SB Nation - Rudy Carpenter

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.

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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?

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?

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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

Q+A with ASU site Pitchfork Nation

TwistNHook — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:41 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

2 months ago: Georgia running back Caleb King (4) is chased by Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict (7), cornerback Pierre Singfield (31), and safety Ryan McFoy (2) during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 20-17. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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Well, it's that time of the year again. The most wonderful time of the year. Arizona State Week. When everything seems magical and new and fresh again. And for this most amazing week, we have a Q+A with the one, the only, PITCHFORK NATION! Bringing us everything Sun Devil. So, grab a candy cane, put on your fake Dennis Erickson beard, and join us after the jump for more info on the Arizona State Sun Devils.

(And don't forget to check out our interview with them on all things Cal!)

1. Tell us more about Vontaze Burfict? We've heard he once killed a terrorist with a honey jar and then impregnated his wife. ALL AT THE SAME TIME!

You're clearly leaving out the time he rescued a burning bus full of schoolchildren from driving off a cliff while passionately reciting Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Let's give the man the credit he's due.

Vontaze has the most talent and most intensity for a freshman that I've seen in seven seasons of covering ASU football. However, he's got a serious problem with controlling that intensity and it has led to five ridiculous personal foul penalties over the past two games. Dennis Erickson, he of the "anything goes" philosophy at Miami, actually has has to tell him to REIN IT IN.

However, the guy has incredible open field tackling skills and a nose for the ball carrier not seen here since Dale Robinson roamed the 2nd level of defense. He's got a future here, that's for sure. He has too much raw talent and passion for the game to not succeed at the collegiate level.

I do wonder about his mental state though. He took a leaping penalty on a Stanford field goal attempt last week and, in true McNabb-ian fashion, Dennis Erickson claimed after the game that Burfict didn't know there was a rule against it.

Er, what? I KNEW what he did was a personal foul the instant I saw it and I haven't touched a competitive football field since Pop Warner. His awareness may be the only thing I worry about constantly.

2. How much is ASU going to win by?

Please. We're just lucky that college football games can't end in ties anymore.

If ASU can regain their prowess at stopping the run and find a way to stifle Jahvid Best, they should be in good position to win. The secondary has struggled over the last few weeks without Omar Bolden, so you know, if I was Kevin Riley, I'd throw. A lot. Over Terell Carr.

3. Please tell us about the two best players on your team.

Mike Nixon and Chris McGaha are the defensive and offensive standouts. Nixon is one of the unlikeliest candidates to be a team cornerstone since Charlie Ward but he has evolved into one of the best linebackers in the Pac-10. He's just so smart on the field - he knows exactly what's going on everywhere between the lines at any time. He rarely loses his cool and has great hands and great tackling ability.

Chris McGaha catches anything and everything near him. He's the most dangerous offensive weapon we've got right now simply through his ability to get open consistently.

Now, would you sit those two players on the bench the entire game in exchange for Jahvid Best sitting out the entire game?

No, because I'm still fairly sure ASU can stop the run, even after last week's debacle at The Farm. Plus, if McGaha sits, I don't trust anyone else on this team to actually catch a thrown football.

4. How has ASU dealt with losing Rudy Carpenter?

By crying for a true freshman to be the program's savior despite the fact that he hasn't started a game and has attempted 11 passes in three 3 games.

Seriously. We're seven games in and people still can't deal with the fact that Rudy, as much as many despised him, is gone and that we're sitting here with Los Gatos' prodigal son Danny Sullivan as our starter. We all knew that the QB situation would be pretty uncertain after RC's graduation but we never imagined that Sullivan would be this ineffective.

Therefore, as you'll see on Saturday, ASU's offensive play calling has been dramatically reduced. The Devils run the same three or four run plays and have lost the ability to stretch the field because of Sullivan's absolute inability to throw an accurate deep ball (unless Chris McGaha is wide open against Nick Holt's defense with 0:05 left).

If you love off-tackle sweeps, short out routes and running backs who prefer to run backwards rather than forwards, you'll love ASU's new offense.

5. Do you think Dennis Erickson is the man to take ASU to the next level?

I still think so. He's done it in so many places (except San Francisco) that I still have faith in the guy. The problem this year, I firmly believe, is not him. It's the talent he has to work with this year.

DE continues to do a bang-up job recruiting and I really do think he's got the Sun Devils set up for success in 2010 and beyond. He attracted Osweiler AND Michigan transfer Steven Threet to the program. Cameron Marshall has been a nice surprise at RB and he's got talent packed to the gills on defense.

It has certainly been a major frustration this season for many fans who are crying for his head because no one wants to admit that this year was going to be an uphill battle with a first year starting QB. Erickson still knows the game inside and out and knows what buttons to push at any given time. I'll give him through 2011, but if the program isn't at least back battling for 1st or 2nd in the conference by then, I reserve the right to change my mind.

6. Osweiler or Sullivan?

I haven't publicly endorsed either since going to bat for Danny Sullivan after the Georgia loss.

That was a mistake.

At this point, I absolutely have to stick with Sullivan, but not based on his own merits. The fact of the matter is that I still have this gut feeling that this team would not play any better with Brock Osweiler anyway. At its essence, Osweiler and Sullivan are still first-year starters despite the three year gap in college experience. The only difference I think starting Brock would make would be a larger inclination to throw the deep ball because he might be more accurate that Danny when going long.

However, with bowl eligibility already slipping from the Sun Devils grasp and Sullivan not doing anything to really HELP ASU get the requisite two more wins, any change would be good change. I just don't see it happening, though. DE has this unwavering confidence in Danny, something I'm at this point convinced he got from reading it off of a fortune cookie. I can't think of any other real explanation for why Erickson has stood behind Danny so fervently.

7. What was going through your mind during the last play against UW the other week?

Let me refer your readers to this video and I'll point out my thought processes at certain timestamps:

0:07: "Really? Overtime? I can't take much more of this."

0:12: "Overtime? With that guy? -reaches for bottle of Jack Daniels-"

0:24: "If this is an off-tackle sweep to Dimitri Nance, my shoe is going through my TV. I don't care how much it costs to fix. My shoe, that TV!"

0:27: "The prevent defense: feel the power!"

0:29: "WHAT THE FLYING HELL IN ALL THE NAME OF CHRIST ARE YOU DOING?"

0:31: "da;lsfjasdl;kfgdsl;kfjsadl;kfjasdl;fjfjiwefjwe;oifj;asdlkfjalsfj DON'T DROP THE FOOTBALL CHRIS!"

0:36: "OK Danny. We know that everybody poops, but please stand up before you do it in the middle of Frank Kush Field."

0:46: "WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WITNESS? And for that matter, why did it take so long to get the ball to Chris McGaha?"

1:01: "That may have been the first time I've seen a grown man's face fully twitch in anger."

2:32: "Holy crap, we are actually going to win this football game based on something Danny Sullivan did. -pinches self- Yup, still alive."

8. Who do you want to punch in the face?

Petros Papadakis. Is that so wrong? I mean, I'm sure there's like, a line to do so, but I'll gladly wait or take a number or whatever.

Many thanks to Pitchfork Nation for their help with these. Good luck to them and GO BEARS!

Is Cal's Defense Underachieving?

Avinash — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:30:26 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Cal's pass defense struggled again. Are we going to see this all year long?

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DEFENSE, BEARS...DEFENSE???

Most of the postgame reaction has been focused on Cal's lamentable defensive effort, especially against the pass. It's been discussed everywhere, and I figured I'd throw myself into the fire. Literally, since I figure 80-85% of Cal fans will disagree with my next statement:

Outside of Autzen, Bob Gregory hasn't done that much wrong.

Now before all of you start hollering about Prince and Tuel lighting us up, I understand where you guys are coming from. Like many people, I assumed that the depletion of our linebacking corps would be offset by improvements in the defensive line and the secondary, with everyone having starting experience coming back.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Units don't just revamp at certain areas and expect to get by because the front and the back are supporting them. The linebackers are the core of the defense, especially in a 3-4; take them away and the middle is open to exploitation.

Think of an army with great tanks and experienced soldiers but no aircraft, anti-aircraft or flak. You might have the power and the wherewithal to take out your opponents, but a good enough air attack can blast all that heavy weaponry and veteran savvy out of the park. So it is with the passing defense this season, where the weakness of the linebackers has been felt by the rest of the lineup.

Cal is returning seven but we're missing those four BIG TIME. Let's rank the top players on our defense last year.

1) Zack Follett
2) Syd'Quan Thompson
3) Tyson Alualu
4) Anthony Felder
5) Worrell Williams
6) Mike Mohamed
7) Darian Hagan
8) Rulon Davis (when healthy)

So those four who are gone are in the top 8, and the three linebackers in the top five. Big big losses.

Rulon Davis might never have been as healthy as we'd have liked him to be, but when he was, he was ON. Cameron Jordan is a jolly guy from what I've seen, but at the moment he really hasn't stepped up to replace Davis's raw ability. Don't be deceived by those 6.5 sacks--3.5 came against really bad teams. He's on pace for 2008 numbers, and he's playing probably 50% more than last season after splitting time with Rulon in 2008.

Derrick Hill has performed well, but centers can still battle him one on one, leaving one side to double, triple team Alualu at will. So that means that extra one or two guys blitzing or moving in on the line of scrimmage has to step up, rush in, and hit the quarterback.

Unfortunately...

Cal does not have a pass rushing linebacker. When Cal put that linebacker at the LoS on passing downs last season (usually Follett), it collapsed the pocket, overwhelmed the edge and forced the quarterback into the errant throws, incompletions or sacks. Not this season. Young, Mohamed, Kendricks, Bishop, Holt, none of these guys have been able to fill that mantle. Jarred Price might be the guy to show it, but what he has in pass rush (2 sacks) he lacks in consistency (4 season tackles)

Follett had 10.5 sacks and 4 hurries on his own last season; through seven games, the ENTIRE Bears linebackers corps has combined for 7.5 sacks and 4 hurries.

Note: Interestingly enough (as you probably saw with some of the highlights), Gregory tinkered with a four down linemen set on passing downs to gain extra pass rush, although I'm not sure how much of it had an effect on slowing down Tuel. I'd been pondering a similar idea considering the weakness of our linebackers to add an extra defensive lineman (our strength) for more pass rush, and it seemed Gregory was thinking along the same lines. We'll see how it bears out when Cal plays formidable/weaker offensive lines down the road.

Cal's linebacking corps is still learning the pass defense ropes: Probably the biggest mistake I made in my predictions was asking this question: "is Mike Mohamed capable of becoming Cal's greatest linebacker of the Tedford era?" Whoops. Desmond Bishop, you keep the title.

Don't get me wrong, Mohamed's been good, still the best all-around linebacker for the Bears (he has picks, a forced fumble, a sack, and 61 tackles). Nevertheless, he seems to be suffering from the Rajon Rondo syndrome--he looked like the best linebacker last season because guys were always throwing in his direction to avoid Felder and Williams. Unlike Follett or Desmond, he lacks that game-changing ability. Maybe that'll change, but right now he's merely good when Cal needs great.

Devin Bishop and Eddie Young are okay, but as BWNQ noted, they probably lack proper football instincts, as they've been duped on several important occasions by doing bad things on the field. No matter how good the coaching is, it's REALLY hard to undo instinct.

As for Kendricks and Holt, they have promise, but as sophomores they're still not fully polished. We can probably expect better things from them...in 2010. Right now we can only hope they're given the time to grow and mature so they can come back and smash next season.

Finally, the secondary. This is probably the most mystifying of the three units, even to a guy like me. Last season these guys were ballhawks, and now they're getting pumpfaked, beat at the point of attack. What's going on??

Syd'Quan Thompson has done his job, but the other side, plainly, has not. Darian Hagan got pump-faked out of the starting lineup in Minnesota. Josh Hill got the Oregon start and got picked on, over and over and over. And then both have been taking their turn even though they've been playing more man coverage. Although both are improving, it does leave you a little frustrated, especially with Hagan, who looked so promising last season. The safeties have been competent--Ezeff and Johnson are good at delivering hits, and Cattouse has also shown great promise, but for whatever reason they've been beat a lot.

So why has the secondary regressed? A few possibilities:

1) With the linebackers having trouble defending their zones and tackling afterwards, the secondary has to edge toward the middle of the field to be prepared to support...which in turn opens up the flats and sideline throws. And it doesn't necessarily secure the middle either.

2) The secondary might be more experienced, but given the depth of gamefilm, there is plenty for opposing teams to scout on them. Cal's secondary is not like USC's, whose weaknesses are harder to pinpoint and exploit. Even Syd'Quan might be lockdown one-on-one, but he's still undersized--tall physical receivers can do damage against him if given the proper time. You can only imagine how many more double moves and pump fakes against Hagan and throws to the flats against Hill we'll see this year.

3) PAY ATTENTION. This is the big one...

There are a lot of good quarterbacks in the Pac-10 this season.

Four freshmen have shown great promise--Foles, Luck, Barkley, and, yes, even Tuel (don't forget he also went about 67% against USC too). Add in three guys who've been here before (Masoli, Locker, Canfield) and that's SEVEN Pac-10 quarterbacks who are at the very least competent. That's the most depth the conference has shown at the quarterback stable this decade.

Compare it to the Pac-10 QBs we saw last season: Sanchez was pretty good but still developing, Willie Tuitama had his ups and downs, Masoli was in his first year escaping the shadow of Dixon, Lyle Moevao had his moments although he was carried by the Rodgers brothers, Rudy Carpenter was digesting turf thanks to his awesome offensive line, the Kevin Craft Interception Show missed no stops, Tavita Pritchard was a placeholder, the Washington/Wazzu quarterbacks we faced were bad, bad, bad.

Masoli has quietly worked his way back to a solid 60% completion percentage. Canfield and Foles are horrifyingly good at finding their receivers, hovering at 70% and putting them in the top seven in the conference. Luck isn't as accurate, but he throws touchdowns and not many picks (kind of like Riley-lite). Locker is the most dangerous player in the Pac-10 if he faces a defense that gives him cushion. And Barkley is only going to get better.

They're so good that they're not just beating Cal's zones, they're beating Cal on man. Tuel's two touchdown throws came against man coverage, where he fit that ball in just the right place for the receiver to get it and the defender had no chance to play the ball. Kevin Prince had excellent throws that burned a few guys with excellent man coverage too. Surprisingly, they played pretty well against Barkley after spotting the Trojans ten points. Of course the big fail was Masoli where the Bears played mostly zone, but even when they played man they got beat.

Now the solution would be to be aggressive in the pass rush and send more guys. But who? Cal's linebackers haven't shown they're able to speed their way. Not many of these guys have the ability to stunt or delay the way our group did last year--maybe Alualu, but again he's facing constant double teams. Plus with the quarterbacks being better this season, sending more guys leaves the Bears vulnerable to a precise pass going for six.

So pick your poison. So pick your poison. Do you key in on stopping the run and not allowing big plays and risk giving up easier underneath throws, or gamble with a pass rush or man coverage and take the risk of quarterbacks connecting on long strikes? This is the quandary Gregory is in, and we’ll find out what he comes up with these next few weeks. (HT Hydro for the rephrase)

Is Cal's defense underachieving, overachieving, or performing as expected?

Reactions to defense.

More reactions: AERose has some interesting numbers on 1st/2nd half stats, Rocky63125 wants Gregory to go, royrules had thoughts about Cal's D against UCLA.

Gary Peterson, San Jose Mercury News:

Then came the part no one expected. When Tedford had finished dousing his defenders in lighter fluid, linebacker Steve Fanua set them on fire.

"He's a young buck, a redshirt freshman," Jordan said, smiling. "He has fire in his veins. He gave us a nice little talk."

And this was received how?

"That only amps you up more," Jordan said. "Here's a guy, barely 18 years old, letting us know what this means for him. He's a young kid. He's hungry."

So was Cal's defense when it returned to the field. Jordan recorded two of his two-and-a-half sacks, and three of his six tackles in the second half. One sack defused Washington State's first drive after the intermission. Another, coming on fourth-and-10, ended a Cougars drive at the Cal 18.

Jimmy Tran, Daily Cal:

One of the points emphasized was tackling.

Arguably the most noticeable player guilty of missed tackles was cornerback Darian Hagan. Despite coming off one of his best performances ever last week against UCLA, Hagan struggled to make several key tackles in the open field and gave up a couple big passing plays against WSU.

"He needs to be more consistent, no question about it," Gregory said. "Very poor game today, and we just got to keep working with these kids to grow and mature."

Looking ahead to ASU

John Berkowitz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:46:00 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

2 months ago: Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan (15) passes to running back Cameron Marshall (not shown) for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Washington State, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. Arizona State won 27-14. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

Browse more photos »

Dennis Erickson is in his third season as head coach at ASU. He blew the Pac 10 away during his first season by putting together a squad that came close to competing for the league title. During his second-year with ASU in 2008, the team under-performed and fell to the league's second division. This season, despite a 3-2 record, the Sun Devils are still performing under the level one would expect of a Dennis Erickson team.

Most of the problems are on offense. Danny Sullivan isn't getting the job done at QB and the offensive line is among the weakest in the Pac 10. The same offensive woes that haunted ASU in 2008 are hitting again in '09, but are magnified because Sullivan isn't close to being the same type of QB as the departed Rudy Carpenter.

Fans in Tempe would like to see more of true frosh Brock Osweiler under center. He played three series last week against WSU, but didn't give any indication that he is ready yet, despite going 3-4 for 21 yards and a fumbled snap to his credit. Official word out of Tempe is that Sullivan will start again this week, with Osweiler continuing to wait in the wings. Expect Erickson to give the 6'8 frosh QB from Montana at least a few series this weekend.

Sullivan threw three interceptions against the Cougars last weekend. Husky fan ought to find this music to their ears, as the Cougar secondary doesn't exactly resemble that of USC. Turnovers are a big part of any win, and if the ASU offense turns it over six times to a team like Washington, it will be lights out Sun Devils. Expect Erickson to watch the UW vs. UA game film and concentrate on spreading Washington out with a high percentage short passing game.

The saving grace for the Sun Devils is a defensive front seven that is one of the very best in the conference. I wouldn't say that it is the best Washington has seen so far this year but these guys know how to put pressure on a QB. Jake Locker's speed will be needed in this one to avoid the pass rush that will be coming. Make no mistake about it. ASU has painted a big red X on Locker's chest and they will be blitzing.

The secondary is the weakest point of ASU's defense. Washington can pass on these guys all night if Locker has time and the Husky WR's get a little separation. In contrast, Arizona had a much tougher defense with likely the best defensive backfield UW will play for the rest of the season.

That said, ASU is no pushover. Washington isn't going to win this game by much. Playing in Tempe isn't easy if a decent crowd shows up to watch. The oddsmakers have installed ASU as a three point favorite, which has already inflated up to seven.

Washington didn't impress anyone against Arizona except the scoreboard. Arizona dominated this game; the only reason the Wildcat's lost was because they couldn't convert in the red zone, and for some strange reason Mike Stoops kept passing the ball with five minutes left in the game. It is nice to win one you shouldn't coming off the tails of losing one you shouldn't. You can't count on luck every week; Washington needs to play better on offense and special teams to beat ASU on the road.

An obvious key to winning the game is avoiding the turnovers and special teams miscues that almost buried the Huskies last week in the third quarter. Defensively, the Huskies need to take advantage of a sloppy team that makes a lot of mistakes. If WSU can force six errors the Huskies should be able to do something similar this weekend.

I expect to see Jake Locker continue running the ball this week. ASU is very aggressive with its pass rush, setting up a lot of things for a guy as versatile as Jake. Whenever Jake steps up in the pocket or rolls out wide he has the ability to make people miss and take it to the house. If ASU overruns a play, Jake will make them pay.

Locker was responsible for 90% of the Washington offense against Arizona. That is never a good thing. Up to that game, the Huskies were able to get good balance from a strong running game. Tempo, injuries, coming from behind, and simple time of possession never allowed Washington to get that going last week. We have all seen what Chris Polk can do when he gets in a rhythm, but he will be going up against a very tough run defense this week. UW needs to establish the run early in this one to control the clock and keep the red X off the front of Locker's jersey.

What the heck is a Sun Devil anyway?

You would think that some inventive person at ASU just made it up, but a Sun Devil is actually a weather phenomenon many of you know as a whirlwind, or a dust devil without the dust. The mascot character, the much beloved Sparky, was drawn by the late Bert Anthony, a minion of Walt Disney. Rumor has it that Sparky was illustrated to resemble Disney, and if you look at them side by side it’s kind of creepy.

Torches and Pitchforks

Danny Sullivan threw the ball a whopping 58 times in the loss to Oregon State! He completed over 50% of his passes and ended up with over 300 passing yards.

Chris McGaha is Sullivan's main target. He caught a career high 15 balls against the Beavers.

Dennis Erickson was knocked unconscious during a play on the ASU sideline lat week against WSU. He felt pretty woozy but was able to keep coaching once he took a few minutes to recover.

The ASU defense held WSU to minus 54 rushing yards on 32 attempts!

Arizona State committed six turnovers and botched two extra points against WSU.

The ASU defense sacked WSU a total of 12 times on Saturday which is only three short of the NCAA record of 15.

Kyle Williams is another ASU receiver to keep an eye on. He grabbed 13 receptions against the Cougars. Williams had 211 all-purpose yards: 126 receiving, 53 rushing on a reverse and 32 on punt returns.

ASU is averaging 10.7 yards per reception which is third lowest in the Pac 10.

Only No. 3 Texas (46.2) is allowing fewer rushing yards per game than ASU (49.6).

Dennis Erickson played football at Montana State under a guy named Jim Sweeney whose grandson Nate Fellner may be the starting safety for Washington this week.

Kibbles and Bits

Mason Foster has been named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week.

Foster had 11 tackles in the Dawgs 36-33 victory over Arizona and, of course, keyed the victory with his 37-yard interception return for a touchdown that proved to be the winning score.

Johri Fogerson, Nate Williams, and D'Andre Goodwin are all expected to be back this week.

Cameron Elisara is back after suffering from stingers in last weeks game.

Chris Polk is fine to practice this week and will get the start at ASU.

Coach Steve Sarkisian said that Chris Polk will continue to receive kickoffs next week. "In a perfect world, you don't want your starting tailback returning kicks," Sarkisian said. "But no one else has seized the opportunity."

Jason Wells is expected to get his first playing time of the season this week. He hasn't played in a game in over two years because of injuries.

Nick Wood is the new starter at guard. Mykena Ikehara and Drew Schaeffer will be the primary backups.

The Huskies have the nation’s 106th-ranked defense out of 120 NCAA Division I-A teams, which is actually an improvement over last season. The key is scoring defense rather than total yards. The Husky defenses performance in the red zone has kept them within striking distance of each opponent they have played. In 30 trips into UW’s red zone, opponents have scored a mere 11 touchdowns this season.

Year to date NCAA schedule rankings:

UW .810, Georgia .808, Virgina Tech .763, Florida St. .704, Nobody else is even over .700

The Oregon is set for ABC at 12:30 a week from Saturday. The Huskies then will enjoy a much-needed bye week after the Oregon game.

Quote of the Week

"To me, luck is when preparation meets opportunity," Steve Sarkisian said at Monday's press conference.

An Arizona State Weblogger Talks About His Team

T Kyle King — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:55:10 -0000

Blogging delays, both here at home and out in the Grand Canyon State, caused this posting to hit the internet later than any of us would have liked, but you may think of this as a special bonus posting.

I exchanged questions with SB Nation's Arizona St. Sun Devils blogger, Cory Williams. My responses to his questions appear at House of Sparky, while his answers to my inquires appear after the jump.

Dawg Sports: Whom should the Bulldogs fear on offense?

House of Sparky: If only it were that easy. The Sun Devils have yet to reveal the full potential of their offense. With Danny Sullivan getting comfortable as the starting QB at ASU, it's realistic to anticipate an increase in production. With that said, he will be aided by the sure hands of WR Chris McGaha.

A possession receiver who may have NFL-talent catching abilities, McGaha is often looked to in the flat on out routes, maximizing his opportunity to catch the ball, but minimizing the the potential for a big play.

Ball possession and a tough attitude will help ASU win the battle in Sanford, but they must be well aware of the speedy defense they are about to face.

DS: Whom should Georgia fear on defense?

HOS: The new recruits that coach Dennis Erickson has brought in, including Vontaze Burfict and Corey Adams, have largely boosted the athleticism and quickness of the Sun Devil defense. Burfict was ranked #1 in the country at LB, the #9 overall recruit, and #2 in California.

His speed and pursuit routes are like clockwork, and his elusiveness has acquainted him nicely to the college game. I am sure he and Rennie Curran will put forth maximum effort in a competitive, high exposure environment, with the recruiting world watching closely.

DS: What is Arizona State's biggest weakness?

HOS: ASU is an inexperienced, mediocre football team who has received an infusion of talent from the recruiting class of 2009. All positions considered, the offensive line has been the sieve that has brought us losing efforts against top-flight schools.

Georgia was able to penetrate our porous OL all day last season, and Rudy Carpenter never had a moment to do his reads, or find that open receiver on the 3rd check down. There just wasn't enough time with the excellent penetration by the Georgia front seven.

There have been changes on the line, with a few players returning from season-ending injuries in 2008. Even so, the inconsistencies that have plagued the ASU offensive line for years continue to come into play.

DS: How are your new recruits working out and what role will they play in deciding the outcome?

HOS: I have already played into this answer a little bit, but I will spare you any further praise of Burfict.

For the most part, ASU has seen value in letting its true freshmen play. We have seen Burfict, Adams, QB Brock Osweiler, K Bobby Wenzig, and a few others, which means that we are finally replenishing the quality of this program.

The main issue of 2008, ASU's lack of speed, has largely been addressed with the new additions. We are still years away from any semblance of contention, but the path has been created by the recruiting classes of 2008 and 2009.

With Thomas Weber, the 2007 Lou Groza award-winning kicker for the Sun Devils sitting this game out with a strained groin, Wenzig will be tasked with a difficult task on Saturday: kick the ball, and do it well. In a stadium with 92,000 screaming fans of the opposition, his impact will be felt, regardless of his performance.

My thanks go out to Cory for participating in this exchange. You may feel free to follow the unfolding action at SBNation.com.

Go 'Dawgs!

Too Much Information: Georgia Bulldogs v. Arizona State Sun Devils

T Kyle King — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:21:13 -0000

This week, Too Much Information comes to you literally a day late and figuratively a dollar short, for which I apologize profusely. I can only offer in my own defense the fact that, on Friday, I had other matters with which to deal, so I’ll be honest with you . . . what you’re getting this time around may fall more in the category of Just the Right Amount of Information; viz.:

Odds and Ends

Mark Richt’s teams are 34-4 in out-of-conference games and have gone 22-1 against non-SEC opponents between the hedges. Since Coach Richt’s arrival in Athens, the Georgia Bulldogs have never lost consecutive non-conference contests, which is relevant, since the Red and Black lost their last outing against a team from another league.

Over the years, the Classic City Canines have crossed paths with eight of the teams in the Pac-10, missing only the two squads from the Evergreen State. Georgia has posted an all-time ledger of 9-4-1 against Pac-10 teams, with the Bulldogs’ last regular season loss to a club from the West Coast BCS league coming in 1960, the year Mark Richt was born. Against the Pac-10, the ‘Dawgs are 1-3 in road games, 1-1-1 in neutral site showdowns, and 7-0 at home.

You’ve been reading about it elsewhere in the Dawgosphere, but I have held off on mentioning it before now, because, like the Chuck Dowdle public service announcement on the scoreboard at the last home game, any such reference prior to the present moment would have been untimely. Now, I can make the point as it becomes relevant to our actions: if you’re tailgating, please bag your trash. I know there aren’t enough trash cans on north campus; bring your own bags (it’s the new "BYOB") and they’ll pick them up for you. Meet the University halfway here. Please.

It goes without saying that, despite the Bulldogs’ 2-0 record in SEC play, we’re all a little nervous about the state of the Georgia defense, and not without good reason. Between 1951 and 2000, the Red and Black allowed 28 or more points yet won anyway on 16 separate occasions. After emerging victorious from those shootouts, the ‘Dawgs went on to lose in their next outing 13 times in 16 tries. Surrendering points in bunches, even in triumph, does not bode well for the road ahead . . . until you pause to consider the fact that, during the first eight years of Mark Richt’s tenure in the Classic City, Georgia gave up 28 points and won seven times, yet went on to win the next outing on five of seven occasions. Under Coach Richt, the Bulldogs have played two home games after conceding 30 or more points in victory in their previous contest, and have won them both.

The Feel Good Stat of the Week

Last Saturday night, Georgia faced the Arkansas Razorbacks for just the twelfth time. The previous eleven series meetings yielded this bit of good fortune for the Red and Black, however:

The ‘Dawgs are 10-1 in games immediately following an encounter with the Hogs. That .909 winning percentage includes a 6-0 mark at home, a 5-0 record in out-of-conference contests, and a 1-0 ledger against Pac-10 opponents.

In their eleven previous outings after games against Arkansas, the Bulldogs have scored 26 or more points nine times, have gone over 30 points five times, have never allowed more than 24 points, and have held six opposing squads to 14 or fewer points.

The Bottom Line

The Arizona St. Sun Devils appear to be improved over last year’s unit and we know the team is well coached. However, Rudy Carpenter is gone, the game is being played at night in Sanford Stadium, the Georgia offense appears to have gotten over the losses of three of its biggest playmakers, and last year’s game in Tempe wasn’t close. Turnovers and penalties may keep this one interesting for a while, but the Bulldogs ought to have the horses to take care of business between the hedges.

My Prediction: Georgia 31, Arizona State 20.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Previewing the Season: Arizona State Sun Devils

PaulSF — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:10 -0000

More photos » by Nick Ut - AP

Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson, left, speaks during a news conference at the Pac-10 football media day in Los Angeles, Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Browse more photos »

The Arizona State Sun Devils are coming off an incredibly disappointing season in 2008. Picked to finish second behind USC in the Pac-10 preseason media poll heading into last season, ASU finished the year a mediocre 5-7 and tied for sixth in the conference standings.

But this year, expectations are more realistic. The Sun Devils were picked to finish fifth in the Pac-10 in this year's preseason media poll. And it would seem much of that success will depend on the play of their defense, which figures to be their biggest strength and potentially one of the stingiest in the Pac-10. With six returning starters, including outside linebacker Mike Nixon and defensive end Dexter Davis, both seniors, head coach Dennis Erickson will rely heavily on his defense to overcome inexperience issues on the offensive side of the ball.

But in the Pac-10, a strong defense will only take you so far. You still have to have a functional offense that's capable of eating the clock and controlling the tempo. And with standout quarterback Rudy Carpenter gone and concerns about his replacement, Danny Sullivan, as well as continued anxiety about the offensive line, the Sun Devils' success will hinge more on what its offense does, or doesn't, do.

Oregon Offense vs. Arizona State Defense:
If Sun Devils fans have anything to be hopeful about this season, it's ASU's defense. The Sun Devils have six returning starters, including the Pac-10's leading returners in sacks and tackles for loss (Davis), as well as interceptions (Nixon, who tied with Oregon's Walter Thurmond III last season with five). And those leaders return to a defense that wasn't half bad in 2008. ASU finished fourth in the conference in scoring defense, giving up 22.7 points per game, and fifth in total defense while allowing 335 yards per game. And they did it with very little help from their offense, which finished second to last in the conference in time of possession in 2008, second only to Oregon (who finished last in the nation).

Davis is the only returning player in the country who recorded double-digit sacks the past two seasons and will be the anchor on what should be a strong and quick defensive line, which, given Oregon's offensive line concerns, could give the Ducks fits. Sophomore defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, a Freshman All-American last season, is a handful and likely a future NFL first-round pick. And highly regarded true freshman defensive tackle Corey Adams could also contribute right away.

If the Sun Devils can control the line of scrimmage, the rest of the defense will shine. Nixon, who finished 2008 sixth in the conference with 7.5 tackles per game, is the leader of this group. Then there's highly touted true freshman linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who has played so well in fall camp, he may end up working his way into a starting role. The Devils also return starting cornerbacks Omar Bolden, a three-year starter, and Terell Carr.

The bottom line: ASU's defense should be very good, and actually matches up well against the Ducks, especially if Oregon's offensive line concerns become reality. But, oddly, the success of ASU's defense will hinge on how much time it spends on the field, and that falls more in the hands of its offense.

Arizona State Offense vs. Oregon Defense:
On the other side of the ball, the Sun Devils will need to fill the void left by Rudy Carpenter, and it's bigger than you might think. Despite a very disappointing senior season, Carpenter still finished fourth in the Pac-10 last year in passing yards (2,493) and passing efficiency (130.3), and he did all that despite being sacked 34 times, the third most of any quarterback in the Pac-10.

His assumed heir apparent, fifth-year senior Sullivan, played well enough during the spring to earn the job. But with questions still surrounding ASU's offensive line, as well as Sullivan's lack of mobility, another 34 sacks aren't out of the question. And that's bad news against the Ducks, who finished second in the conference last year in sacks with 38. But with four returning starters on the offensive line, including 6'3", 305-pound tackle Shawn Lauvao, the unit should improve. The question is: How much?

If Arizona State's passing game falters, there aren't a whole lot of options left. The Sun Devils will virtually have no running game after their only decent back, Keegan Herring, graduated.

The only real bright spot in ASU's offense is junior kicker Thomas Weber, the 2007 Lou Groza Award winner. Weber has the ability to hit from nearly anywhere inside 60 yards, and could be a big factor in the Sun Devils' success if they wind up in a lot of close games.

Overall, I think Oregon's defensive front will dominate the line of scrimmage and ultimately shut ASU's offense down. But with nine games to warm up for the Ducks, the story on offense could change, especially with a great coach like Dennis Erickson.

Conclusion:
Oregon will have its hands full on offense trying to move the ball against what could end up being one of the Pac-10's toughest defensive units. But with the Sun Devils traveling to Autzen with a brand new quarterback under center who's really only shown flashes of potential, it's not likely the Ducks won't be able to put up enough points to pull out a win. But I think it could end up being too close for comfort.

Oregon 31, Arizona State 21

Arizona State Roundtable

TwistNHook — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:30:08 -0000

via azmc.org

TwistNHook: There are many concerns about the upcoming football season for any self-respecting, self-loathing Cal fan. Last year, we lost every road game save for WSU, ensuring that many of our home games are now revenge games. Two years ago, we lost every road game save for Oregon, ensuring that every return trip now is a revenge game.

And ASU is no different. Two years ago, we went to Arizona State right at the start of the Cal-lapse. We lost a game where we were up 13-0 and 20-7 at various points. But ASU came back furiously and the Cal-lapse was in full motion. It was frustrating and I very much look forward to Cal taking care of business at ASU.

The first thing that jumps out at you when you think ASU is Rudy Carpenter is gone. Now they appear to have former backup Danny Sullivan at QB. After 4 years of Carpenter, you have to wonder how things will move forward. And it appears my concerns might have some foundation in reality (a first).

Article:

It wasn’t a surprise to see the Arizona State defense control Saturday morning’s scrimmage inside the practice bubble. The unit has meshed well and is expected to be the Sun Devils’ calling card this season.

Previously offensively oriented, now they seem to be working towards leaning on their D. We'll see how well that works out. They do appear to have a bright young talent on D: LB Vontaze Burfict

Article:

via www.eastvalleytribune.com

The ranking of high school football players is often a ridiculous exercise. No one had heard of Tedy Bruschi when he went to the University of Arizona. Similarly, wide receiver Derek Hagan, who leads ASU in career receptions, was a lightly regarded two-star recruit out of high school.

But the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Burfict may actually be worth the hyperventilating. Erickson has compared him to Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Famer.

Bray said, "He’s one of the better high school linebackers I’ve seen on film in a long, long, long time. We were extremely fortunate to get him. He will be a force as he grows and matures."

What makes Burfict special — aside from the physical intimidation — is his instinct for the game. Both Erickson and Bray noted that Burfict seems to have the innate ability to be in the right place at the right time.

Bray said Burfict has a better feel for what’s happening around him than Mark Fields, a standout linebacker for Washington State in the early 1990s and a first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 1995.

"He does some things in practice you just can’t coach," Bray said.

Avinash: For some reason, when I think of ASU, all I think of are coeds. Does ASU have the hottest coeds in the country?

TwistNHook: Look, Avi, I understand what you are doing. I know you are trying to give carp some life and energy after being so tired with the birth of his son. And I'm sure he appreciates that!

But maybe we should just stick to talking about the football team and other related things. I'm sure if our readers want to read frustrated single males prattling endlessly about women they'd never have a chance with in real life, they can read Arthur Kade or Tucker Max.

Avinash: I believe Malcolm Gladwell's next book should investigate the relationship between the attractiveness of a team's coeds and their football team's relative success. Maybe he'll find out that all of Florida and USC's coeds were born during the summer months!

TwistNHook:

via www.fidrabooks.co.uk

I went to google Arizona State football to do some research and the google map link showed up. Where do they show ASU football being? In the middle of a river. Salt River. Literally submerged in water. Salty water (maybe).

If that isn't apropros, I don't know what is.

If you want to find a place to start with the woefully underperforming 2008 team, look no further than the OLine:

ndeed, it's a small miracle that ASU has won 15 games in Erickson's first two years. In 2008, the Sun Devils allowed 34 sacks — that made it 89 in two years — and rushed for only 89 yards per game, or 113th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

If you're surmising that ASU has had offensive-line problems, bingo. Erickson inherited a shortfall of big uglies when he took over in 2007 for Dirk Koetter, whose recruiting classes affecting Erickson's teams included seven offensive linemen who either left or didn't qualify, including a 4-for-4 wipeout in 2004.

They feel better about their O-Line this year. Certainly, one of the most memorable moments of the 2008 season was due to poor O-Line play.

"Maybe you should recruit better linemen."

Avinash: It's always a scary game in the desert. It's usually at night, which means the fans are loud and rowdy, so it can definitely give some added impetus to the home team.

I really don't know. ASU has played us tough in Erickson's tenure, splitting the series. This could be a dangerous game if we're playing up to our potential going into it.

HydroTech: So their starting QB from last year Rudy Carpenter is gone. Their top WR, Michael Jones is gone. Sounds like their passing game might not be as good as it used to be? Danny Sullivan is their new QB but he's largely untested having only played in garbage games when the games have already been won and lost. How glad do you think Sullivan is now that the Pain Train is gone?

TwistNHook: Probably as happy as NFC North QBs that Follett has suffered a shoulder injury!

So, that's the O. What about the D? Well, I talked previously about that incoming LB who could make some strides. But he might not be a big player until next year. Right now, their leader is Dexter Davis.

via www.nationalchamps.net

Heres what the official site has to say about him:

ASU: One of the Sun Devils' most consistent defenders and most dangerous pass-rushers...ranks as one of the top defensive ends in school history...enters the 2009 season fourth in Sun Devil history with 27.5 career sacks (minus 179 yards)...has finished in the top three in sacks in the Pacific-10 Conference each of the last two seasons...has started all 38 games of his ASU career...totaled 113 tackles (72 solo), 39.0 tackles for loss (minus 212 yards) and eight forced fumbles in his three seasons at ASU...led all Pac-10 freshmen in 2006 in quarterback sacks (6.0), tackles for loss (10.5) and forced fumbles (three)...recorded the third-most sacks by an ASU freshman in school history, trailing the 10.0 sacks made by both Terrell Suggs (2000) and Shante Carver (1990).

He has some elite stats in the Pac10:

This is where Davis comes in. He doesn't look all that imposing, and he's not full of pomp and swagger. But he's a quarterback's nightmare and one of the nation's top returning sack artists. He has 27 1/2 sacks for his career, and is the only returning player in Division I to have double-digit sacks in the past two seasons.

He's the kind of player who can disrupt an offense, change a game.

"I want to be known as a relentless player who worked hard, and made something of himself," Davis said. "And I want to go down as one of the best ever."

Along with Davis, linebacker Mike Nixon, defensive tackle Lawrence Guy and defensive back Omar Bolden are all highly-touted players. They will give Pac-10 offensive coordinators much reason for pause. If not, the season already is lost.

In some ways, the upcoming season is a bridge year to 2010, when a Pac-10 title may be within reach, when Dennis Erickson can be judged on the impact he's making in Tempe. But in the short term, the coaching staff is letting the current group know that losing records are simply unacceptable at ASU.

To avoid another, the defense must be spectacular.

Avinash: You're right Twist, this is going to be about Cal's offense not making mistakes against ASU's defense.

From Pitchfork Nation.

One first down on their first six possessions.

I’m not quite sure whether to chalk that up to Arizona State’s defense being all it’s hyped up to be or to be even more concerned with the state of this team’s offensive attack.

Either way you look at it, there’s one thing to take from yesterday’s scrimmage at Sun Devil Stadium: this team is going to have to win games based on defense and nearly defense alone in 2009.

Sure, there were the offensive highlights. Kyle Williams broke off a stunning 79-yard punt return. Gerrell Robinson, who has been highly praised by everyone in the program for making so much progress between this time last year and now, caught a touchdown pass from Danny Sullivan and gained 116 yards.

However, beyond that, you could hear crickets chirping from the Devils’ offense.

As I harped on earlier this week, this team simply has no running game. Dimitri Nance turned a corner early in the session for a nice 20-yard dash, but then averaged 1/3 of a yard on each of his subsequent three carries. Cameron Marshall led all rushers with 23 yards, but six ASU running backs combined for just 92 yards of total rushing. That doesn’t include Brock Osweiler’s 22 yards and touchdown on the ground, however.

Basically, we have to ask Kevin Riley not to throw interceptions and Jahvid Best not to fumble the ball, and everything will be ok.

HydroTech: Who has tougher academics? Your local community college or ASU?

Yellow Fever: But who has more attractive co-eds?

TwistNHook: I hope someday that our female readers will return to this blog.

Avinash: Twist, when you tell your wife she's attractive, does she throw you out of the house?

TwistNHook: What an ever so delightful non-sequitir!

Avinash: Here is another one:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Arizona State Snubs Obama

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Healthcare Protests

TwistNHook: So, who do you guys think will win this one? I say Cal holds on 21-10.

Avinash: In terms of the score, probably.

But we're still bringing up the rear in terms of coeds.

Whoops, double entendre!

TwistNHook: Triple le sigh.

Poll

How will Cal do against ASU?

Big win

75 votes

Close win

45 votes

Close loss

11 votes

Big loss

5 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

Which Team Is the Scariest Opponent on the Georgia Bulldogs' 2009 Football Schedule?

T Kyle King — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:01:09 -0000

Regular readers of this site know that I approach the 2009 season with an attitude which vacillates between utter trepidation and mere pessimism. Where Manic Kyle ruled the roost a year ago, Depressive Kyle now declares all hope is lost and 7-5 is inevitable. Whence, though, are the wins and losses going to come?

I, like vineyarddawg, am going to try to take a stab at answering that question. Here, from least stressful to most frightening, are the Bulldogs’ games, arranged according to the fear factor they represent, in my estimation:

12. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles: In spite of the fact that Watson Brown evidently was quite the looker back in the day, I’m not terribly worried that his Division I-AA squad is going to come to Athens and Appalachian State the Red and Black. This is the only relaxing game on the slate.

11. Florida Gators: Let me be perfectly clear upon this point: Florida will win the SEC East without the need to rely upon any tiebreakers; Florida will attend and win the SEC championship game; Florida will attend and win the BCS national championship game; Florida will be crowned the undisputed No. 1 team in the land in January 2010 . . . and the Gators, who inevitably will lose a game, will come up short in Jacksonville, thanks to the open date, the 19-year cycles, the Bulldogs’ record against defending national champions, and Lane Kiffin’s offseason antics. It’ll be 1985 all over again as the Red and Black beat the top-ranked Sunshine State Saurians to card their only truly significant victory of the autumn.

10. Vanderbilt Commodores: The Music City Sailors have never been to bowl games in back-to-back seasons. Heck, they’ve only once been to bowl games in back-to-back decades. Even in Nashville, I ain’t afraid of no ‘Dores.

9. Kentucky Wildcats: Even though Georgia gets the Blue and White between the hedges, Rich Brooks’s squad is apt to be a wee bit better than Vandy, so I’ll sweat this one slightly more than I’ll sweat the one against the Commodores. I’m still putting this one in the "reasonably safe win" column, though.

8. Arizona St. Sun Devils: Here is where I start to get nervous. Yes, I know Rudy Carpenter is gone and ASU is 0-4 against SEC teams and the Sun Devils haven’t played in the humidity of the Southeast in more than a decade, but Arizona State has Dennis Erickson, a boatload of offensive linemen, and designs on righting the ship after this debacle in the desert. The Devils may not get the win, but the ‘Dawgs will get their best shot.

7. Tennessee Volunteers: The Big Orange faithful know just how big a game this is for the Vols. On paper, it shouldn’t be much of a contest, but it is in Knoxville and, frankly, the fear that accompanies this game this year (unlike in the 1990s, when it was genuine Florida-type fear) is a lot like the fear that annually accompanies the games against South Carolina and Georgia Tech: "What kind of crap are we going to have to take for the next year if these guys somehow find a way to get out of this game with a win?" I didn’t like losing to them when they had Phillip Fulmer, David Cutcliffe, and John Chavis, but those were talent-laden, well-coached teams and there is no dishonor in falling to a superior force. The shame of losing to Lane Kiffin would be almost too much to bear.

6. South Carolina Gamecocks: 25 of the 61 series meetings have been settled by margins of seven or fewer points. In six of the last eight seasons, we have seen final scores of 14-9, 13-7, 20-16, 17-15, 16-12, and 14-7 in this matchup. What possible reason could we have for doubting that the Classic City Canines and the Palmetto State Poultry will battle down to the wire one more time?

5. Arkansas Razorbacks: I’m not worried about Bobby Petrino (assuming he is still the head coach of the Hogs by September 19) or anything funky Arkansas does offensively. I am, however, worried about having to travel that far to face a team that gets to tune up against Missouri State and take a break before facing the Red and Black.

4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Unlike many folks, I am not getting starry-eyed over the Engineers’ 18 returning starters, 61 returning lettermen, and "flexbone" offense; I remember Pepper Rodgers, I know how motivated that made the Red and Black, and I know Georgia Tech handles expectations even worse than we do. However, the MVP of the 2009 Ramblin’ Wreck squad is the guy who made up the schedule. In the five weeks leading up to their game against Georgia, the Yellow Jackets face, in succession, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Duke before getting an open date the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The Golden Tornado starters will have played about eight quarters’ worth of football in the five weeks prior to facing the ‘Dawgs. A road game against a rested opponent is always dangerous, especially against a rival that spends the other eleven games of the year singing about you.

3. Auburn Tigers: Admittedly, it’s looking pretty bleak for the Plainsmen, what with Gene Chizik being their head coach and Bobby Lowder’s bank folding and all, but those dastardly devils in the so-called Loveliest Village are just lulling us into a false sense of security. They have us right where they want us, since Georgia almost certainly will have a better record than Auburn and the game will be played in Athens. Having the home field and the higher ranking are the dual kisses of death in this series. You want further proof of the risk the Bulldogs are running in this game? Fine: Georgia currently has a three-game series winning streak. The last three times the Classic City Canines had a three-game series winning streak against the Tigers were from 1950 to 1952, from 1966 to 1968, and from 1980 to 1982. Auburn beat Georgia in 1953, 1969, and 1983. I hate Auburn.

2. LSU Tigers: Stick a great big question mark next to Jordan Jefferson’s name if you must. Defense still wins championships and the Bayou Bengals have returning talent and a proven new coordinator on that side of the ball. Louisiana State should cruise through the first four games on the slate, making the showdown in Sanford Stadium the Tigers’ first real test of the season. You’d better believe they’ll be ready.

1. Oklahoma St. Cowboys: If we rearranged the schedule to move Tennessee Tech to Labor Day weekend and bump the Pokes to November 7, OSU might not worry me quite so much, but this is one of the biggest games in Cowboy history and is being played on the road. Mike Gundy and company understand how huge a step their program can take on the national stage with a win on September 5, and Oklahoma State wants revenge for the last time the two teams met. If the crowd gets into it early, it could get ugly for the visitors. Although I’m looking forward to being there, I’m not so sure I’m going to like what I see when T. Kyle King enters T. Boone Pickens Stadium.

All right, now it’s your turn. Which teams have I underrated? Which ones have I overrated? From whom and to whom should my fretting be shifted? Which opponent scares you the most?

Go ‘Dawgs!