and that could finally give Ryan Bass an opportunity to shine. If Nance is limited or misses the game, Cameron Marshall will also get carries. The Sun Devils need to pick up chunks of yards on first down to be competitive this week. They don’t have the explosiveness to convert 3rd and longs, but they continually find themselves in those situations. If the running backs can average 4-5 yards per carry and the receivers can get open over the middle on early downs, Sullivan and Brock may have some opportunities for big plays down the field.

When Cal has the ball:

 Jahvid Best offers up a much different kind of challenge in the backfield than Toby Gerhart did last week. Gerhart punishes defenders up the middle and Best is lightning quick. The Sun Devils are probably better suited to compete with Jahvid because their front seven doesn’t possess great size. Dexter Davis and James Brooks have the speed to contain best from getting too far outside, and linebacker Vontaze Burfict has the great speed to make up for his inexperience. This game will be a great barometer for ASU’s run defense. Did they build up their great stats (#2 in the nation before last week) against weak run teams, or did they simply have an off week against a surprising Stanford team? Kevin Riley has seemingly been around forever, but he is only a junior. He has feasted on some weak defenses in Cal’s five wins, but has struggled mightily in their two losses. Riley has completed 64% of his passes, with 226 YPG and an 11-1 ratio against Maryland, Minnesota, Eastern Washington, UCLA, and Washington State, but has only completed 38%, with 161 YPG and a 0-1 ratio against Oregon and USC. Also, Best has eclipsed 100 yards in all five wins (135 YPG, 11TD), and only averaged 51 with no touchdowns in the two losses. Obviously ASU in the same area code as Oregon and USC, but their defense has been pretty stout except for last week. We will find out very early if this game will be competitive. During ASU’s two worst losses, they got down big early and never made the game interesting. If Cal can score on their first few drives, it will be another long night for Erickson’s Devils

 Too many of the Sun Devils’ offensive weapons are banged up for them to win this game. They will need to put up between 21-31 points to make this game interesting, and I don’t think they have the firepower to do so. ASU’s defense, although very good, will prove that it is not quite on Oregon or USC’s level just yet. Best will get his yards, score a couple times, and this game won’t be close.

 Prediction:

California 34-17

October 29, 2009

Stanford Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: Stanford 33-14

Stanford completely dominated all facets of the game on Saturday night. They were able to run and pass all over ASU’s highly touted defense. Arizona State came in at number 2 in the nation in rushing defense ,and Stanford compiled 249 yards on the ground. Freshman Andrew Luck threw for 236 yards. They won the turnover battle and didn’t throw an interception to an ASU team that had picked off a pass in 14 previous games. Their defense forced ASU’s quarterbacks to complete less than 50% of their passes for only 161 yards.

Stanford stormed out to a 24-0 halftime lead, which was insurmountable for the much maligned Sun Devils offense. ASU’s did average 5.2 yards per carry on the ground, but when the defense knows a team has to pass to get back in the game, running backs will be able to find some holes. Chris McGaha and T.J. Simpson caught Danny Sullivan touchdown passes in the second half, but the defense couldn’t make enough stops to allow any kind of a comeback. Sullivan’s numbers weren’t terrible (12-23, 143 yards, no interceptions), but he wasn’t very impressive. He wasn’t able to get anything going in the 1st half, and ASU didn’t even threaten to score.

Brock Osweiler came on for an injured Sullivan and didn’t impress in his chance to wrestle the starting job away from the senior. Brock showed his mobility on a 19 yard run, but he only completed 1 of 7 passes for 18 yards. Sullivan, who isn’t 100 percent, will again get the start against Cal. It looks like another long game for ASU next week, so Brock should get extended playing time once again.

The skill position players also suffered from injuries. Kyle Williams and Kerry Taylor missed the game with injuries, and Dimitri Nance was hurt as well. The wide receivers should be back for the Cal game, but if Nance can’t go, Ryan Bass may get extended playing time. Bass is probably the running game’s best deep threat, but he has to show that he can pass protect and get tough yards over the middle. If he can’t, expect Cameron Marshall to get the bulk of the playing time.

The defense played its first really poor game of the year. The pass rush didn’t get any pressure on Andrew Luck, allowing him ample time to make good decisions. A better pass rush might’ve forced the red shirt freshman to make some mistakes down the field. The front seven was also pushed around in the running game. ASU only had four tackles for loss, so Stanford was making positive plays on nearly every down. ASU was unable to slow the Cardinal down on 1st and 2nd down, thus allowing Stanford to go 8 for 16 on 3rd down conversions. The 3rd and long situations for the offense forced ASU to go 3 for 11.

Stanford dominated possession of the ball and had it for 15 more minutes than ASU. Their average drive starting position was 13 yards closer to the end zone than the Sun Devils.

The only real bright spot for the Sun Devils was their containment of big play receiver and returner Chris Owusu. He only had 2 catches for 13 yards and 1 kick return for 28 yards. If they are to have a chance against California, they need to do the same thing to Cal big play RB Jahvid Best.

This loss was a huge hit to the Sun Devils bowl hopes. Arizona State has five games left: vs. Cal, vs. USC, @Oregon, @UCLA, and vs. Arizona. Three of those games are winnable, but going to the Rose Bowl and beating UCLA, and defeating a nationally ranked Wildcat team in a rivalry game will be extremely difficult. Still, a win this week does put ASU is a good position to become bowl eligible.

 

October 23, 2009

Stanford Preview
By: David Siorek

Arizona State 4-2(2-1 Pac-10) at Stanford 4-3(3-2 Pac-10)

Opening Line: Stanford -7

 Arizona State hits the road to play against a Stanford team that has struggled on defense the last two weeks. ASU has won two in a row against the Washington schools, while Stanford has followed up their 3-0 conference start with consecutive losses at Oregon State and Arizona. The Cardinal defense has given up an average of 40.5 points the last two weeks, but they will be going up against a Sun Devil offense that has struggled all year. Stanford has dominated at home this year, going 3-0 against San Jose State, Washington, and UCLA, while ASU has struggled on the road. They fell to Georgia in a close game and played poorly in a win over Wazzu. Stanford’s balanced offensive attack is led by freshman QB Andrew Luck and bruising RB Toby Gerhart, but they will be facing the nation’s 2nd best rushing defense. Danny Sullivan and the passing offense looks to build on their game-winning performance from last Saturday.

 

When ASU has the ball:

 Stanford has struggled mightily on defense the last two weeks, but Arizona and Oregon State’s offenses are far superior to ASU’s. Arizona State’s rushing attack has been surprisingly effective this year and the combination of Dimitri Nance, Cameron Marshall, and Ryan Bass should be able to find some more holes in Palo Alto this weekend. UA averaged 9.9 yards last week against Stanford and Quizz Rodgers had over 180 yards and four touchdowns two weeks ago. The power of Nance and the big play ability of Marshall and Bass should be a formidable opponent against the struggling Cardinal D. Danny Sullivan and the aerial attack should also be able to move the ball. Arizona QB Nick Foles was able to shread apart Stanford’s defense last week with over 400 yards and three touchdowns. Sullivan isn’t quite as lethal as Foles, but he should be beaming with confidence after last week’s game winner against Washington. Gerell Robinson and Kerry Taylor will be deep threats down the field and Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha will help move the chains on 3rd down.

 

When Stanford has the ball:

 Stanford relies on Gerhart to establish the offense, and he has done his part this year. He has averaged well over 100 yards per game this year and has 12 touchdowns. No other Pac-10 running back provides the challenge that Toby does. Quizz has the speed, but Gerhart is the whole package. However, Arizona State has a stout defensive line and a very formidable line backing corps. Look for many face to face meetings between Vontaze Burfict and Gerhart. Since ASU will focus most of their defense on stopping the running game, QB Andrew Luck will have to beat the Sun Devils. He has plenty of help though. Despite the good play from the secondary, ASU’s opponents have been able to beat them on deep passing plays all year. Receivers from Georgia, Oregon State, Washington State, and Washington have been able to break big plays. Chris Owusu and Ryan Whalen have that same ability. Early big plays big Whalen and Owusu in the receiving and kicking game(especially Owusu on returns) may put a nail in the Sun Devils’ coffin. ASU hasn’t scored on defense in the last three games, but look for that to change. Taz will be able to find the end zone this week.

 ASU was able to get off to a very quick start last week and was able to hang on for the victory. Again, this week’s game is crucial to the bowl hopes for both teams. The winner will have 5 wins and will most likely be bowling, while the loser will have an extremely uphill battle to the postseason. The keys for Arizona State are scoring early and limiting the big plays. Although Toby Gerhart probably won’t be completely shut down, he will be facing the best rush defense on Stanford’s schedule. Stanford does have the home field advantage, but I think ASU’s defense will make one more big play than Stanford offense/special teams.

 Prediction: Arizona State 27-17

October 22, 2009

Washington Recap

By: David Siorek

Final Score: Arizona State 24-17

Player of the Game - Danny Sullivan

The much maligned senior QB threw the game winning 50 yard touchdown pass to Chris McGaha with five seconds left in the game. Sullivan’s performance in this game should keep him in the starting role for at least another week, if not the rest of the season. Danny was very efficient throughout the game on Saturday night, completing 60% of his passes for 263 yards, didn’t turn the ball over, and scored on the ground from a yard out. This performance was against the second worst defense in the conference, but it was impressive nonetheless.

Offensive Stars

Wide Receivers - Six different wide receivers contributed for Arizona State against UW. T.J. Simpson scored his first touchdown of the season on a 32 yard catch and also ran for 30 yards on one carry. Kyle Williams caught three balls and threw the touchdown to Simpson on a rare trick play for ASU. McGaha’s only catch was the biggest of the night. Gerell Robinson and Jamal Miles recorded career highs in yardage with 68 and 34 respectively, and Kerry Taylor had a season high four catches. These receivers have had their troubles this year, but they showed how talented they really are.

Dimitri Nance and Cameron Marshall - Nance was effective both rushing and receiving. He had 70 yards on 13 yards and had a Sun Devil high six receptions for 41 yards. The freshman Marshall set up ASU’s only field goal with a 75 yard run on the first play of a third quarter drive that started at ASU’s own 7 yard line. These numbers will be harder to come by when ASU starts playing some of the better Pac-10 defenses, but the big plays are both surprising and necessary for this struggling offense.

Defensive Stars

Ryan McFoy - The interceptions for the defense has seemingly come in bunches for the Sun Devil defenders this year. Mike Nixon had three in the opener, Jarrell Holman had three in a two game stretch earlier this year, and McFoy has had three in the last two games. The biggest one came as time expired, when Jake Locker’s desperation heave landed in McFoy’s arms as ASU’s 10 yard line. Arizona State has now recorded an interception in 14 consecutive games, which is the longest such streak in the nation.

Saia Falahola - The junior defensive tackle had two of the three sacks on Locker and tied for the team lead in tackles with five. It’s nice to see the defensive pressure come from somewhere other than Dexter Davis, Lawrence Guy, and James Brooks. Saia is having a breakout year and is forcing the opposing offensive lines from doubling some of the more highly touted lineman.

Opportunity Areas

Vontaze Burfict’s penalties - Taz keeps impressing with his speed and is a true menace in the middle linebacker spot. His quickness allows him to make plays that most players can’t make and he will be a special player for three years here before leaving for the NFL. However, he is making far too many silly mistakes. He had three first half personal foul penalties on Saturday, and Dennis Erickson has come out publicly and said that those need to stop. He has possibly been the defensive MVP for the Sun Devils this year, but he needs to play under control for the team to continue to play winning football.

Finishing Games - It might sound silly to complain about the inability to finish games when a team has just won on a last second touchdown pass, but the game really shouldn’t have come down to the last play. In four drives after taking a 17-7 lead until the game winning pass, ASU ran 21 plays for 74 yards, punted three times and missed a field goal. This same problem plagued them against Georgia and almost cost them a game here as well. The defense can bail the offense out of a lot of situations, but good teams know how to move the ball and close teams out late.

Final Thoughts

Arizona State was able to win the game mostly because of their ability to slow down Jake Locker. The star QB got his numbers (303 total yards, one touchdown), but ASU’s defense never allowed him to get going on the ground and forced him to throw two interceptions. Unless Jeremiah Masoli plays for Oregon, ASU doesn’t really play any more mobile quarterbacks, but they proved that they can play effective defense against all types of attacks. Toby Gerhart and Stanford will bring a heavy rushing attack next week, but this defensive front should be up for the challenge.

Arizona State fans and teammates have to be elated for Danny Sullivan. He sat behind Rudy Carpenter for three years, and by the time he got his chance, no one wanted him in the game. The fans chanted “We Want Brock” during the Oregon State game, and the game winning touchdown is a moment he will one day tell his grandchildren about. Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, Danny will always have this moment.

October 16, 2009

Washington Preview
By: David Siorek

Washington (3-3, 2-1 Pac-10) at Arizona State (3-2, 1-1 Pac-10)

Opening Line: Arizona State -3.5

The most difficult stretch of ASU’s schedule has arrived. There are no more automatic wins, and it’s anyone’s guess whether the Sun Devils will fail to win another game or finish in the top half of the Pac-10. A win this week will give ASU the inside track to at least a 5th place conference finish and a bowl game appearance. Washington pulled out a 36-33 comeback win against Arizona last week, aided by a controversial interception call late in the game, while ASU turned the ball over six times, but survived at Washington State  27-14. Danny Sullivan will get the start again at quarterback for the Devils, despite his three interceptions against the worst defense in the Pac-10. Hopefully he can bounce back against the 2nd worst defensive squad. ASU’s overpowering defense gets a huge challenge against UW and Jake Locker, who upset USC earlier this season.

When ASU has the ball:

Sullivan got most of the snaps last week, but Brock Osweiler also got some playing time. This strategy confuses me because if a team rotates two quarterbacks it usually has no reliable quarterbacks. Sully has been very unreliable in the last three games, and Brock is simply not ready to play against Pac-10 defenses. If Sullivan has another uninspiring performance and Arizona State gets blown out, I don’t see why Osweiler wouldn’t start the rest of the year. Washington’s rush defense has been hit or miss so far this year. They have played well against in four of their games, but were absolutely pushed around against USC and Stanford. The Sun Devils don’t have nearly as effective a rushing attack as those two teams, so they will need to use the short passing game to set up the run. Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams have been deadly on short passes across the middle, and they should be able to move the chains in this matchup. Dimitri Nance and Ryan Bass should be able to find some holes if Sullivan, Osweiler, and the offensive line can get the aerial attack going early

When UW has the ball:

Jake Locker is the most deadly duel-threat quarterback in the nation, and he provides a big challenge to ASU’s highly touted defense. Washington might have too many weapons for this defense. If ASU uses a spy on Locker, running back Chris Polk should be able to break off huge chunks of yardage. If ASU tries to load the box to stop the run, Locker will be able to make plays with his arm and feet. The Devils’ pass rush is again a huge factor in this game. If they can stop the run and get pressure on Locker, the linebackers and secondary should be able to contain the passing game. Last week’s twelve sack performance proves they have the ability, but will they be able to be effective against a capable offense? Just like the Oregon State game where ASU needed to slow down the Rodgers brothers, if the Devils can contain Locker they will win this game. However, that task is much more easily said that done.

Getting off to a quick start is vital for ASU this week. If Sullivan turns the ball over and UW is able to get off to an early lead, the Sun Devils simply do not have the quick strike offense to get back into the game. If the defense doesn’t shut down Locker early or give the offense a short field, Washington will probably cruise to an easy win. The Sun Devils fans haven’t been very supportive this year, and another sub par Pac-10 performance will cause Sun Devil Stadium to rain down boos.

Prediction:

Washington 23-17

October 14, 2009

Washington State Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: Arizona State 27-14

Player of the Game - Kyle Williams

For the second consecutive game, an Arizona State senior wide receiver had a career game. Williams hauled in 13 of the 22 completions from ASU’s quarterbacks on Saturday afternoon for a career high 126 yards and a touchdown. Kyle also added 32 yards on 4 punt returns and a 53 yard run on a reverse. It’s nice to see KW step up after struggling in earlier games with dropped passes.

Offensive Stars

The running game - Dimitri Nance recorded a career high with 113 yards and a touchdown,  freshman Cameron Marshall added 27 yards and a 4th quarter touchdown, and Ryan Bass had 30 yards on 4 carries. The 53 yard run by Williams adds up to 220 yards rushing on only 37 carries, good for a 5.9 average. The Cougars do have the worst defense in the Pac-10, but results like this are encouraging. Washington also has a below average defense, so hopefully the running backs gained some momentum for next week.

The offensive line - Again, Washington State has a terrible defense. However, the offensive line only allowed one sack and two hits on the quarterbacks. They also opened up holes for the runners. Although the strength of schedule has been near the bottom in the FBS, the banged up line has done a much better time protecting the passers this year.

Defensive Stars

The pass rush and run defense - The highly touted ASU pass rush came into this one only having four sacks in four games. The lack of pressure was a major conversation point all week in the media. Washington State quarterbacks were sacked 12 times, and nine different Devils recorded a sack. Linemen Lawrence Guy and James Brooks led the team with 2.5 takedowns apiece. Dexter Davis also got untracked and recorded 1.5 sacks. In addition to the sacks, ASU tallied 11 more tackles for loss. Those big plays resulted in -54 yards rushing for the Cougs, who leading rushing was it’s punter Reid Forrest, who had 15 yards. It’s official; the pass rush is back.

Ryan McFoy  - The senior safety has been battling injuries all year, but finally made some big plays in this game. McFoy accounted for two of the four ASU takeaways. He recovered a fumble  and returned an interception 24 yards.

Opportunity Areas

Danny Sullivan - The senior QB was tolerable through the first four games because he limited his mistakes. He threw three interceptions to the worst defense in the conference. His completion percentage was decent and he hit Kyle Williams with ease. However, without the interceptions, this might have been a five touchdown victory for ASU. Danny has stopped being a “Game Manager” and has started to be a liability. The Sun Devils start their seven game gauntlet, and if Sullivan continues to start and play like this, all of those games are losable. He will get the start again this week (Brock Osweiler will again see action), but another game or two like this one and he will be out.

(Again) Penalties and Mistakes - The most highly penalized  team in the Pac-10 was penalized ten times for 85 yards and actually lowered the per game penalty yardage, the six turnovers by the offense kept WSU in the game, and kicker Bobby Wenzig missed two extra points. ASU will start looking at other walk-on kickers this week to see if any of them can fare better than Wenzig. Thomas Weber will be out for at least another week, and he can’t get back soon enough. More error filled games will make the chance at a bowl eligible season nearly impossible.

Final Thoughts

Arizona State has to consider themselves extremely lucky that they played such a poor team. The offense has been inconsistent and both sides of the ball have been undisciplined for most of the season. Lost in the shuffle of all the mistakes was another dominating effort by the defense. Washington State compiled 99 of their 181 total offensive yards on one 4th quarter touchdown  pass. Next week, Washington brings another bad defense to Tempe, but a much more explosive offense than the Cougars. Jake Locker is probably the best quarterback in the conference, and he is a threat both running and throwing. ASU’s best chance at containing him is making a speedy linebacker (Vontaze Burfict perhaps) a spy all game. Although UW is a massive step up in competition, the home game against the Huskies is probably the most winnable game left on the schedule.

 

October 7, 2009

Washington State Preview
By: David Siorek

Arizona State (2-2, 0-1 Pac-10) at Washington State (1-4, 0-3 Pac-10)
Opening Line: ASU -20

Arizona State will try to get back on track Saturday against the lowly Cougars. Last week, Oregon State used turnovers, penalties, and mistakes to down the Devils 28-17, while Oregon manhandled the Cougs 52-6. This is just the kind of game ASU needs to rebound from a two game losing streak. Other than a 3 point home win over SMU in Week 3, Wazzu has lost each game by at least 18 points. Last year, Kyle Williams caught two touchdown passes, Kerry Taylor caught one, and Lawrence Guy returned a fumble in a dominating 31-0 performance at Sun Devil Stadium. This game should be very similar,  as WSU is still rebuilding and has yet to show much improvement on either side of the ball. Dennis Erickson will be hoping that this game gets out of hand early so he can get some backups in the game and give his team some much needed confidence.

When ASU has the ball:

Despite pressure from all directions for a quarterback change, Erickson will once again start Danny Sullivan over Brock Osweiler. The Pac-10 race isn’t as wide open as it was a couple weeks ago, as Oregon, USC, and Stanford are pulling away, but look for the senior to keep getting the nod unless the season becomes a disaster. Sullivan had a career day passing last week with 338 yards, but most of those came when the game was already out of hand. Finding open receivers should not be an issue on Saturday because Washington State comes into the game ranking last in the FBS in passing defense, allowing 310 yards per  game. Running the football has also been pretty easy against Wazzu this year, as opponents have compiled 195 yards per game. Those stats tell me that the defensive front has struggled to move the offensive line, which is great news for ASU. Despite cutting down on sacks this year, the line is still banged up and allowed Oregon State to force quick throws by Sully last week. The WSU defense has been impressive in one stat: forcing turnovers. They have recovered eight fumbles and intercepted four passes so far in five games. The only chance for WSU will be takeaways, but ASU has only turned the ball over three times this year. Despite outgaining Oregon State by over 100 yards and gaining 12 more first downs last week, ASU struggled again on 3rd down, going 4-18.

The offense will rebound from the last two efforts and dominate in this one. Backups Osweiler, Ryan Bass, Gerell Robinson, and T.J. Simpson should get extended looks in the 2nd half in this  contest to prepare them for 2010. The offense will once again gain over 400 yards and reach 30 points for the first time since their second game.

When Washington State has the ball:

Washington State isn’t yet sure who will start at quarterback, but it will not matter. True freshman Jeff Tuel got his first start last week, but was injured early and gave way to Marshall Lobbestael. Tuel will get the nod if healthy, but none of the quarterbacks have played well for the Cougs. They have thrown for three touchdowns against eight interceptions. The linebackers and secondary will be chomping at the bit and should be able to make big plays. Washington State has turned the ball over 16 times, which is 3rd worst in the FBS, while ASU is 2nd nationally in turnover margin. That is a terrible sign for Wazzu, especially since ASU has a tendency to find the end zone on defense. Running the ball  shouldn’t be much easier for Washington State, as they are 108th nationally and last in the Pac-10 in yards per game. Dwight Tardy and James Montgomery have split carries, but neither are averaging over 40 yards per game. The receiving corps doesn’t have any playmakers like A.J. Green or James Rodgers, so the secondary should be able to put the clamps down on the deep passing game this week. Despite ranking 3rd nationally in total defense, ASU’s pass rush hasn’t been able to get to the quarterback with any regularity this year. Dexter Davis has faced double teams all year and hasn’t recorded a sack yet. With James Brooks getting another start on the other end, Dexter may be able to get to whomever the Cougs start at QB.

This side of the ball has all the makings of a colossal mismatch. The 3rd ranked defense against the 112th ranked offense and a defense forcing three turnovers per game against an offense that turns it over more than  three times per game. This one will get out of hand early, and the defense will give ASU the great field position it didn’t have last weekend. WSU faces their 3rd straight strong defense, and they have only scored 6 points against USC and Oregon. They will struggle to move the ball yet again and will fail to reach double digits for the third straight week.

Prediction:
Arizona State 37-3

 

October 6, 2009

Oregon State Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: Oregon State 28-17

Player of the Game - Chris McGaha

McGaha was essentially Arizona State’s entire offense on Saturday against the Beavers. He recorded career highs in receptions and yards with 15 and 165 respectively. He was Danny Sullivan’s safety valve and kept many drives alive on 3rd down. Unlike some of ASU’s other receivers this year, Chris hasn’t had too many problems with drops. In  a game where not too many things went right, McGaha was the lone bright spot for the Sun Devils

Offensive Stars

Prolonged drives and time of possession - There really wasn’t much that went right for ASU, but they were able to keep the ball away from Oregon State for most of the night. The Devils had four drives that lasted ten or more plays, including a 22 play drive in the 4th quarter that resulted in a touchdown. ASU also held the ball for about ten more minutes that the Beavers. Although these stats didn’t really help ASU tonight because they were down the entire game, it is a bright spot going forward.

Defensive Stars

Jarrell Holman - The starting safety recorded his 3rd interception and 4th takeaway in  the last two games. He tipped a Sean Canfield pass to himself and brought ASU back in the game for the moment. The Devils had just scored a touchdown to cut it to 21-10, and after the interception they had a chance to cut the lead even further. The drive ended up not resulting in points, but it was still a nice interception at a pivotal moment.

Opportunity Areas

Mistakes and penalties - This section seems like a broken record every week. ASU actually lowered their average penalty yards per game on Saturday, but were still penalized 10 times for 80 yards. Many of those penalties were devastating, including holding calls that put the struggling offense in more of a hole. Also, a James Brooks roughing the passer penalty kept a 1st quarter drive alive that resulted in a touchdown for a 21-3 Oregon State lead. The biggest  mistake on the night occurred on ASU’s first possession. Punter Thomas Hankins dropped a punt and set up OSU inside the redzone. They would not look back from there. ASU also lost their first fumble of the year and lost the turnover battle for the first time this season.

The running game - Dimitri Nance wasn’t expected to duplicate his outstanding effort from last week against this stout OSU run defense, and he struggled. Ryan Bass also got an opportunity, but didn’t do too much. It’s tough to establish the running game because the plays are so predictable. Nearly every running play is a zone read out of the shotgun, but everyone knows that Danny Sullivan isn’t a threat to run. The result is a short run up the middle because the defensive front was easily able to penetrate ASU’s beleaguered offensive line.

Kick and punt returns - With the exception  of Omar Bolden’s kick return for a touchdown against UL Monroe, ASU hasn’t been able to do anything on returns. Kyle Williams has struggled to get going on punt returns and LeQuan Lewis failed to set up ASU with good field position on kick returns. The result was average starting field position at their own 21 compared to the 32 for the Beavers. If Arizona State isn’t going to be able to set up anything on punt returns, they should at least try to pressure the punter.

Pass rush - Saia Falahola sacked Canfield on the first drive, and that was it for the day. Canfield had time to find the Rodgers brothers for short passes and Damola Adeniji deeper down the field. Dexter Davis, Lawrence Guy, and Brooks have the ability to make a lot of things happen, but they have struggled so far this year. Without pressure, opposing quarterbacks have plenty of opportunities to find open receivers down the field.

Final Thoughts

This was definitely a disappointing effort by the Sun Devils from the start. Mistakes put ASU in a big hole that the offense simply will not be able to climb out of. In 2007, when ASU tied for the Pac 10 title, Rudy Carpenter was able to lead the Devils back from many early deficits, but this year’s team does not have that ability. Fans and journalists are now calling even more for Dennis Erickson to replace Danny Sullivan with freshman Brock Osweiler, but Sully will get the start again next weekend at Washington State. I think that is the right move for now, but if the season becomes lost I think Erickson will get Osweiler a lot more playing time. The good news for Arizona State is that they play the bottom feeders in the Pac 10 on Saturday. The bad news is that all of the momentum gained from that nail biting loss at  Georgia is now gone.

 

October 1, 2009

Oregon State Preview
By: David Siorek

Oregon State (2-2) at Arizona State (2-1)
Opening Line: ASU -5

Fresh off a narrow defeat at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs, the Sun Devils return home to open up Pac-10 play against Oregon State. The Beavers enter Sun Devil Stadium with a two game losing streak (home losses to Cincinnati and Arizona). Oregon State defeated ASU last year 27-25 in Corvallis; Rudy Carpenter’s two point pass attempt to tie the game fell incomplete.  However, Arizona State hasn’t lost to the Beavers at home in 40 years. ASU comes into this game with loads of momentum on the defensive side of the ball, but they still need to find offensive consistency. Injuries on the offensive line may play a big role for the Devils. Five offensive lineman with experience may miss this game. Backup Mike Marcisz is out for the year, potential starter Matt Hustad is out at least three weeks, and Zach Schlink, Thomas Altieri, and Andrew Sampson are all question marks for this game. Despite the injuries, the offensive line held their own against SEC powerhouse Georgia, opening up big holes for Dimitri Nance and only allowing one sack. Starting defensive end James Brooks should return to action this week after a three game suspension, which will help because the defense needs another great performance to shut down the Rodgers brothers.

When ASU has the ball:

Arizona State’s offense fell back to earth last week after two strong performances against Idaho State and UL Monroe. Due to poor conditions, below average quarterback play, dropped passes, and a game Bulldog secondary, the passing game struggled mightily last week. Nance did everything he could to pull out a win, but it wasn’t quite enough. The aerial attack will be able to get back on track this week because the Beavers pass defense has been their weakness. Opposing quarterbacks have thrown for 272 yards per game, while throwing eight touchdowns against only two interceptions. Arizona’s Nick Foles, in his first career start, shredded the defense for 254 yards passing and three touchdowns last week. The Beavers run defense has picked up the slack, allowing less than 100 yards per game and under four yards per carry. This makes me believe that Nance won’t have as much success  this week, but Danny Sullivan will carry the team. Kyle Williams, Chris McGaha, and the receivers were able to bounce back in Week 2 after numerous drops against Idaho State, and I expect the same thing to happen this week. The dry, sunny conditions in Tempe will be much easier to deal with than last week’s rain soaked affair at Sanford Stadium.

Turnovers should be another big advantage for ASU on Saturday. Despite completing less than 50% of his passes this year, Sullivan has only thrown one interception. Oregon State isn’t the best at pressuring the quarterback, so despite the injuries up front, Sully should have time to make good decisions. In addition to the two Beaver interceptions, they have only forced two fumbles.

ASU’s offense should accumulate around 200-225 yards through the air and about 80 on the ground. Oregon State will probably force a turnover and get to Sullivan a couple times due to the battered O-Line. The kicking  game also remains a question with Bobby Wenzig filling in for Thomas Weber. I’m calling for Arizona State to get between 17-24 points on offense.

When Oregon State has the ball:

The Oregon State Beavers offense can be summed up in one word: Rodgers. Brothers James and Jacquizz have accounted for almost 70% of the Beavers offensive yards and 75% of their offensive touchdowns through four games. Obviously the key to shutting OSU down is containing the Rodgers’. That is much more easier said than done. Both the wide receiver James and the running back ‘Quizz are multi-dimensional; WR James actually leads the team with a 6.7 yards per carry average, while RB Jazquizz leads them in receptions. The fact that they are so dangerous both catching and receiving makes them even more difficult to stop. Last year against ASU, Quizz had 188 total yards, while James had 102 receiving. Apart  from these two offensive machines, Oregon State has a bad offense. They really don’t have any other deadly running or receiving options, and their quarterbacks have largely been disappointments during their careers. Lyle Moevao led the Beavers to a good season last year, but he was never a consistent threat. He has been injured this year and has only thrown one pass. Sean Canfield has been even more of an unknown. Coming into his senior year, he has thrown for more interceptions than touchdowns and isn’t the type of quarterback that will single handedly beat a team. The moral of the story is that if ASU slows down the Rodgers brothers and limits them to about 175-200 total yards, they will absolutely shut down Oregon State.

The big play Sun Devils defense will look to put some more points on the board Saturday night. Going back to last year, ASU has scored ten defensive and special teams touchdowns in their last eight games (including three  in as many games this year). This is how a team compensates for a struggling offense and nothing pumps up the crowd more than a Pick-6 or a fumble return for a touchdown. If the Sun Devils get an early score from the defense, this game is over. The defense wants to build on last week’s momentum and an early turnover would only put more fuel on the fire. Arizona State has the linebackers to slow down the Rodgers’ brothers on runs and short routes. Although A.J. Green did school the secondary last week, he is 6’4”, not 5’7” like James and Quizz. The deep ball won’t work as well with the ball hawking safeties patrolling the secondary.

The Rodgers brothers will do their damage, probably reach the end zone, and accumulate some yards, but this Oregon State offense will be no match for Dennis Erickson’s top 10 defense. I would expect 10-17 points for the Beavers on Saturday.

Prediction:
Arizona State 24-13

September 30, 2009

Georgia Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score: Georgia 20-17

Player of the Game - Jarrell Holman

For the 3rd straight week, the player of the game is a defensive player who found the end zone. The Senior safety Holman was the lynchpin of a spirited effort from the Arizona State defense. He was responsible for all three takeaways and almost  single handedly won the game for the Sun Devils. His fumble recovery early in the 3rd quarter set up a touchdown pass, he returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown to give ASU a 17-14 lead, and his second interception put the Sun Devils in position for the go ahead field goal with 5:30 left in the game.

Offensive Stars

Dimitri Nance - The Senior tailback matched his career high with 92 yards rushing just one year after gaining only 12 yards against the Bulldogs. Nance also led ASU with 4 receptions for 47 yards, including a 6 yards touchdown catch in the 3rd quarter. I wrote last week that Dennis Erickson had found his running back, and Nance didn’t let him down.

Defensive Stars

Vontaze Burfict - The highest ranked recruit in ASU history had a breakout game on a national stage Saturday night. Taz was the game leader in tackles with 11 and also accounted for 1.5 tackles for loss. He combined with Pierre Singfield to stop the Dawgs on a 4th and 1 at ASU’s 28 yard line early in the final period. It’s going to be difficult for Erickson to keep Burfict off the field for the rest of the season.

Opportunity Areas

The passing game - Danny Sullivan turned it on late in the game, but had an atrocious 1st half. Some of the struggles in the passing game were due to the dreadfully wet conditions at Sanford Stadium, but some of the blame has to fall on Sully. The receiving corps also shoulders some of the blame. For the 2nd time in three games, drops hampered ASU’s offense. Also,  despite only allowed one sack, the battered offensive line often allowed Georgia’s defense to force quick throws.

The pass rush - ASU failed to sack Joe Cox on Saturday night, and that played a major role in A.J. Green’s second straight monster game against the Devils. The secondary played their hearts out, but some pressure on the QB would have been helpful in slowing down Green.

Final Thoughts

The Sun Devils had a chance all the way until the clock showed 0:00. Despite the final outcome, this game has to be a major confidence booster for a team that now finds itself in a wide open Pac-10 race. USC has already lost, Cal was embarrassed at Oregon, and Oregon State went down at home against Arizona. The offense couldn’t have played much worse (especially in the 1st half), but the defense kept ASU in the game. Georgia had scored 93  points in their last two games (including 41 against South Carolina, who has allowed 13 total points to NC State and Mississippi), but could hardly do a thing against this stout defense. In a league full of inconsistent offense, the D should give ASU a chance to win every game.

September 25, 2009

Georgia Preview
By: David Siorek

Arizona State (2-0) at Georgia (2-1)
Opening Line: Georgia -12.5

The Sun Devils travel to Athens, Georgia for their first non-conference road game since 2006. The last two non Pac-10 road games have been successful for ASU(wins at Northwestern and Colorado), but this trip should be much more of a challenge.  Arizona State comes into this game untested after beating Idaho State and UL Monroe at Sun Devil Stadium. However, those two cupcakes were a necessity; it has allowed QB Danny Sullivan to gain some confidence, and coach Dennis Erickson seems to have settled on a running back rotation. Georgia lost their opener at Oklahoma State, but rebounded to win SEC shootouts against South Carolina and Arkansas. The Bulldog offense has not missed a beat despite losing NFL first round draft choices QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno. Both teams also have significant injuries to deal with; Georgia will be without starting LT Trinton Sturdivant for the season with a knee injury, and ASU will be missing K Thomas Weber for about four to six weeks with a leg injury. Georgia dominated the Devils 27-10 last year in the first leg of this home and home series. ASU will be trying to garner some national recognition and UGA tries to show that they can compete in the  loaded SEC.

When ASU has the ball:

The much maligned Sun Devil offense has definitely not been spectacular this season, but they have done a great job protecting the football. Playing mistake-free football is definitely the key for the offense to keep this game close. Sullivan has not thrown an interception, and ASU has not lost a fumble in the first two games. The key to moving the football will be the passing game. Sullivan seems to have good chemistry so far with Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha, and the Georgia defense has allowed over 280 yards per game through the air. The Dawgs have also allowed 120 yards per game on the ground, but their first three opponents have stronger rushing attacks. Another key will be penalties. Many of ASU’s 12 penalties last week set the offense back. Too many holding and chop block infractions will  leave the offense with very few chances to score. If this game becomes a battle of kickers, ASU now seems to be at a disadvantage. With Weber out, place kicking duties fall to walk-on Bobby Wenzig. Although Wenzig didn’t miss a kick last week, ASU had to try for fourth down conversions more than once last Saturday because of their shaky kicking situation.

The best news for ASU coming into this game has to be the play of Georgia’s defense. South Carolina and Arkansas have tallied 78 points in the last two games against UGA. The defense also only has four sacks on the young season. If Georgia is unable to get pressure on the QB, ASU should be able to move the ball. However, if the D can shut down the run and pressure the pass, Arizona State will be in for a long evening. The Georgia D has shown the tendency for allowing the big passing play, which is good news for them because ASU will feature a more underneath passing game with a lot of short  routes. If UGA can tackle the receivers well, they should be able keep points off the board

Arizona State won’t keep up with their 44 PPG pace, but they should be able to move the ball. It sounds obvious, but holding on to the ball, protecting the passer, and limiting penalties will be the key.

When Georgia has the ball:

Cox has shown to be quite the capable replacement for Stafford at QB, especially in the last two games. The senior quarterback has led the Dawgs to 93 points in the last two wins. WR AJ Green is the player to watch on the offense. He is a likely 1st Team All-SEC WR and is averaging over 90 yards per game so far. Replacing Moreno has been slightly more difficult; Richard Samuel does have 256 yards after 3 games, but 80 of those came on one touchdown run. If it weren’t for Samuel’s long TD and a 61 yard TD scamper by Branden Smith,  the Dawgs would only be averaging 2.3 yards per carry. This leads me to believe that Georgia will probably be stopped for most of the night, but will probably break the game open with big plays.

It is very hard to find problems with the Sun Devils’ defense in the first two games, but there is always room for improvement. The defense has been unable to create too much pressure on the QB, and Joe Cox will have a field day if he can just sit in the pocket and look for open receivers. However, the +8 turnover margin for ASU gives them some hope, especially since Georgia is in the bottom 10 in the FBS in that same statistic. The Devil defense might just be the best that UGA have seen so far this year. A weaker Oklahoma State defense shut down the Dawgs in the opener (Ok State has since given up 45 points in a loss to Houston and 24 points to lowly Rice). This is the ultimate test to see just how fast this defense is. ASU needs to force turnovers,  draw penalties, and sack the QB, or else this may be a blowout.

Prediction:
Georgia 27-20

  




 

September 22, 2009

UL Monroe Game Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score - Arizona State 38-14

Player of the Game - Omar Bolden

Bolden set the tone early by returning the opening kickoff 89 yards for a score. He was assisted by great blocks from Keelan Johnson and James Morrison, broke a tackle, then outraced the rest of the Warhawks to the end zone. Omar also picked of ULM QB Trey Revell’s 1st quarter pass at ASU’s 1 yard line. ULM was poised to cut the Arizona State’s lead in half before Bolden picked off the low throw.

Offensive Stars

Dimitri Nance - It looks like Dennis Erickson has found his horse at RB for the Georgia game and beyond. Nance took the bulk of  the carries in the first 3 quarters. He finished the game with 82 yards on 17 carries, 2 touchdowns, and also a first down reception on a screen pass. The touchdowns weren’t particularly impressive; both were 1 yard runs through giant holes. Dimitri’s running style was the eye catcher. He ran hard up the middle, churned his legs for extra yardage, and held onto the football.

Kyle Williams - He rebounded from a sub par effort against Idaho State with the best game of career. He burned ULM over the middle en route to 8 catches and 129 yards, with many of those yards coming after the catch. Williams proved that the drops last week were an anomaly, not a problem. Kyle’s senior season is shaping up to be his best.

Chris McGaha - His statistics weren’t overly impressive (6 catches for 48 yards), but his diving, juggling one handed touchdown reception vindicated the Pac-10 preseason poll that said he has the best hands in the  conference.

Defensive and Special Teams Stars

Travis Goethel - The other 2 Sun Devil takeaways were created by Goethel. Right before the half, he stepped in front of a Revell pass and would’ve taken it to the house if he had not run into DE Dexter Davis. Still, the interception allowed ASU to tack on a field goal before the half and make it a 3 score game. Travis also recovered a muffed punt by ULM in the 3rd quarter that led to Nance’s second touchdown and made the score 31-7.

Bobby Wenzig - The backup kicker stepped in for injured Preseason All-American Thomas Weber and was perfect. He made all 5 extra point attempts and a 24 yard field goal, and all of them were dead solid perfect. The game would still not have been close even if ASU didn’t have a kicker, but it’s nice to know that the backup is capable of stepping in and producing.

Opportunity Areas

Penalties - ASU was penalized 12 times for 122 yards. Chop blocks were drive killers and holding penalties didn’t help the starting field position. When a team with an average offense continues to make mental errors, that offense becomes sub par.

Pass Protection - Danny Sullivan was sacked 3 times and was hurried even more. Idaho State’s defense in the opening game made the pass protection look good, but the step up in competition showed how far the offensive line has to go.

Final Thoughts

The first two games have gone according to plan, and ASU wasn’t caught looking ahead to the Georgia game this year. The offense has had its moments, and the defense has been superb. The best news for the Sun Devils has been the performance of some of the  teams on their schedule. Georgia’s defense has been very porous so far, which means they should be able to move the ball next week. USC and Oregon have started out the year very poorly as well. A conference title is probably still out of the question for this year, but the Pac-10 is very wide open this year.

 

September 16, 2009

UL Monroe Preview
By: David Siorek

UL Monroe (1-1) at Arizona State (1-0)
Opening Line: ASU -18

Arizona State returns from their only bye week of the season this Saturday to take on the Warhawks of Louisiana Monroe. ASU comes in at 1-0 after a 50-3 victory over Idaho State, and UL Monroe evened their record to 1-1 last week with a 58-0 victory over FCS Texas Southern. The Sun Devils head down to Athens next week to play the Georgia Bulldogs, but can’t be caught looking ahead. They were guilty of that last year when 24 point underdog UNLV came to Tempe and shocked the Devils in OT, 23-20. The Warhawks have had their moments against BCS conference opponents over the years, including a 21-14 victory over Alabama in 2007.  All of this information has been front and center for ASU this week, which is why I think they will be ready to play this week.

When ASU has the ball:

Senior QB Danny Sullivan will once again get the call for Arizona State. His first start was more impressive on the field than it was on the stat sheet. True freshman Brock Osweiler may also see some action, depending on the status of the game. The receivers will get a boost this week when projected starter Kerry Taylor returns from suspension. He will probably get the start, but I expect to see Gerell Robinson on the field a lot. I think Dennis Erickson will try to establish the running game early again this week. Suspended RB James Morrison returns this week and joins Dimitri Nance, Cameron Marshall, Shaun DeWitty, Ryan Bass, and Jerrell Woods. The rotation will most likely be trimmed down this week as Erickson tries to find his best 2-3 backs. The  offensive line may be without possible starters Garth Gerhart and Zach Schlink once again.

The Warhawks allowed 59 points in their opener to Texas, but rebounded last week and pitched a shutout against Texas Southern. ULM has done a good job forcing turnovers in the first two weeks. They recovered 2 fumbles and picked off a pass against Texas and recovered 4 fumbles last week. They have a good chance of slowing the Sun Devil offense if they can create turnovers. ASU’s offense cruised in their opener and didn’t turn the ball over. With 4 sacks in the first 2 games, ULM should be able to get to Danny Sullivan more often than Idaho State did. Obviously, the Sun Devil offense isn’t as talented as Texas, but far superior to Texas Southern.

A game with 3 or 4 sacks by ULM, a couple of ASU turnovers, about 400 yards of total offense, and about 30 points would be a reasonable expectation for Arizona State’s offense.

When ULM has the ball:

The Louisiana Monroe offensive has been extremely balanced so far this year. Through two games, ULM is averaging 222 yards passing and 223 yards rushing per game. First year starting QB Trey Revell has spread the ball around nicely while completing 63.3% of his passes and has a 3-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Sophomore WR Luther Ambrose has been the big play guy for the Warhawks this year; he caught a 75 yard TD pass against the Longhorns and scored the opening TD last week on a 16 yard run. Junior RB Frank Goodin has been a horse for ULM, scoring 4 TD’s and rushing for  82.5 yards per game. The biggest surprise of the Texas Southern game was true Freshman RB Isaiah Newsome. He compiled 158 yards on 22 carries.

The Sun Devils defense will attempt to dominate again, this time against better competition. Idaho State only managed 37 total yards last week, and the Sun  Devils’ defense forced five turnovers. The linebackers were the stars last week, with Mike Nixon shining the brightest. Nixon and Travis Goethel will get the start again on the outside, and Gerald Munns will open the game at MLB. However, backups Brandon Magee, Shelly Lyons, and Vontaze Burfict (all from Centennial HS in Corona, CA) will all see action. Magee and Burfict will try to build on last week’s strong effort, while Lyons is returning this week from a one game suspension. Dexter Davis anchors the defensive line, and Coach Erickson should get DT Lawrence Guy back from injury this week. Guy’s return will definitely help ASU defend against Goodin. If ASU is able to shut the run down early, look for Nixon and the rest of the defense to drop back in coverage and try to force some interceptions by Revell. The secondary played well against ISU, but UL Monroe might be able to break a big play against the corners. They haven’t been tested yet,  and the Warhawks do have some deep threats.

It might be difficult for the defensive line to create a lot of pressure, as ULM has only allowed 16 sacks per year since 2004, but the front seven should be able to shut down the running attack early. This will force the Warhawks to become pass happy and allow the Devils’ defense to focus on forcing turnovers.  ASU definitely won’t hold ULM to 37 yards like they did in the opener, but the defense should get a few sacks, a couple of interceptions, allow about 250 yards, and hold ULM to about 10 points. This defense also has a propensity for the big play, so don’t be surprised if they score again this week.

Special Teams and Intangibles:
Thomas Weber made five of six field goals in the opener, but that was only because ASU stalled 6 times in the red zone. The punting duties will most likely go to Thomas Hankins this week because Erickson does  not want Weber handling both duties, and Hankins punted reasonably well last week. Kyle Williams is still looking for his first kick return for a touchdown, and he desperately wants one before this season is over. He couldn’t find much room on punt returns last week, but is always a threat. If Arizona State can improve on their dreadful 29% conversions on 3rd down, they might be able to turn some of those field goals into touchdowns.

Prediction:
ASU 37-10



 

September 6, 2009

Idaho State Game Recap
By: David Siorek

Final Score - Arizona State 50-3

Player of the Game - Mike Nixon

Nixon led a balanced defensive attack for the Devils Saturday night. The Pac-10 co-leader in interceptions in 2008 returned a pick 34 yards for a touchdown and ended the game with 3 interceptions. All 3 picks put ASU in the red zone. In addition, Nixon blocked a punt that gave the Sun Devils a 1st and Goal at the 3 yard line. He also recorded 3 unassisted tackles and assisted on 1. Mike is well on his way towards another 1st Team All Pac-10 season at linebacker.

Offensive Stars

The Running Backs - Dennis  Erickson was true to his word and gave 5 running backs an opportunity. Dimitri Nance started the game and played the 1st quarter. He ran hard for 31 yards on 8 carries and a touchdown. Dimitri also caught 2 passes for 21 yards. True freshman Cameron Marshall played the 2nd quarter, and totaled 35 yards on 7 touches. Shaun DeWitty led the team with 52 yards on 8 carries while playing the 3rd quarter. Ryan Bass and Jarrell Woods recorded rushing TD’s in the 4th quarter. Bass raced to the end zone for an explosive 38 yard touchdown and had 45 yards on only 2 attempts. ASU did play against a poor rush defense, but the results were impressive nonetheless.

The Quarterbacks - Danny Sullivan didn’t put up huge numbers in his first start since high school, but he was hampered by drops. Kyle Williams, Gerell Robinson, and Dan Knapp dropped perfect passes in the end zone from Sullivan. Without those drops, Sully  would’ve had had well over 200 yards passing and at least 3 touchdowns. He showed some mobility and awareness while scrambling out of the pocket and was only sacked once. True freshman Brock Osweiler came in halfway through the 3rd quarter and showed Sun Devil fans that his hype is justified. He completed 4 of 5 passes for 43 yards, including a beautifully placed 16 yard touchdown pass to Brian Matsumoto, which was the 1st career TD for both players.

The Offensive Line - Despite missing projected starters Zach Schlink and Garth Gerhart, ASU pushed around the overmatched Bengals defense. Idaho State recorded only 1 sack, and ASU was able to rush for 199 yards. Sullivan was hit a few times, but had ample time to throw for the most part. This is a far cry from the last few years when Sun Devil quarterbacks were sacked 89 times. It remains to be seen whether the line can keep this  up all season, but the early results look promising.

Defensive Stars

Brandon Magee - The sophomore backup linebacker made some big plays on Saturday night. His interception in the 1st quarter set up the only offensive touchdown in the first half. He also recorded a sack and led the team with 4 unassisted tackles.

Vontaze Burfict - The highest rated recruit to ever suit up for ASU didn’t disappoint. The true freshman Burfict was finally cleared to play by the NCAA late Friday night and wowed the crowd with his play in the 2nd half. His sack on Idaho State QB Russel Hill was one of the highlights on the evening. ‘Taz’ stormed through the line on a blitz, decleated Hill and drove him back about 4 yards. Burfict’s debut also included a fumble  recovery.

Everyone Else - No one played poorly on defense, so I would feel bad if I left the rest of the Sun Devil D out. Dean DeLeone has some nice QB pressures, Dexter Davis forced a fumble, and the defensive tackles played stout run defense. The linebackers were the unquestioned stars of the game. The secondary was solid and effective. All the prognosticators and fans say that ASU’s defense will be the strength of the team, and the Idaho State game legitimized those predictions.

Opportunity Areas

The Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - As I mentioned earlier, Kyle Williams, Gerell Robinson, and Dan Knapp all dropped passes that would’ve resulted in touchdowns. A few other catchable balls also fell off of the receivers’ hands. The pass catchers were able to find holes in the defense, but they  can’t drop balls if ASU expects to compete with Georgia and in the Pac-10. Dennis Erickson didn’t seem too concerned with this in the postgame news conference, and I’m not either. These are veteran receivers, and I expect them to shake off the cobwebs as the season progresses.

Red Zone Scoring - Arizona State reached the red zone 9 times and converted 8 times. However, 5 of those scores were field goals. All of Thomas Weber’s 5 field goals were inside 30 yards. Again, this needs to improve if ASU expects to have a successful season. These numbers were hampered the most by the dropped passes and 3rd down efficiency. The Devils converted only 4 of 14 on 3rd down. Scoring a touchdown 33% of the time in the red zone will not get it done against better competition.

Final thoughts

While many Sun Devil fans may be calling for Bass and  Osweiler to start after their impressive performances, I think Dennis Erickson should(and will) stick with Sullivan and Nance until they give him a reason not to. Let’s not forget that Bass’ and Osweiler’s success came against the backups from an FCS team that went 1-11 last year. Sullivan’s numbers should’ve been much better, and he did not make any bad decisions or ill advised throws. Nance’s power running style fits Arizona State’s offense the best, especially on 1st and 2nd down. The offensive line will have a much more difficult time opening up huge holes against better defenses, and Nance is more capable of gaining positive yardage between the tackles. Dimitri also seems to have cured his fumbilitis now that he is playing healthy. Right now, Bass is best suited as a 3rd down and change of pace back. He is the most explosive option at RB for Arizona State, and he will get opportunities to show that.

Vontaze Burfict should be  starting in the very near future. Starter ILB Gerald Munns played very well, but ASU’s defense needs Vontaze’s big play ability on the field as much as possible. However, I do agree with Erickson’s strategy of easing Burfict into action. Once he gets used to the speed of big time college football, it will be tough to take him out of the lineup.

The most underrated part of the game yesterday, in my opinion, was the play of the secondary. Idaho State came in with a pretty decent aerial attack, but the secondary shut that down completely. The Bengals completed 45% of their passes for only 42 yards. Only one pass was completed for more than 10 yards. The linebackers also played a big role in the pass defense with 4 interceptions, but safeties Ryan McFoy and Keelan Johnson made nice deflections in the first half.

It’s very difficult to gauge the performance of a team when they play an overmatched opponent. Was this game a sign that ASU  is on their way to a good season, or did they just play a bad team? This remains to be seen, and we might not find that out until the Georgia game in Athens on September 26th. Louisiana Monroe is a step up in competition, but they just got blown out by Texas 59-20. If Sullivan is going to be the quarterback all year, I would like Erickson to play him all 4 quarters against UL Monroe. I am also anxious to see how the RB situation is handled in the next game. Will Dennis try to trim the rotation and use 2 or 3 backs, or will he just try to keep fresh legs in the game at all times? Arizona State has 2 weeks to figure all of this out because the Devils have their only bye week of the season this week.

 

September 2, 2009

Camp Recap and Idaho State Preview
By: David Siorek

Camp Recap

    Preseason camp ended for Arizona State with many questions still left unanswered. The running back situation remains unsettled, the offensive line is still the biggest question mark, and Vontaze Burfict still hasn’t heard the final verdict from the NCAA Clearinghouse regarding his eligibility. However, Dennis Erickson decided on a starting quarterback, and the receivers have made major progress.  Also, injuries did not completely ravage the Devils during camp, but they will be without some key players for the opener.
    None of the six running backs in the mix for the starting job have separated themselves from the pack. It appears that  Dimitri Nance will get the start against Idaho State, but expect to see a running back by committee handle that position for Week 1 and beyond. Coach Erickson expects as many as four running backs to see playing time on Saturday. Ryan Bass, Cameron Marshall, and Shaun DeWitty should also get some carries. LT Shawn Lauvao will be the anchor on the offensive line this year. LG Jon Hargis and C Garth Gerhart (Toby’s brother) will also return the starting lineup this season. The two other starters are slated to be RG Mike Marcisz and RT Matt Hustad.  It seems unlikely that the unsolved running back situation and the unproven offensive line will be able to produce much on this ground this year, especially against Pac 10 competition.
    Vontaze Burfict was the unquestioned star of fall camp. Everyday seemingly produced a bone crushing hit, nice interception, or multiple tackles. He still might be a little raw and out of control to  come in and start right away, but he can definitely be an impact player in his freshman campaign. The depth at linebacker allows ‘Taz’ to ease his way into the lineup. The big question mark with Burfict remains his eligibility. The NCAA cleared him to start classes on August 24th with the rest of the student body, but the Clearinghouse still hasn’t given him the OK to play in the opener on Saturday. Everyone remains confident, but a negative ruling would obviously be a huge hit to the Sun Devils and their fans.
    Danny Sullivan won the starting quarterback job as expected, but not without a fight from freshman QB Brock Osweiler. While backup Samson Szakacsy missed time with an elbow injury, Osweiler took his opportunity and ran. He showed the mobility that a quarterback at ASU hasn’t possessed since Jake the Snake patrolled Frank Kush Field. The arm strength is definitely there as well. If Sullivan struggles early, especially  against Georgia and the Pac 10, the Devil faithful will be begging for Brock to see some game action.
    Despite the loss of Michael Jones, the receiving corps looks poised for a quality season. Chris McGaha, Kyle Williams, and Kerry Taylor are the projected starters, but Gerell Robinson will definitely see a lot of action. He is a big target and was able to stretch the field and make some great catches in the scrimmage games. McGaha will be the safety valve for Sullivan, especially on third downs. Williams is another speedy deep threat in both the passing and return games; he returned a punt for six in the scrimmage, something the Sun Devils sorely need in 2009.
    Only four contributors have been ruled out for the Idaho State game. True freshman Osahon Irabor will miss the season and will be redshirted. Also, projected starting OL Zach Schlink and backup LB Shelly Lyons will miss the game with knee injuries. The  most disappointing loss for the first three games is projected starting DE James Brooks . He violated team rules and will be suspended. JC transfer Dean DeLeone will start in his place until the Oregon St game on October 3rd. Gerhart, backup OL Tom Njunge, starting DT Lawrence Guy, and Szakacsy are all questionable for the season opener with various injuries.

Idaho State

    Luckily for Erickson’s Devils, they start the season with a bonafide red velvet cupcake. The Bengals began last season with eleven consecutive losses, but finished up with a win over Sacramento State. The 2008 slate included games against two FBS opponents, Boise State and Idaho. Idaho State lost 49-7 on the blue turf and fell 42-27 to the 2-10 Vandals. They do have to break in a new starting QB, despite returning two year starter Russel Hill. Kyle Blum will take the snaps in the opener, and the Bengals will most  likely rely on their passing game. They only averaged 2.9 yards per carry and passed the ball almost 60% of the time in 2008.
    This is the perfect opening opponent for ASU in a season that includes so many question marks. Sullivan should be able to get into a rhythm, and hopefully the running backs and offensive line will be able to find a groove and gain some confidence. The receivers will try to stretch the field against an inferior opponent, and the defense will dominate. This will be an easy win, but ASU has seemingly let up against FCS opponents in the recent past. They have only outscored Northern Arizona 65-27 in their last two meetings. Expect a reasonably low scoring affair and for the Devils to pull ahead early and coast to the finish.

Prediction: ASU 34-10
    


 

August 7, 2009

Breaking Down the Pac-10 Predictions on the Eve of Preseason Camp
By: David Siorek

The Pac 10 media poll reads as follows (with Phil Steele’s predictions in parenthesis):

1. USC (1)
2. Cal (2)
3. Oregon (T5)
4. Oregon St (T5)
5. Arizona St (T8)
6. Stanford (T5)
7. UCLA (T3)
8. Arizona (T3)
9. Washington (9)
10. Washington St (10)

Many pundits believe that 1-3 and 9-10 are the spots written in stone and 4-8 are up for grabs. In my opinion, the only guarantees are USC at Number 1 and Washington St at Number 10. Until USC stops getting the best recruits and Pete Carroll is still patrolling the sidelines in Los Angeles, USC will continue to be on top. Washington St is rebuilding and despite beating UW last year, they are a pretty good bet to fall to the bottom.

Cal has Jahvid Best and Kevin Riley returning this year, but they have been a very poor road team in the recent past and has 5 Pac 10 road games this year. All of those games are versus the Number 3-9 teams in the media poll. Especially with their recent past of late season struggles, I don’t view Cal as the number 2 team in this conference.

I think Oregon is the most solid bet for number 2. Jeremiah Masoli and LaGarrette Blount are studs and with 5 conference home games, including against Cal, they should take number 2.

Oregon St is number 4 in the media poll, but I think they are due for a little bit of a decline this year. They do have the brothers ‘Quizz and James Rodgers returning, as well as Lyle Moevao/Sean Canfield at QB, but they are dealing with higher expectations this year. I have never been a big fan of those 2 QB’s and I think they will disappoint this year.

I know that I may have an ASU bias, but that is why I am sticking with the facts. Dennis Erickson has never had 2 consecutive losing seasons as a Head Coach. The 5 home games are huge, and Oregon is the only daunting road game on the ledger. The coaches are anticipating a major improvement on the offensive line, which can only improve last year’s dreadful rushing performance and also help break in a new QB. Also, since 2002, ASU has finished outside of the Postseason Top 25 every year in which they have been in the Preseason Top 25 and finished in the Postseason Top 25 every year they have failed to crack the Preseason polls. The Devils find themselves outside of the poll this year. A decent performance at a retooling Georgia program could be the momentum the Sun Devils need.

Stanford and Toby Gerhart have improved greatly in the last few years, but I think they are still a year or so away. Jim Harbaugh has done a great job, but he doesn’t have the talent to break the top half of the Pac 10 just yet.

Phil Steele and I both agree on UCLA this year; we are both high on their possibilities for 2009. Rick Neuheisel is a great coach and is determined to get his team to the top of the Pac 10. Despite a lot of returnees, they don’t have the players to reach their peak this year. They should crack the top half though, especially if redshirt freshman Kevin Prince proves to be better than Kevin Craft.

The Arizona Wildcats do return Nic Grigsby, Delashaun Dean, and Rob Gronkowski on the offense, but they lose Willie Tuitama and Mike Thomas. Unless they can find a QB and overcome the 5 Pac 10 road games, I think it will be difficult to crack the top 5 of the conference. They should reach a bowl game unless they get upset by Central Michigan in the opening game

Washington is at number 9 in the poll, but they do return star QB Jake Locker. If he stays healthy, Locker will be on the All 1st Team in the Pac 10 at QB. They did beat Boise St 2 years ago and were an atrocious unsportsmanlike penalty away from taking BYU to OT last year. Locker, if healthy, will be able to lead UW to a much better season than last year.

With all that said, here are my predictions for the 2009 Pac 10:

1. USC
2. Oregon
3. Arizona St
4. UCLA
5. Oregon St
6. Cal
7. UW
8. Arizona
9. Stanford
10. WSU

Phil Steele is the most accurate predictor of the last 10 years, but him and I don’t quite see eye to eye on the 2009 Pac 10. However, this is the way I see it, biased or not.

August 3, 2009

Dennis Tries to Get the Devils Back on Track
By: David Siorek

The Sun Devils look to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 season, which included an embarrassing loss at home to UNLV and a throttling at the hands of the rival Arizona Wildcats to keep ASU out of a bowl. The defense looks ready to build on last year’s success, while the offense hopes to surprise some folks after a lackluster 2008 campaign and the loss of senior QB Rudy Carpenter.

The annual spring game was dominated by the defense, as expected. Sophomore RB Ryan Bass led the Maroon team to a 7-0 with a 35 yard run, and the quarterbacks battling to take over for Carpenter failed to distance themselves from the pack. Senior Danny Sullivan was 8-16 for 42 yards, Sophomore Samson Szakacsy threw for 50 yards on 9-14 passing, and Freshman Brock Osweiler led the QB’s with 66 yards while connecting on 7 of his 14 passes. The Maroon and Gold defenses combined for 8 sacks and 3 interceptions.

In addition to the loss of Carpenter, the offense loses the always promising RB Keegan Herring, leading receiver Michael Jones, and OG Paul Fanaika, a 7th round draft pick. Sullivan seems to be the favorite to win the starting job entering preseason camp. Although he hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in limited duty (46% completion, 3-3 TD-INT ratio in 3 years), he is the only QB on the roster with any game experience. However, Szakacsy is the more mobile option behind center, which may be vital due to the struggles of the offensive line. This battle is the most publicized and should come down to the wire. ASU’s running game struggled all year with inconsistency and fumblitis, but should improve in 2009 despite the loss of Herring. The leading returnees include Senior Dimitri Nance, Senior Shaun DeWitty, and Bass. DeWitty sat out the spring with academic issues, but is expected to be back in uniform by the fall. If that is the case, I would expect Head Coach Dennis Erickson to split carries between the three backs. The WR corps could be in position for a decline in 2009 due to the departures of Jones and Carpenter. Senior Chris McGaha returns as the leading possession and 3rd down option, while Senior Kyle Williams and Junior Kerry Taylor look to stretch the field. Despite having to break in a new QB, the offensive line remains the biggest question mark on the team. They do return 4 starters, so hopefully the line is able to cut down on the opposing pass rush and open up the holes for the RBs. If the offensive line struggles as much as it has the past few years, it will be another long year for Arizona State’s offense.
If the Devils hope to reach a bowl this year, they will need to lean on the defense. Senior sackmaster Dexter Davis looks to improve on his 11 sacks in 2008 and Senior LB Mike Nixon returns after leading the team in tackles and recording 5 interceptions. Travis Goethel and Lawrence Guy also return to the front 7 after strong 2008 seasons. Terell Carr, Omar Bolden, and Ryan McFoy are all solid in the secondary. Bolden led the team with 7 picks last year, and McFoy moves from LB to safety. McFoy’s move opens up a possible spot for highly touted Freshman LB Vontaze Burfict, a former USC commit. The main obstacle to a spot in the middle of the defense for Burfict remains academics. He has not yet qualified, but the Sun Devils are optimistic that he will be able to play this year. The final verdict for Burfict may not come until the beginning of Preseason camp.

Preseason camp begins on August 6th in Tempe, the first time in 20 years that ASU hasn’t visited Camp Tontozona before the start of the season. The state-of-the-art bubble in Tempe should keep the players cool and out of the rain. The scrimmages will occur on August 15th and 22nd, and camp concludes on August 28th with a mock game.

The 2009 schedule looks manageable, but does include some extremely difficult stretches. The season begins with a home game with FCS Idaho St on September 5th. A bye week precedes another cupcake in UL Monroe on September 19th. That game begins a stretch of 11 straight games without a bye week for the Sun Devils. The September 26th tilt between the hedges in Athens, Georgia would be a huge upset if the Devils were to come out with a victory, then ASU has to travel back to Tempe for a game against last year’s surprise Pac-10 team, Oregon St. A winnable 3 games follows the matchup with the Beavers; at Washington St, home against UW, and at Stanford. The final 5 games of the year will be the turning point for this year’s Sun Devils; a Halloween Homecoming matchup against Cal, home versus USC, trips to Autzen Stadium to face Oregon and the Rose Bowl versus UCLA, and the Big Game against rival Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. If ASU can win 2 of those last 5 games, they should be able to manage at least 6 wins and get back to a bowl game. Unless the offense can catch lightning in a bottle and match the defense’s efforts, it looks like another middle of the PAC year for the Sun Devils in 2009.