SB Nation - Ryan Bass

Dishing with the Devils, November 9th

Cory Williams — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:26:27 -0000

More photos » by Darryl Webb - AP

Not a Devil in sight.

Browse more photos »

A bit of news from around Sun Devil Nation...

The Oregonian has a preview of the Sun Devils from an Oregon Ducks point of view...

Some poor guy pines for Rudy Carpenter on the unfortunate Bleacher Report website...

RB Ryan Bass was suspended indefinitely for violating an unspecified team rule. Wonder what it was..

QB Brock Osweiler was thrown into the fire against USC, according to Kyle Odegard of the East Valley Tribune.

We will be talking a lot about Oregon in the coming week as we look forward to what will hopefully be Osweiler's first collegiate start. Go ahead and check out Addicted To Quack, the great Oregon blog here at SBNation.

A quick thank you to Dirk Diggler, who insists on seeing this site updated more often. What's up with that?

First Half Recap, California @ ASU; Second Half GameThread

Cory Williams — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:13:30 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

We need more McGaha in this half.

Browse more photos »

After a quarter of unmentionable play, the Sun Devils were down 14-0, with Danny Sullivan sporting an obscene 2-6 passing line for 10 yards.

As the quarter turned, the Devils came alive on offense, and a tag team of Sullivan, Gerrell Robinson and Ryan Bass delivered the ball inside the 5 within 3 minutes.

Coach Erickson went with redshirt sophomore Samson Szakacsy to hand the ball off within the 2, but Bass immediately fumbled and lost the ball to the hands of the Golden Bear defense.

This was seemingly the final spurt from the Sun Devils, who could feel their record slipping back to .500 on the year. But the defense would not have any of that, with a fumble recovery by Vontaze Burfict on the 3-yard line bringing ASU right back into the game.

Szakacsy then rolled out to his left and hit Jovon Williams for a TD on his first career pass attempt. It was also Williams' first career TD reception.

ASU's defense on the ensuing drive, however, was unable to refrain from catching the penalty bug once again, with a personal foul and an offsides call giving the Bears great field position.

On the next play, the Devils got a 15-yard facemask penalty, putting the ball at the ASU 23.

Despite ASU's best attempts to lose, a quick missed field goal by Cal was turned around for an 80-yard touchdown pass from Danny Sullivan to Kyle Williams.

Want to find out what else happened, and comment on the second half? More after the jump...

This type of QB competitiveness between Szakacsy and Sullivan is exactly what the Sun Devils needed. One is a young, fleet-footed Californian, while the other is an older, slow-footed... Californian.

After a terrible drive by Cal, Anger punted the ball out at the ASU 1-yard line. The running game of ASU game through, and got them a first down.

Immediately thereafter, Sullivan threw a bomb and is intercepted for a 38-yard run back to the ASU 32-yard line.

3^rd and 5 with 1:13 to go; California is located on the ASU 12, attempting to get a first down. Riley was nearly sacked several times, but completed a pass to his WR Ross for a 4-yard gain. The Bears successfully converted a field goal this time to take a 17-14 lead.

With one minute left, Jamal Miles ran back the kickoff to the ASU 41, where two short completions later, the Sun Devils found themselves on the Cal 38 with :33 to go.

After a fumble on the next play by Danny Sullivan and an incomplete pass to Kyle Williams, the Devils punted to run out the half.

Two quarters down, California 17, ASU 14. Interesting game so far. Lets discuss the second half right here.

Poll

Who is your ASU QB of choice?

Danny Sullivan

7 votes

Samson Szakacsy

14 votes

Brock Osweiler

6 votes

27 votes | Poll has closed

Inside The Numbers: ASU Edition

TwistNHook — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Can Jahvid Best or Shane Vereen do this against ASU?

Browse more photos »

Well, with ASU coming up, we thought we'd take a look at some stats. We thought we'd go Inside The Numbers. Because we're trying to break down stereotypes here. Can ASU run? Can they stop the run? And how many yards will their seemingly below average QB get against us? 300? 400? Find out after the jump. GO BEARS!

TwistNHook: Let's take a look at ASU here. First up, passing. How can they replace Rudy Carpenter, their 4 year superstar:

Situation	G	Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	Int	TD	Rating	Long	1st	15+	25+
All Plays	7	252	135	53.6	1528	5	9	112.31	50	70	36	8
1st Half	7	123	68	55.3	768	3	3	110.91	32	33	19	3
2nd Half/OT	7	129	67	51.9	760	2	6	113.67	50	37	17	5
1st Quarter	7	56	30	53.6	332	1	1	105.69	30	17	8	1
2nd Quarter	7	67	38	56.7	436	2	2	115.26	32	16	11	2
3rd Quarter	7	66	34	51.5	424	2	2	109.42	44	20	10	3
4th Quarter	7	63	33	52.4	336	0	4	118.13	50	17	7	2

The answer is not very well. 53.6% completion. 112 rating. That's somewhat below average. Not WSU level, but still not really great. The QB rating of the 4th quarter is actually the highest, but I think that that stems from the fact no Interceptions were thrown. 52.4% is not a great completion percentage. And even the 118 is not very great. Note that the first quarter has the worst rating at 105.

So, what does this mean? Look for whichever below average ASU QB that is starting to just light us up. If there is one thing we seem great at, it's making the Princes and Tuels of the world seem amazing. Up next? Sullivan! Or Osweiller! Or Rudy Carpenter in a Mexican wrestling mask.

Avinash:

Situation	G	Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	Int	TD	Rating	Long	1st	15+	25+

1st Down	7	103	61	59.2	766	2	7	140.24	50	30	17	6
2nd Down	7	73	41	56.2	393	1	0	98.65	29	16	10	1
3rd Down	7	68	27	39.7	313	2	2	82.21	44	18	8	1
3rd Down, 1-3 To Go	5	7	4	57.1	30	1	0	64.57	11	4	0	0
3rd Down, 4-6 To Go	7	21	11	52.4	139	0	1	123.69	44	9	3	1
3rd Down, 7-9 To Go	6	13	8	61.5	97	0	1	149.60	23	4	3	0
3rd Down, 10+ To Go	7	27	4	14.8	47	1	0	22.03	21	1	2	0
4th Down	3	8	6	75.0	56	0	0	133.80	15	6	1	0

Take a look at these numbers...apparently Sullivan is most effective on 1st downs, adequate on 2nd downs, and dreadful on 3rd downs. However a lot of this is due to being in 3rd and REALLY LONG situations...4-27 on 3rd and 10+??? Guess that offensive line hasn't improved much...

So we might see a lot of zone defense in this one early on, to see if we can get that offensive line with just a 3-4 man rush and dare Sullivan to try and do exactly what you say, i.e., light us up. Plus it seems run and pass are both equally efficient on 1st and 10...

TwistNHook: Lets take a look at the rushing stats:

Situation	G	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long	1st	10+	20+
All Plays	7	221	991	4.48	11	75	51	31	7
1st Half	7	106	373	3.52	4	30	25	12	2
2nd Half/OT	7	115	618	5.37	7	75	26	19	5
1st Quarter	7	53	193	3.64	2	30	9	5	1
2nd Quarter	7	53	180	3.40	2	24	16	7	1
3rd Quarter	7	59	426	7.22	5	75	13	9	5
4th Quarter	7	56	192	3.43	2	19	13	10	0

4.48 yards per carry. Not bad. Not bad at all. But take a closer look at the numbers. 3.52 in the first half. 5.37 in the second. In specific, 7.33 in the 3rd quarter. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THERE!??

All the other quarters bare between 3.43 ypc and 3.64. Ok. So, where did this 7.22 come from? Maybe its a typographical error from cfbstats.com? Maybe ASU had some insane 3rd quarter somewhere where they just ran, ran, ran. They do have their long of 75 yards on a single carry in that quarter.

What does this mean? Assuming that these numbers are not a typo (and I'm still not entirely sure on that), watch out for that killer 3rd quarter. Also, besides that 3rd quarter, their numbers aren't very good. We're talking roughly 3.5 yards a carry. That'd be enough to get a 1st down every time and slowly march down the field, but at the collegiate level that is not great. Their numbers are slightly better in the first quarter, so it's important to jump on the running game quickly.

We've done remarkably well at holding RBs in check, save for anybody in the green and gold (and I mean anybody, I think Mark Ellis just rushed for 250 against Cal's D). I think that Cal can manage this running game, also. That puts more emphasis on their passing game. For the past few years, ASU has been a pass-first team. But now, their passing game has declined.

Avinash: It looks like ASU has a running back by committee approach going:

Name	Yr	Pos	G	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD	Att/G	Yards/G
1	Dimitri Nance	SR	RB	7	109	471	4.32	5	15.57	67.29
2	Ryan Bass	SO	RB	6	24	165	6.88	1	4.00	27.50
3	Cameron Marshall	FR	RB	6	28	164	5.86	1	4.67	27.33

Basically the same formula they had the last few years with Nance, Herring and DeWitty in 2008, or with Herring, Torain and Nance in 2007. It seems to have had good success against everyone but Oregon State and Georgia this year. How do you think they'll fare against the Cal front seven?

TwistNHook: Let's take a look at their pass D.

Situation	G	Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	Int	TD	Rating	Long	1st	15+	25+
All Plays	7	204	110	53.9	1376	13	8	110.77	99	55	36	12
1st Half	7	113	59	52.2	710	8	4	102.51	56	32	18	7
2nd Half/OT	7	91	51	56.0	666	5	4	121.04	99	23	18	5
1st Quarter	7	49	28	57.1	328	4	2	110.51	56	15	7	2
2nd Quarter	7	64	31	48.4	382	4	2	96.39	41	17	11	5
3rd Quarter	7	47	26	55.3	269	2	1	101.90	31	10	7	1
4th Quarter	7	44	25	56.8	397	3	3	141.47	99	13	11	4

This looks pretty strong here. I mean 110 QB rating against. 54% completion against. Although, again, oddly, the numbers are dragged down by 1 incredibly odd quarter. Here, it is the 2nd quarter where the QB rating of 96 and completion % of 48.4 are well below the norms for the other 3 quarters. What are they doing in the second quarter that is so successful?

They faced much more attempts in the second quarter. Why could this be? It doesn't make any sense.

Their worst QB rating against is in the 4th quarter, which might stem from situations where they were playing prevent D and giving up large amounts of yards. Looking at this, it appears ASU has a very solid pass D, but that it might not be quite as good as you think based off of an odd quarter. Yet another odd quarter.

Also, of note, they gave up a 99 yard pass play. Was that against WSU?

Avinash: The 99 yarder was Wazzu yes. They got a thousand turnovers and they needed a 99 yarder to get half of their points. Fun being a Cougar fan these days.

In 2007 ASU's defense seemed to play better and better by each quarter. But this season seems to be similar to last--it appears that trend only lasts one quarter. I'm guessing it has to do with too many night games and the alluring presence of Sun Devil sorority girls. Eventually you just lose focus at college on Saturday nights. And in Tempe? Come on, hard to do anything for sixty minutes without running into something blonde.

Thank goodness this game's in the day.

TwistNHook: Let's take a look at run D:

Situation	G	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long	1st	10+	20+
All Plays	7	220	584	2.65	8	37	34	23	7
1st Half	7	113	255	2.26	6	32	16	10	2
2nd Half/OT	7	107	329	3.07	2	37	18	13	5
1st Quarter	7	60	163	2.72	4	32	9	7	2
2nd Quarter	7	53	92	1.74	2	16	7	3	0
3rd Quarter	7	46	169	3.67	1	26	11	7	2
4th Quarter	7	61	160	2.62	1	37	7	6	3

Wow-ee!!! 2.65 yards per carry against?!??! Damn. Just, damn. Is this where Burfict comes in? Look at that 2nd quarter rating there. 1.74 yards per carry against. These are redick good numbers and are really the strength of the team. This should be interesting, because this could be the best run D Cal sees all year.

And this could be the best run game ASU sees all year (unlikely, but I did use the word "could"). Getting Riley going is going to be absolutely key, because ASU is going to play Best/Vereen VERY harsh. I think our guys can punch ASU back in the mouth there, but it is not going to be easy. And if Riley can get the passing game going against a pretty good ASU Pass D than it'll make it easier for our guys to run the ball.

Avinash:

Situation	G	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long	1st	10+	20+

Winning By 15+ Pts	3	41	65	1.59	0	37	4	3	1
Winning By 8-14 Pts	4	31	59	1.90	1	23	5	5	1
Winning By 1-7 Pts	5	40	69	1.73	0	18	8	3	0
Tied	5	39	75	1.92	2	22	4	2	1
Losing By 1-7 Pts	3	9	65	7.22	2	32	2	2	1
Losing By 8-14 Pts	3	29	148	5.10	2	33	5	4	1
Losing By 15+ Pts	2	31	103	3.32	1	26	6	4	2

Interesting is that the Sun Devils run D plays absurdly well when they're up ahead, but when they're behind? BURNED. Apparently when the Furd and Oregon State took their leads on them, ASU's defense really didn't have enough bite to keep them at bay.

It seems like the formula is same. Cal needs to take the lead early, somehow, and then run the ball down their throats. That'll open up the passing game, and hopefully the floodgates.

Poll

How will Cal do against ASU?

Big Cal victory

40 votes

Close Cal victory

126 votes

Close Cal loss

7 votes

Big Cal loss

6 votes

179 votes | Poll has closed

Shaun DeWitty: Starting RB; Freshman OL Zach Schlink To Start At LG

Cory Williams — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:17:02 -0000

Shaun DeWitty became the first Sun Devil RB to achieve a 100-yard game last weekend against Oregon State. For that, Dennis Erickson has rewarded the oft-benched player with another start. Going into the game against the Sun Devils, the Huskies have averaged giving up 243 yards a game on the ground. With these numbers, ASU will hopefully break out of their season-long slump and put up some significant running numbers, either behind DeWitty or Ryan Bass.

A second bit of news: Zach Schlink will be the new left guard. Shaun Lauvao has been moved to right tackle, replacing the ineffective Tom Njunge. The offensive line has been way too prone to false starts, stymieing Sun Devil drives in the red zone last weekend that proved to be the difference in the end result of the contest.

In the end, these moves allow for young players to get more experience against Pac-10 competition, without hurting our chances to beat the hapless Huskies. Even with a freshman LG, I still see Rudy Carpenter putting up big numbers and leading the Sun Devils to a 24 point victory tomorrow.

Building the Dam Skull Forks Sun Devils

CV3000 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:12:38 -0000

Another week, another Pac-10 foe to dominate. We got together with C.W. of House of Sparky fame for his take on just how badly The Beavers are going to crush ASU this Saturday.

In an uncharacteristic display of mercy, CV3000 saves this Sun Devils fan from having to watch his team for the rest of the season. via farm1.static.flickr.com

1. Do you think the Devils have any chance of winning in Reser?

I would like to think the Sun Devils can go into Reser and pull out a hard-earned victory. Of course, they have a chance. We wouldn't even show up if we didn't, and we wouldn't be in the Pac-10 either. Heck, Wazzu can beat someone .... okay sorry, my mother told me not to lie.

ASU is playing very poorly, and has not been the same since the UNLV loss. With our Lou Groza-winning kicker Thomas Weber playing the worst we've ever seen, we have no leg to stand on in Reser(oh my god, that is horrible). Regardless, if Carpenter can get some time and go through the progressions, our wide receivers are fairly solid and can find the seams in the OSU defense.

But legitimately, do I think ASU will win? Probably not. But I will be cheering them on the whole way. Orange Hell, be damned.

Only, in Reser, it's way Oranger. via babypoobarellah.files.wordpress.com

Continue reading our condescending interview...

2. Did you know the last time that Erickson coached against the Beavers in Reser it was 38-0? You can change your answer to the first question if you want to.

Dennis Erickson is a mastermind. An old man, to be certain, but a creative genius who is capable of exacting his revenge on the Beavers.

Heh. No, this could be ugly.

3. Rudy Carpenter. That guy plays for you. Is he pretty good or what?

He is good, but he's been getting a lot of heat from the local media. They want him benched in favor of Danny Sullivan. I can't agree with this, especially after seeing Sullivan play in person, but Carpenter looks mediocre at best with his bum ankle.

I always supported Rudy, but his attitude is very, shall we say, controversial. Opponents hate him; our fans seem to feel the same way when he isn't performing up to his potential. His job is thankless, but he has done it well for 3 years. He shouldn't be punished now.

Given that, you all saw what happened in 2007 in Tempe, when the Beavers were up 19-0. That turned out well for the Devils.

4. When Erickson was at OSU an opposing coach said that his offense was "spread 'em out wide and then hand it off up the middle to Simonton." Is it pretty much the same thing now, just with Keegan Herring instead? That guy's pretty good, isn't he?

It would be that type of game plan, if the offensive line didn't leak like a sieve. It doesn't help that Herring's hamstring has been problematic for the entire season, and Dimitri Nance has been incapable of gaining any useful yards in the running game.

I really wish injuries had not derailed his season. He is a decent back with speed and a nose for the end zone. Had he been around all year, I think ASU's record would be 4-3 or 5-2, rather than 2-5.

5. Honestly, I can't name a single player from your defense. Should I know about someone, or am I better off not knowing?

Dexter Davis is a beast on the line, and he is capable of attacking Lyle Moevao all game long. Sophomore Omar Bolden, our #1 corner, has looked much better in recent weeks, shutting down Oregon's Jaison Williams last Saturday, and showing some more promise than he did against Georgia freshman A.J. Green.

6. We heard there's killer bees in Arizona. What are your thoughts? Can you promise to not bring them with you to Oregon? Thanks.

Killer bees are scary. I am putting them in the checked baggage of the Sun Devil charter. Feel free to do with them what you wish, whether you release them en masse on UO's campus, or whatever it is you Beavers do.

7. Who is your most impressive player on either side of the ball?

Easy... No wait, it isn't. Since we are just plain awful, this will take more effort.

Offensively, I want to say Kyle Williams. He is short for his position (WR), but that doesn't prevent him from being a great threat. He has oodles of speed and runs routes quite efficiently.

On the defensive side, safety Troy Nolan is a ballhawk who never gives up on any play. Even when we were down 28-0 against USC with only a few minutes left, he was still playing as hard as he can, which is a great sign for prospective employers at the next level.

8. When I look at the games that the Devils have played, the only conclusion that I can come up with is that the Sun Devils definitely are not a great team, but there's still a chance that they might not be that bad. They probably have one or two good games left in the tank. What do you think?

I won't disagree. Put the game plan together correctly, and this team is capable of scoring 40 points. Will that happen? I can't be sure. It seems more likely that we will score in the range of 13-27 points, but it wouldn't hurt me at all if the defense can shut down the Beavers, and Carpenter can put up some big numbers.

9. Who is your best young player that we might look forward to terrorizing us for many years in the future for writing this?

Interesting. No one has really stepped up this year, and we don't have any "explosive" players like Orange Jesus in the pipeline. I am excited for Ryan Bass and Gerell Robinson, though. RB and WR, respectively, they are both true freshmen playing real minutes for the Devils.

For our sake, they will step up by the time we go down to Tucson, and we can show the Wildcats what they have to look forward to for the next 3 years. Will they make a huge difference in Corvallis? Probably not... but a guy can dream.

10. The Beavers have no known weaknesses on offense, but if there is a weakness on the defense, Washington showed that they could throw it deep 9 times and have 4 long completions and also earn a couple pass interference calls to complement their pathetic offensive output. Do you anticipate that your offense will rely heavily upon drawing penalties to sustain drives like Washington was forced to do or are the personnel and coaches talented enough to gain yards through actual football skill?

Please don't compare us to that mess that is the Washington football team. We will try our best to beat you with the talent, not the refs. Besides, chances are that the Pac-10 officials wouldn't get the calls right anyway. We might air it out, but the offensive line might not be able to give adequate time for such an activity to even take place. In the end, I'm just like Dennis Erickson: I don't have the answer.

11. When your practice facility blew away in a storm earlier in the year, was that pretty much just a really obvious metaphor?

Yes. It is inflated now for insurance purposes... I wonder if the ASU team has that same policy? Can they be artificially inflated for a few weeks to save the season?

The search party seen above is on the lookout for signs of life in ASU's football season. via www.eastvalleytribune.com

-CV3000

Poll

Do you expect the Beavers to cover the 14.5 point spread this week against ASU as they muscle their way to the Rose Bowl?

Beavs cover the spread and DOMINATE

78 votes

Devils keep it close and/or win?

21 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

"Bye Week" Stops By To Chat With C.W. About Sun Devil Football

Cory Williams — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:31:38 -0000

House Of Sparky is on an incredible roll. We just interviewed Johnny Coy, and now the elusive Bye Week has even stopped by to honor us with an interview. Unfortunately, he's not quite the man he's been made out to be in the press and in oral interviews, but I will try to respect him for what he is, and not what I want him to be. That's how all relationships survive, isn't it? I am in bold.

We’ve already seen you once this season, and some would say it led to disastrous results (losing to California, laying an egg against USC). What makes you think that seeing you again will help our team become a better squad?

Frankly, I can’t guarantee that it will. Bye weeks like myself are difficult to come by, and can offer a team the rare opportunity to rest its wounded, and give more reps to young guys in practice. However, look at the roster. Thomas Weber’s arm doesn’t have anything to do with his awful season, and no amount of time can make Danny Sullivan faster. Rudy cannot magically heal, no matter how much you want him to.

I never said I wanted him to heal. At this point, we’re 2-4 and should see what Samson Szakacsy can do under center before we run into the wood shredder that is 2009.

You want a red shirt freshman quarterback running the team? What is this, 2005?

Actually, it kind of is. Experienced QB goes down, freshman plays out of his mind, sending ASU fans on a euphoric binge of unrealistic expectations for 2006? I can see some similarities. Trade Sam Keller!

Listen, you’re an ass. Bye weeks are for assessing your team’s strengths and weaknesses, watching the other team live on Saturday, and bringing together your game plan to exploit the visiting Oregon Ducks on the 25th. Fantasizing about freshmen quarterbacks and throwing the depth chart out of order just for a chance at success is foolhardy.

Come on, bye week. Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh? We shouldn’t shake up a team that scored 0 points last week?

You won’t score any points this week either. Just throwing it out there.

That’s ridiculous to even say. Who said anything about scoring points on the bye week?

No one scores on bye week. Bye week is undefeated since we began play in 1916, when Harvard came into town and was decimated by our tactics.

What the hell are you talking about?

I like watching USC beat Washington State by 62.

Okay, I think we’re done here.

No wait. Honestly, I am a little lonely. There’s margaritas in the blender and Jimmy Buffett in the CD player, where do you think you’re going?

I am going to interview that space of time between the final regular season game and the bowl game. You know, Mr. Month Between Games.

Ah, he lives down the street. He makes a mean guacamole.

Okay, fine. I’ll ask you one more question. What’s the most likely scenario for an ASU bye week? Does this actually benefit us?

Yes, C.W. The truth is, Dennis Erickson right now is devising the most diabolical scheme for college football ever seen. No, it’s not the A-11 offense from Piedmont High in California, but you will see Ryan Bass actually gain ground in the running game next week. Expect great things from the Devils.

I will not take your word for it, but I do want some guacamole. Adios, muchacho.