SB Nation - Mike Nixon

Q+A with ASU site Pitchfork Nation

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

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)

Browse more photos »

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!

Inside the Pac-10, Week 6: Big Plays

Avinash — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:00:41 -0000

In my mind, the three marquee conference matchups came down to those cliched big plays. Small individual moments helped decisively swing each of them one way or the other.

So I didn't take much from the results of these ones about how everyone stacks up, other than, "These last seven games for Cal are going to be real tough."

Washington 36, Arizona 33

Mike Stoops bewilders me. Every now and then his Wildcats lose a game they shouldn't. This is one of them. Although I hardly blame him for the defeat, he did make some questionable decisions down the stretch.

1) Kicking a field goal up 9 (two score game) facing a 4th and 3 at the 7 with 4:45 left. Here's the issue. You kick the field goal, you're up 12 (still only two scores, albeit two touchdowns). If you go for it and make the first down, you have the opportunity to go for the touchdown to make it a two touchdown, two two-point-conversion game to tie (or if you make it and go for two, it's a three possession game).

Even if you don't make it, you leave Jake Locker and the Huskies offense to go 93 yards for a touchdown that would only cut the lead to two, and they'd almost certainly need an onside kick or might've burned a timeout here and there. As it is, the Wildcats curiously poor kickoff team let a return go back to the 45 yard line, and it takes Locker 80 seconds to put them in the end zone and make it a one score game.

2) Coming out and passing on 1st down with 2:50 left. Why. WHY? WHY??? Even if you run three freaking dive plays with Nwoko, you burn those two timeouts Washington have. Worst case scenario, you give the Huskies about two minutes to go, needing to drive a likely 60-70 yards with no timeouts. Even with Locker back there that's a tall order.

Yeah, that was a terribly fluky play, but Arizona shouldn't have been throwing in the first place. While I'm not saying Stoops was the reason they lost (he wasn't), he probably could've made the final decision easier for his Wildcats to escape undefeated in the Pac-10, and likely a ranked team

As for the game itself? Great one, all the way around. Between that fantastic rocking Husky crowd, and Locker and Nick Foles tearing the defenses apart, it was a sweet West Coast shootout. Interestingly, the quarterbacks are a stark contrast in style and method. Locker had about a dozen great long throws that have become his trademark. Although he still struggles with anything intermediate (52% completion rate won't get it done most days), his play-making ability is unparalleled in the Pac-10 (who else can scamper for a 56 yard TD rush?) and keeps his Huskies in ballgames they would probably lose otherwise.

Foles, by contrast, is Willie Tuitama, version 2.0. 39 of 53??? Through his two starts in conference he's now averaging a 72% rate. Although the Huskies defense couldn't stop paraplegics from throwing on them (they were giving up a 63% completion rate and 9 passing yards per attempt BEFORE this game), that's mighty impressive.

It's safe to say a lot of Pac-10 quarterbacks are passing Kevin Riley by these past few weeks. What will be his response in LA?

Despite the clutch QB play from both sides, these offenses have huge weaknesses, notably in the run game. Running backs from both sides were able to combine for barely 100 yards, which just isn't enough to beat stingier defenses. Foles was able to guide the Wildcats down the field several times but the red zone offense stalled from there, settling for four field goals on seven tries. The Huskies scored their touchdowns by evading the red zone entirely, relying on Locker's arm to get them there.

While the Huskies can get by with Locker doing some of the pounding on the ground, I'm not sure what the Wildcats can do. They probably need Keola Antolin back, because neither Nic Grigsby nor Greg Nwoko were able to penetrate a Husky defense giving up 178 rushing yards a game and 5.4 rushing yards per carry. Next week's game hosting the Furd will be critical, with the loser pretty much out of the Pac-10 race (neither of those teams is sweeping the Oregon-Cal-USC trifecta).

Reactions to Arizona-Washington

John Berkowitz, UW Dawg Pound: "The Wildcats dominated time of possesion 39:19 to only 20:15 for Washington. The Wildcats outgained the Huskies 461 to 256 yards! Jake Locker was only 12-23 with one interception for a total of 140 yards. He did run for a season high of 92 yards. Jake was responsible for over 90% of the Washington offense tonight. What was key for Jake and Washington was a 56 yard TD run in the first quarter plus three TD passes and the pass for that important two point conversion."

Scott Cushing, Seattle PI: "All night long, and I mean ALL NIGHT LONG, Arizona ran that wide-receiver screen play. First to one side, then the other. Play after play after play. And why not? It kept working. Desmond Trufant broke it up once, but it worked to perfection every other time. It's almost as if Seattle was Zaire for one night; UW as Ali Arizona as Foreman and that screen pass was the rope-a-dope. I don't know how else to explain it. It's as if Holt and the defense were baiting Foles into throwing that one errant pass at just the wrong (or right) time because they knew that that the ball would bounce off of Delashaun Dean's heel right into Mason Foster's waiting arms and he would sprint untouched into the endzone. How else do you explain it? They must have known it would happen.

I'm only half kidding, but it's amazing that they decided to, at that time, during that play, blow it up. They knew it was coming and smothered the play, confusing Foles, who had been nearly perfect all night, into making a terrible pass."

Bobby Stover, Arizona Daily Wildcat: "It was (the coaching staff’s) fault for leaving the option on," head coach Mike Stoops said. "Nick was doing what he was supposed to do and it just falls on us as coaches for make a tactical error late in the game...I’m disappointed we didn’t win but I’m not disappointed in the way our kids played tonight...We probably played good enough to win. It just came down to finishing and then that freak play. But that’s just part of college football and the swings of the game."

Oregon 24, UCLA 10

What the hell do I make of this game? Just like Oregon State-Washington, everything changed on one play.

The Bruins had a great chance to knock the Ducks off the pedestal and gagged it away. In terms of offense, it was Oregon 10, UCLA 3 (and even then, that Duck score came off a midfield fumble by Kevin Prince, so it's hard to say). Both sides had a mind-numbing pick-six, and Kevin Craft wasn't even involved.

The only bright spot on other side was the re-emergence of the Oregon run game. Redshirt freshmen LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner (who scored the kickoff return) could be supplanting Best and Vereen as the most potent Pac-10 running back duo. No offense to Blount, who is a physical horse, but he lacks the speed and agility of these two guys to make moves into the holes and cut in the spread offense. James continues to impress with the spinning and the juking, and Barner has pure velocity that can terrorize any defense he faces. Nate Costa wasn't really impressive, although he did make two nice throws on 3rd down on one second half drive, including the touchdown.

However, on defense? These guys are solid. Not sure what happened that morphed Nick Aliotti into Buddy Ryan, but his units are coming out firing. The pass rush schemes are sweet to watch--delayed blitzes with the linebacker looking like he's dropping into coverage, sending the corner from the side, sometimes pure manhandling one-on-one, etc. The UCLA offensive line was one step short, especially with Breahaut came in and Oregon sent pressure on every other play. And that goal-line stand in the first half changed the complexion of the game; Kevin Prince could never play loose enough with the Bruins either playing in a tight matchup or in comeback mode.

As for UCLA? They had a sixteen-play, eight minute drive that ended with Kai Forbath connecting on a 52 yard field goal. I'm guessing they'll be emphasizing ball control in beating Cal next week, since it doesn't seem the Bruins come by their points easily.

Kevin Prince started out the game okay and seemed to get in rhythm in the 2nd quarter against the zone defense, but had all sorts of trouble when his team fell behind, and Richard Brehaut didn't fare much better being thrown in there in the 4th quarter. The Bruins also could not run the ball, putting up around 70 yards on the ground, 22 of those by Prince. Norm Chow also had some quizzical playcalls--two successive QB sneaks at the 1 on 3rd and 4th and goal?

Logically, next week against Cal, they'll explode for 200 yards rushing, Prince will go out and complete 65 percent of his passes and he'll lead the Bruins to four scores. That's how the script goes with us this year, right?

Reactions to Oregon-UCLA

mdjohns4, Bruins Nation: "But it has become all too clear that Brehaut needs to play. If we have a quarterback making elementary mistakes (like Prince and Craft) why not have the highly recruited, Elite 11 camper that has been bred to be a quarterback learning from them when he makes them? The fact that our quarterbacks are relatively even in terms of effectiveness right now should show that the one with the potential to turn this offense into one that can make plays downfield needs to play. We don't need a "game manager." That is coach-speak for "he sucks too much to make plays himself". We've got a young team with raw talent and the potential to go to a bowl game this year, as well as prepare for the ensuing dynasty over the coming years. Coach, stick with Brehaut. Please?"

jtlight, Addicted to Quack: "I said earlier in the week that this game would tell us a lot about the Oregon defense. And, I think we saw exactly how good this defense can be. After letting the UCLA grind out a 9 first downs and 148 yards in the first half, the Oregon defense brought down the hammer in the second, scoring a touchdown, forcing 3 turnovers, and holding UCLA to 5 first downs and 73 on 2.35 yards per play. Besides one long drive in the first half, the Oregon defense did what it should have done: dominate the Bruins offense."

Chris Foster, LA Times: "[Norm Chow on the quarterbacks]: "I don't know, it's too early to call. I think Kevin Prince gives us the best chance to win. That's one man's opinion."...[Chow on the offensive struggles]: "We have a freshman at left tackle, three sophomores on the offensive line, a junior college transfer, a freshman at running back, a freshman at quarterback and two sophomores at wide receiver.""

John Hunt & Jeff Smith, the Oregonian: "Oregon's defense wasn't about to let this one get away. In these three conference games, the Ducks have yet to give up an honest touchdown. Now having outscored California, Washington State and UCLA by a combined 118-19 score, the two opponents' touchdowns have come on drives totaling one yard.

"I think people are starting to jump on the bandwagon," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "They're as good a defense as I've seen in a long time.""

Oregon State 38, Furd 28

via a.espncdn.com (Image from Don Ryan, AP)

In the other two marquee matchups, it was about unexpected plays changing the complexion. In this game, it was a surprise play not being converted that made the difference.

First play from scrimmage, Andrew Luck executes a perfect playfake that the Beavers bite on, then throws it perfectly in stride to Chris Owusu. Owusu snares it, looks like he's about to break for the score...then looks ahead a step too early before securing it. Dropped pass, opportunity lost.

If that play converts, the crowd's deflated, the Furd are up 7-0, they can establish Gerhart more thoroughly, etc. etc... Instead? We get a virtual carbon copy of Oregon-Cal (with the caveat that Oregon State isn't quite as potent, and the Furd performed much better in rallying). Jacquizz Rodgers took the role of Jeremiah Masoli, accumulated 134 yards and 3 TDs on the first three drives, putting the Beavers up by 21. Goodnight to the Furd.

On defense Oregon State bottled up Gerhart with seven or eight in the box (rarely nine, they respected Luck's ability to pass). The Beavers always looked a step ahead in the pass coverage, forcing Luck into completing 40% of his passes, including 0% in the first quarter. These are growing pains for the freshman quarterback, although it seemed like he made a valiant comeback effort late. His defense didn't do him any favor, giving up 359 yards of total offense to the Rodgers brothers, including a backbreaking 16 play, 7 minute second half drive where the duo picked up the last 56 of the 80 yards.

So Oregon State's now 2-1 in the Pac-10, 2-0 in October, rolling toward a showdown with USC at the Coliseum in two weeks. Can Mike Riley and Quizz do it again?

Reactions to Furd-Oregon State

Jake Bertalotto, Building the Dam: "Danny Langsdorf brought the Oregon State rendition of the trendy Wildcat formation out of the lab Saturday afterno on. On it's debut play, it produced sophomore tailback Jacquizz Rodgers' longest rush of his OSU career-- a 61-yard scamper that set the Beavers up for their second touchdown of the game. Jacquizz would score four touchdowns on the afternoon and account for 271 yards of total offense-- almost certainly his best game since the Beavers downed USC last season."

Elliott Almond, San Jose Mercury News: "But more than anything, Stanford just couldn't recover from a devastating 21-0 deficit by the second quarter. Jacquizz Rodgers, who had been held to fewer than 100 yards rushing in the three previous outings, slipped underneath defenders in the middle, or wiggled out of the grasp of tacklers in the open field. He looked capable of breaking a big gain almost every time he touched the ball. "We weren't making tackles," Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said."

Arizona State 27, Washington State 14

via a.espncdn.com (Image from Dean Hare, AP)

The Sun Devils fumbled the ball six times. They turned it over six times in total. Their starting quarterback Danny Sullivan got rotated in and out of the game with Brock Osweiler (only for a series though). And they still had a 20 point lead going into the 4th quarter, with the Cougars needing a 99 yard TD pass to cut it to the respectable two touchdown margin.

Key stat #1: -54 yards rushing for Wazzu. Key stat #2: Their punter was the leading rusher (on a fake punt for 15 yards).

Sigh. Is this what the Tom Holmoe era was like at Cal?

Reactions to Arizona State-Washington State

Grady, Coug Center: "In the end, this game played out the way most of us expected. Two anemic offenses and one stellar defense giving us an ugly game, but also a closer game than we're used to seeing. As one would expect, the stellar defense won out. ASU was too much to handle, with Vontaze Burfict, Mike Nixon, and co. dominating this game from the opening snap. The Cougs faced one of the best rushing defenses in the country, and boy did it show - between numerous tackles for losses, broken plays and sacks, the Cougars ended up with negative 54 yards rushing. Negative 54."

Pitchfork Nation: "[Dennis Erickson] was nailed pretty good on the sideline by Gerell Robinson midway through the 3rd quarter. Originally, the ASU radio broadcast designated a WSU player had run into him. Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst and Doug Franz described the scene as Erickson laying on the sideline and then being directed to the bench by the team doctor. He got up and stood on the sideline for one play a few moments later, then retreated to the bench once again. However, in classic DE fashion, he basically told the doctors, in no better way, to screw off."

Only Cal fans care about these

Minnesota 35, Purdue 20

The Daily Gopher: "The Mulligan Offense still reared it's ugly head with some occasional plays called that made you scratch your head. But the offense committed just one penalty after the first quarter, the OL played their best game of the year and Adam Weber threw one pick but completed 4/6 with a touchdown run. He wasn't asked to do much (and he didnt') as the Gopher ground game really took over."

Wake Forest 42, Maryland 32

Testudo Times: "Outside of an 85-yard kickoff return from Torrey Smith and a minor emergence by Gary Douglas, there was basically nothing positive for Maryland. Sure, there was a slight comeback, but the game was well over at that point. Wake won 42-32, but the score isn't anywhere close to how one-sided this game was. Want to know how bad it was? Wake had 381 yards of offense...in the FIRST HALF. Maryland barely broke 100. They were on pace for 762 yards!"

Also a hilarious animated image of Debbie Yow (Maryland's AD) looking distressed on the sideline.

Arizona State 27, Washington State 14

Grady. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:44:03 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

Washington State head coach Paul Wulff, left, warmly embraces the most hated man in Idaho, Dennis Erickson, after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. Arizona State won 27-14. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

Browse more photos »

A few steps forward. A few steps back.

In the end, this game played out the way most of us expected. Two anemic offenses and one stellar defense giving us an ugly game, but also a closer game than we're used to seeing. As one would expect, the stellar defense won out. ASU was too much to handle, with Vontaze Burfict, Mike Nixon, and co. dominating this game from the opening snap. The Cougs faced one of the best rushing defenses in the country, and boy did it show - between numerous tackles for losses, broken plays and sacks, the Cougars ended up with negative 54 yards rushing. Negative 54.

The Cougars had their opportunities in the first half, but failed to capitalize. Reid Forrest's fake punt conversion for a first down brought some life to the offense, but no points following a Jeff Tuel interception. ASU had three turnovers in the first 30 minutes, but the Cougars couldn't convert even one of those into a score. Tuel struggled under pressure: the Devils had six sacks in the first half, and forced their fair share of hurries and bad decisions which led to Tuel's two picks. Marshall Lobbestael brought some brief stability to the Cougar offense in relief, but a fumble by Daniel Blackledge - on a catch that should have resulted in a first down deep in ASU territory - ended the threat. ASU sealed the half by running their two-minute offense to perfection. The result was a 13-0 halftime deficit that had to make the Cougars feel like banging their heads against a wall.

The second half saw improvement, but not immediately. ASU made a huge gain on a reverse to set up a nine yard touchdown run that left WSU back against the ropes. It took some turnovers - the Cougs forced six total - and the re-emergence of Jeff Tuel to get the Cougs back into it. Andy Mattingly's interception deep in ASU territory was the big break Wazzu needed. It set up Tuel's first TD, which wasn't exactly a thing of beauty. Intended for Daniel Blackledge - who was, at least in this writer's opinion, being interfered with - the ball came up short and into the opportunistic hands of Jared Karstetter, who made a beautiful adjustment for the six. That fired up both sides of the ball, and the Cougars were back in business down 19-7.

Then, the blunder. For most of the game, Reid Forrest had been rolling out to make rugby style kicks, like he used to do at the start of his career. Earlier in the game, though, he found a seam and was able to convert a first down that gave the Cougars some much-needed momentum. Yet again, in the second half, it looked for a moment like Forrest had a seam to the outside. But Arizona State wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. They stayed at home, and Forrest booted the ball out of desperation past the line of scrimmage. The result was a penalty that gave ASU exceptional field position. Field position that was converted into a Cameron Marshall TD run and a way-too-easy two-point conversion. 27-7.

Still, the Cougs weren't done. Although for a moment it looked like things were getting worse. A kickoff was fumbled out of bounds at the five, followed up immediately by a near-safety (and another play for a loss). That's when Wulff made a bold play call that would re-write the WSU record books. Jeff Tuel stepped back in his own end zone, and fired off a bullet to Johnny Forzani in single coverage. Forzani broke free, and the rest, literally, was history. 99 yards later Tuel had converted his first huge play as a Cougar. 27-14 after the PAT from Grasu.

But the ASU defense didn't bend from there, stuffing the Cougar offense on their remaining drives in the game. ASU's running game awoke to run out the clock, and that was it.

The Cougs had forced six turnovers, but committed four of their own. They made big plays on defense, but failed to prevent the struggling ASU quarterbacks from reaching the end zone. The Cougar offense was horrible: 181 total yards, numerous losses and penalties, but also 99 on one play and two passing touchdowns from our QB of the future. It was a game with a lot of positives, but a lot of negatives as well.

The best thing I can say is that this game definitely gives us something to build on. The defense made key plays, tackled well and only let one big play - the reverse - burn them. The offense struggled in the first half but Jeff Tuel's benching woke him up to the tune of two passing touchdowns and a play that cements his place in the WSU record book (as well as the NCAA, since you can't have a longer pass play than 99 yards).

Player of the Game: Louis Bland. It's tempting to go with Tuel, or Karstetter, but the only fireworks from the offense came in the second half. The Cougar defense came to play the whole game, and with Bland's eight tackles, one interception, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble, he was the anchor of a revitalized squad. I understand the ASU offense is bad, but you don't force six turnovers by accident. Bland, Mattingly, Long and the defensive backfield kept both the run and pass in check for the majority of this game, with only receiver Kyle Williams burning us for big numbers. I saw numerous plays today that would have been big gains or touchdowns last year. Now, the defense is covering their gaps, running down ball carriers, and keeping things in front of them. It's a noticeable improvement, and credit Bland as the centerpiece today.

Unsung hero: Jared Karstetter. The adjustment he made to catch the third quarter touchdown was huge. Furthermore, he continues to be the security blanket for the quarterbacks that Jeshua Anderson couldn't be. Tonight, he grabbed four balls for forty-five yards and made himself an available target for Jeff Tuel throughout the game. Now if only Tuel had the pass protection to get it to him.

Play of the Game: The longest pass play in school history, Jeff Tuel to Johnny Forzani for 99 yards and a TD. I always feel better about the Paul Wulff era when I remember that it's mostly his recruits making the big plays and giving us some hope for the future.

B.S. Call of the Game: Oh, there were many. Mostly against us, but a couple against ASU too. There were many penalties in general, deserved or not. But the offensive pass interference call on Daniel Blackledge was completely nonsensical. Not to mention a momentum killer.

It was over when... Cameron Marshall ran 10 yards for an ASU touchdown with 12:25 to play; following the botched fake punt.

Stat of the Game: WSU forced six turnovers. And we still lost. Probably because of the four turnovers of our own, making for ten (!) total. Although, that -54 rushing yards stat still makes me cringe.

If you haven't voted in Nuss' poll below yet, do it. My vote is that it was a positive step in the right direction, but I'm interested to know what the rest of Coug Nation thinks. Of course you're always welcome to expand on your thoughts in the comments.

Enjoy the bye week - only six days until Midnight Mayhem.

The Tailgater's Guide to Cougar Football: Week 6

Grady. — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:36:09 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Uhh... what?

Browse more photos »

A weekly series from CougCenter, the Tailgater's Guide is dedicated to helping you prepare for all the action on Cougar Football Saturday; both on the field and off.

The Game

Arizona State Sun Devils (2-2, 0-1 Pac-10) at Washington State Cougars (1-4, 0-3 Pac-10)

Location

Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA, 2 p.m. Pacific

Coverage

TV: Nope
Radio: Cougar Sports Radio Network

Last Meeting

ASU 31, WSU 0 (2008)

The Line

ASU -21

Why you should care: Homecoming! People still care about that, right?

Key matchup: The WSU passing game versus the ASU pass defense.

We know the ASU offense is stuggling. As is the WSU defense. Let's pretend those cancel each other out. So, the key becomes the Cougar offense against the Sun Devil defense. Now, we aren't going to be able to run the ball. Like I mentioned on the podcast, ASU has the 10th best defense against the run in the entire country, in terms of yards per attempt allowed. WSU's run game is far from potent, especially with an injury-riddled offensive line and Montgomery's injury. So we're going to need a miracle to move the ball on the ground.

Therefore, if we have any shot at winning this game, we'll need the passing attack to do something. Anything. Whether it's Tuel or Lobbestael (hopefully Tuel) at the helm, the Cougars need to do whatever they can to get the ball in the hands of their young receiving corps. It's not going to be easy: ASU is 30th in pass defense with 6 yards per attempt surrendered. There's also linebacker Mike Nixon and his 3 INTs this season to contend with. Still, it's the best chance WSU has. That assumes we have any quarterbacks that can survive the a hit from Vontaze Burfict.

Why ASU might win: It doesn't matter how weak your offense is when your opponent isn't scoring. And the dominating ASU defense could very well shut out the Cougars for the second straight year. In that case, it doesn't matter how much ASU QB Danny Sullivan, or his possible replacement, Brock Osweiler, struggles.

Key Player (ASU): Vontaze Burfict. Since a lot of the Sun Devils' hopes for this game, and this season, ride on their defense, Burfict is going to have to be a key player once again in Pullman. ASU doesn't put a ton of pressure on the quarterback, but they stuff the run game and are able to force turnovers. Burfict is a guy who needs to do just that if ASU wants an easy win Saturday.

Why WSU might win: Can I go with luck? Actually, we may not even need that if the defense can force a few turnovers, just like we saw in the SMU game. If the defense can put a few points on the board - or at the very least skew the field position game - the Cougars might be in better position for a TD or a Grasu field goal attempt. And, little known fact, at least to us recently: you can win games by scoring more points than your opponent.

Key Player (WSU): Jeff Tuel. We know JT was given a baptism by fire last week in Oregon. The offense struggled. The team struggled mightily. And Tuel received essentially no help whatsoever from his defense, starting drives deep in his own territory.

That said, Tuel should have a better opportunity to make an impact Saturday. And we, as a fanbase, desperately need some hope to cling on to. That's what Tuel provides. We're not going to give up on him if he throws five interceptions. However, if he plays well, earns us a win or two down the stretch, and makes the plays we know he's capable of making, we're going to see some actual buzz around the program heading into next year. That alone would be incredible.

On Saturday, Tuel doesn't have the benefit of a healthy offensive line or a veteran receiving corps. He's going to have to make some throws beyond his years to give the Cougars a shot. Here's hoping he does.

Pregame activity: Homecoming barbecues. Yes, it's homecoming, and while I have a feeling a lot of alumni aren't exactly amped to see a 1-4 football team, it is an excuse to come back to Pullman for a weekend. That's also why a fair number of programs are offering free food, which totally makes up for those tens of thousands of dollars you dropped there for an education. You're almost crazy if you don't take advantage of it.

Pre- or postgame meal suggestion: Wingers. Those of you who aren't living in the Pullman/Moscow don't understand the tragedy that was the Wingers fire last winter. That event cost us some of the best bar and grill food in the region for maybe nine months. I know, there's Wingers in Spokane and other places, but it's not the same. Apparently you could also get Wingers-type food at Tucci's, which occupies the old Wingers in Moscow, but it's not the same experience without 1,382 TV screens and free popcorn at your table.

So - welcome back Wingers. It was worth the wait.

Travel Tip of the week: I pride myself on the fact I've never received a speeding ticket driving on 195. The strategy is pretty simple: I never, ever, go above 29 in Colfax. Beyond that, you're mostly OK as long as you don't go ten or more over in any other part of the drive. You also have to be familiar with where the cops hide: the Rosalia are, anywhere between Colfax and Steptoe, etc. And if you see a black Dodge Charger in your rearview mirror, slow the heck down.

Why am I telling you this? In most places, speeding tickets are about safety and earning money for the local police. In Colfax, it's all about making tons of money that they can then reinvest in shiny Dodge Chargers to drive around and planes to aid in their never-ending quest to make even more money. I believe 62% of Colfax's economy is based on pulling over people traveling to and from Pullman.

Gametime snack of the week: Junior Mints. It's chocolate, it's peppermint. It's very refreshing.

Gametime beer of the week: Deschutes' Twilight Ale.

Finally, I come to my senses and feature a Northwest beer. From the interwebs:

Twilight Ale is a lighter, but full flavored ale with a balanced malt profile and a harmonious blend of four hops. A final dry hopping of bold Amarillos creates the distinctive finishing touch. Twilight is best enjoyed when chilled and consumed outdoors.

Also, it tastes good.

Only downside: the number of teenagers who will drink this just because it has "Twilight" in the name. Seriously, vampire fad, just die already. You're killing television and movies.

PREDICTION: ASU 24, WSU 13. The fighting Ericksons prevail again, if not by a ton. When I say 13, I mean two TDs and a missed PAT, not one touchdown and two field goals. Sorry, Nico.

Enjoy the game, and as always, go Cougs!

OPPONENT PREVIEW: ASU Sun Devils (with audio!)

Dancing Football — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:52:45 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Run for your lives! Vontaze Burfict is on the prowl.

Browse more photos »

Head Coach: Dennis Erickson

Record: 2-2 (0-1)

Offense: PPG: 30.5 YPP: 4.7

The Sun Devil offense has struggled through the first four games of the season. Starting quarterback Danny Sullivan has failed to impress, completing just 51% of his passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Many are calling for the backup, true freshman Brock Osweiler, to take over the starting duties. Sullivan will start against WSU on Saturday, but Dennis Erickson has announced that Brock Osweiler will play, with the situation undetermined (sound familiar?).

The running game has not produced for ASU, as they are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Dimitri Nance has been the workhorse for the group, as he has carried the ball 68 times in the first four games for a 3.7 average. The Sun Devil run game may get a much needed boost on Saturday, as they will be facing a depleted WSU front four.

Arizona State has done a phenomenal job in taking care of the ball so far in 2009. They have lost just one fumble and thrown two interceptions through four games. That, coupled with the play of the guys on the other side of the ball, should allow ASU to stay in every game.

Defense: PPG 16.2 YPP 4.2

On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona State may have one of the top squads in the nation. They have limited the passing game and running game while creating turnovers. What is even more impressive is that ASU has been able to do this while only sacking the quarterback three times the entire season, with just one of those coming from the defensive line.

The lack of sacks is not due to a lack of talent up front. Defensive end Dexter Davis had eleven sacks in 2008. They have also been very effective in the run game, as the opponents are averaging just 2.6 yards per carry. If there was any time for the front four to put up some crooked numbers in the sack category, this weekend Wazzu's young and inexperienced offensive line provides that opportunity.

26-year-old linebacker Mike Nixon leads the Sun Devils in tackles with 26 and has also intercepted three times. Freshman linebacker Vontaze Burfict is second on the team with 22 tackles, including three tackles for loss. He is very fast and looks to have the type of athleticism that will see him playing on Sundays in the future. WSU fans should know him well by the end of the day on Saturday.

The Sun Devils are in trouble if: They give WSU a couple easy scores. The Cougars are going to have a very tough time moving the ball against Arizona State. If the Sun Devils take care of the ball and avoid big mistakes (as they have done so far this season) they should walk out of Pullman with a win.

As an added bonus this week, the opponent preview will include our interview with House of Sparky author Cory Williams. Topics covered include fans’ satisfaction (or lack thereof) with Dennis Erickson, the ASU quarterback situation, why ASU’s defense has been so good, and a prediction of how the game will unfold.

As usual you can listen to the audio via the player below, or visit our podcast page for myriad subscription options. You can also find us in the iTunes directory under keyword "CougCenter."

Your Pac-10 Quickie Primer: Week 4 Morning Open Thread

Avinash — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:00:24 -0000

via calbearsonline.com

"Let this be a gentlemanly victory!"

IT'S SATURDAY MORNING BEARS! Who among us isn't ~~terrified like hell~~ drunkenly excited to start the conference schedule?

There are other games on the Pac-10 slate; all of them are on some form of TV, so you should get your chance to watch them (of course, if we lose, I expect all of you to go into a 24 hour mourning period, and by mourning, I mean more beer). Pregame/first quarter thread will be up at 11:45 AM!

Arizona at Oregon State, 7:30 PM EST, 4:30 PM PST (Versus)

This is probably just as big a game as ours, at least in terms of figuring out what both of these teams are like. Here are the perspectives from both sides.

Nick Foles is Arizona's new QB, and AZ Desert Swarm is excited about their future with him.

Nick Foles couldn't muster much offense either throwing 6-11 for 55 yards and a TD. His opportunities were limited by the time it got to him. There was no chance for rushing anymore and he still managed to get a score. Foles TD throw to Criner was PERFECT. Can't wait until next week.

rvm of Building the Dam is also wondering about how effective their team will be at getting at Foles.

Question Four: Defensive line: Can they continue to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but come up with more results? Tony Pike was adept at side-stepping Beaver blitzers, and I’m not sure the man Arizona will run out onto the field—Nick Foles— will be nearly as good in that respect. How many sacks are you looking for tomorrow?

More quick looks after the jump.

Arizona State at Georgia, 7 PM EST, 4 PM PST (ESPNU)

This game will give us a good sense as to how good the Sun Devils are against quality opponents. House of Sparky did an interview with SECRivals, mentioning how their Lou Groza award winning kicker Thomas Weber is out 4-6 weeks, and also how important the front seven will be at silencing the mob in Athens.

With the addition of true freshmen Vontaze Burfict and Corey Adams, ASU’s defensive unit has received a boost in athleticism and ability. Combined with Lawrence Guy, Dexter Davis and Mike Nixon, and we see the core of a foreboding front seven.

ASU’s secondary is a real concern with AJ Green roaming the field, but adequate pressure on Joe Cox will be the key to limit Green’s effectiveness.

It seems we're not alone in terms of bad special teams. In an interview with House of Sparky, T Kyle King of Dawg Sports notes that one of Georgia's weaknesses is directional kickoffs.

Where do I begin? The Bulldogs commit too many turnovers and are flagged for too many penalties, many of which are of the "rookie mistake" variety rather than of the "playing aggressively" sort. Although the run defense is stout, the Georgia D is fooled by too many play action fakes. The secondary has failed to take away the deep ball, often getting caught out of position, and the middle of the field frequently is left open, much to the delight of opposing tight ends everywhere. The Red and Black have surrendered 37 or more points in seven of their last twelve games. Georgia’s kickoff coverage is a mess and directional kicking often sends the ball out of bounds to give the other team good starting field position, anyway.

Washington at Leland Junior, 9 PM EST, 6 PM PST (FCS Pacific--also, Dawgman, the Husky mesageboard, will also be doing some interactive stuff with Husky fans)

Big game for the Huskies to show they're not out of tricks after playing their hearts out against the Trojans. John Berkowitz (who writes outstanding game previews), breaks down every facet of UDub v. Furd. He believes Jake Locker and the Huskies can definitely run on the Cardinal, based on their Wake Forest performance.

Stanford has an active front seven that is used to facing a power running game each day in practice. They held SJSU to only 26 yards on 28 carries last week. They didn't do so well against Wake Forest. They gave up 250 yards and that was the tale of the game. They just couldn't figure out the Demon Deacon offense which is pretty tricky.

Washington has been able to run against everyone this year. You would think that LSU and USC would have been able to hut them down but they didn't. The Huskies haven't had any big plays yet but they do pick up big yardage on first down which has helped the offense become one of the national leaders in third down conversions.

Chris Polk is the best looking Washington back in over a decade. He has all the tools. He can catch the ball, run with power, and he has the speed to break the long one. What has really set Chris apart this fall has been his ability to make yards after contact. Polk carried the USC line for valuable extra yards last Saturday.

The last time Jake played in Palo Alto he had a field day running the football. If the coaches decide to give 10-12 pre designed running plays he is very capable of picking up 70-100 rushing yards against the Tree's.

Since the Furd doesn't have an SBN blog, I'm going to visualize what exactly their preview would look like.

via www.lolhome.com

That wasn't very nice, was it?

Wazzu at USC, 10:15 PM EST, 7:15 PM PST, FSN HD

This game makes me sad. Even sadder that THIS is the Pac-10 national telecast this week.

Coug Center (who has been churning out quality work, go to their site and see all the great position analyses they're handing out!) at least tries to make humor of it. Nuss comes up with this jewel.

The Trojans are in trouble if

They notice that Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves are on their bus, because that means it’s about to get suddenly commandeered by Dennis Hopper.

Other than that, I think they could turn the ball over on every possession and still figure out a way to win.

At least James Montgomery is healthy. Get well James.

Conquest Chronicles hasn't even bothered with a preview, instead reviewing the shocking upset from last week and blowing apart overblown media anger with the Trojans. One Trojan fan at about the 50 yard line in Husky Stadium dissected the way USC's OC was interacting with Aaron Corp. Could Matt Barkley have been ready to go on Saturday?

Bates: yes some discussions with Corp occurred, but not that much. Contrary to some reports, it wasn't like Bates was constantly trying to handhold Corp through the game. Bates did a lot of standing and watching quietly. Not a heck of a lot of talk with PC. He didn't talk hardly at all with Barkley. The rest of the coaching staff interacted with the players and each other in what could be termed as "normal" or "as expected" - the Defensive staff was very energetic like usual.

Corp: he was really just alone in his little hell that game. Bates had some conversations. But not many, fewer and fewer as game went on. PC barely talked to Corp. Teammates pretty much left him all alone save the occasional passing word with a pat on the back or helmet. Almost no "leader"-type interactions with his line or individual players, the spirit-boosting "come on troops!" stuff we've become used to from SC QBs including Barkley. Most of the 3rd and 4th quarter Corp hung his head and stared at the ground or crossed his arms and stared into space. Then when it was time to take the field a quick word from Bates and off Corp trotted. When Corp returned to the sidelines rarely did a coach go up to him to discuss the series that just finished! Just left him to stand there until the next series.

Barkley: sorry to disagree PC even though I love and trust ya, but Barkley was ready to go and was dying to play. In the 3rd Q he pulled his helmet on and never took it off. He was jumping, smiling, moving up and down the bench talking to everyone, slapping them on the pads, making them laugh. Pumping them up. He did his damndest to catch PC's and Bates' ears. He was one of the only persons to go up to Corp after each series and talk to him, though it seemed like Corp didn't want to talk much and Barkley seemed to respect that, keeping it brief. Barkley threw the ball with zip on the sidelines. He carried a football with him constantly, tossing it from hand to hand as he watched the game. He showed as much energy and spirit as the Defense. Barkley acted like an SC starting QB should act. He was doing on the sidelines what Corp should have been doing on the sidelines.

All those games start up after ours though. There will be a link to a second open thread later on for the late afternoon/evening slate. Enjoy Gameday and the morning slate before we get to cooking duck!

Poll

Your primary feeling before Cal-Oregon is...

Excited

49 votes

Relaxed

11 votes

Nervous

85 votes

Drunk

19 votes

164 votes | Poll has closed

Previewing the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

Cory Williams — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:50:40 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Kyle Williams can jump this high...

Browse more photos »

After an exciting weekend of football sans ASU, the Sun Devils are back in action on Saturday when they take on the 1-1 Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks.

After getting trounced 59-20 on the road against Texas in their first game, the Warhawks stormed back with a vengeance, dismantling Texas Southern to the tune of 58-0.

Between Frank Goodin's 3 TDs and 105 rushing yards and Isaiah Newsome's impressive 158 yard rushing output, the Warhawks took apart the lousy Tiger defense.

As for ASU, it appears as though they know better than to expect any easy contest a week before the Georgia game. With the extra week off, the football bubble has really come in handy.

I expect the team to come out rusty again, but to handle the Warhawks by at least 28 points. I don't expect a massive blowout, mainly because this offense has yet to show us anything truly spectacular. I for one will give Danny Sullivan an opportunity to really get a hold of this team going into our SEC showdown.

Who needs to shine? The running game. We need a high level of play from our RB-by-committee, and Cameron Marshall must continue his solid play.

Who needs to show up? Danny Sullivan. ULM is a better team than Idaho State will ever dream of being, and Sully must produce good numbers in this game to put at least a few of our worries to bed. Unless he can take care of the Warhawks' defense, we will be in for a long week against the tough Bulldogs.

On another note, hopefully we can get half the game we got out of Mike Nixon last week, and it would be great if Vontaze Burfict developed into that demonizing LB we've always wanted since Terrell Suggs left.

Final Score: ASU 44, ULM 17

Mike Nixon is Named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week

Cory Williams — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:48:25 -0000

Mike Nixon turned in a dominating performance on Saturday, grabbing three interceptions (including one for a touchdown), wrapped up four tackles, and even blocked a punt.

Not surprisingly, this quality effort has earned Mike Nixon the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week award. His steady improvement over the course of his playing career has been a pleasure to watch.

Check out our interview with Mike Nixon from back in February here.

Go Devils!

Inside the Pac-10: Where Many Things Remain Unanswered

Avinash — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:34:33 -0000

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

Jahvid Best was spectacular as usual, but are the Bears ready to handle a game when he struggles?

Browse more photos »

Week 1 of the college football season is always a magical time. The waiting game is over. There's no filler to battle the endless stream of young hyped-up, irrationally exuberant young adults get sweaty and grimy and move for the prize. Just games games games!

However, as is always the case with a season barely days old, many things remain unanswered. This Pac-10 review (plus for this occasion, Minnesota) post tries to do its best to find the unanswered questions that linger from Week 1, starting with our Bears.

California 52, Maryland 13

I really can't add much outside of what CBKWit talked about his in victory post and what you guys talked about in the game threads and the upcoming report card writeup. You guys covered all bases on this game, good job readers!

Having to nitpick, there are three unanswered questions for me about what the Bears are capable of accomplishing this season.

Can the Bears offense get going without Jahvid Best? Not that I don't appreciate him. I always love to see the Jet flying. Still, you have to admit Cal didn't really do much in the first quarter outside of Best rolling and a nice fumble recovery. And by then the game was pretty much done, since Tedford doesn't blow double digit leads at home.

Maryland controlled the time of possession early and did have two nice drives that really gave you the feeling that the Terps could make a game of it, remarks Testudo Times in their recap post.

It's clear to me that Maryland is better than the score indicated. The first few drives weren't major disasters, and actually gave me some hope. Then a 84 yard touchdown from Jahvid Best and a Torrey Smith fumble basically ended the game. Maryland lost all emotion, and it was clear they were just going through the motions, trying to get home as soon as possible. Of course, that just compounds upon itself and makes it worse. If Best is contained on that run, or Smith holds on to the ball, who knows what happens?

Down and distance-wise, the advantage was with the Terps, but Cal got the one big play and the one big turnover. That was all that was needed for the Bears to bust this one open.

So what happens when Jahvid isn't able to streak for the end zone? What will happen when Cal has to play a close game and Best is not asked to get the long gains but the short three-four yard carries that decide tense ballgames? What will happen when Kevin Riley is called on to lead the passing game

Still not sure if I have an answer for that. We can only find out the answers to these questions as we go along.

Is Cal's offense capable of grinding it out against tougher, multi-dimensional defenses? Given that Maryland had an inexperienced unit, we knew the Terps D-line would struggle. Cal's O-line, although not really known for being a veteran unit, was in total command. 6.6 rushing ypc and 8.5 yards per play overall is plenty good.

However, a lot of this could be Cal taking advantage of the blitzing schemes we said the Bears would see beforehand. Okanes has the scoop.

But although Cal wasn’t exactly sure what they were going to see in terms of specifics ("We need to know who to block," Tedford said during the week), the Bears knew they would see a lot of blitzing and pursuing up the field. That meant the Terps might be susceptible to the big play, and that’s exactly what they were.

Jahvid Best had a 73-yard touchdown run and a 40- yard run. Kevin Riley threw a 42-yard touchdown pass and a 39-yard touchdown pass, and added another 39-yard pass. That helped Cal rack up 542 yards of offense.

Cal’s receivers found themselves facing man coverage most of the night while Best didn’t have may defensive backs waiting for him when he burst past the line of scrimmage.

"When you live by the blitz, if you break it, you’re going to go a long way," Tedford said. "I thought our offensive line did a nice job and then our backs are pretty good at finding creases."

"They were really aggressive and athletic," wide receiver Marvin Jones said. "We were put into a situation where we could make plays."

Undoubtedly, Maryland took a calculated gamble to try and disrupt Riley's game from the get-go, believing that his team didn't have a chance to get it off. Didn't work so well.

What happens when one of our opponents plays us straight up or mixes in both concepts remains to be seen. Cal has plenty of teams and defensive coordinators they're facing this year that know the way they play pretty well. We've got to see what they'll be able to cook up to challenge Best's ability to unleash, and subsequently Riley's ability to carry the load.

Will over-the-middle be the vulnerable spot of our pass coverage? Cal's pass defense seemed good to me except on two occasions: When we couldn't snuff out the screens in the middle of the game, and when we let Chris Turner find the soft spot of the zone yet again. Over. The. Middle.

Keep in mind that when the outcome wasn't totally wrapped up, Maryland did have some success marching down the field. Whether Maryland's O-line strength eroded or Cal's defense became too strong from that point on is something I'm not totally sure of.

Thankfully, the Bears are facing a myriad of teams debuting new quarterbacks, and the new linebacking corps, while struggling in the pass game outside of Mohamed, quickly adapted to their surroundings. It's a promising sign that Cal might be able to shut down even that aspect of the defense, given enough time and ability.

Perhaps a little optimistic even with these unanswered questions, but what else can you say after a score like 52-13? In the end it was a good old-fashioned romp.

Games I watched

Boise State 19, Oregon 8

I had a great recap post all written up for this particular story, then ragnarok had to go and ruin it by posting almost all the thoughts I had in the opening game thread. Not cool bro.

First of all, it’s pretty obvious that Oregon embarrassed themselves in pretty much every way it is possible for a football team to embarrass themselves on the field (and no, the all-white unis aren’t bad, the the wings really do look that stupid).

However, while it may be time to ratchet down expectations for the Ducks, I don’t see that it’s time for them to panic at all. Their offensive line had a terrible, terrible game, and it ruined Chip Kelly’s offense, but it’s not a dire, throw-out-the-playbook sort of situation. Masoli runs the spread very well (go back and watch the 2008 Holiday Bowl if you don’t believe me), though he’s still not much of a downfield passer, and Boise’s disruption up front lay waste to their offensive game plan before it ever really got started. I expect Oregon’s offense to get better as the line gets more experience, but that may not happen for a while.

The whole game itself was sloppy in the way that first-week games often are. Neither team looked great, although Boise at least acquitted itself fairly well, and I’ll take that into consideration when evaluating these teams. Boise will still make my Top 25, and Oregon will still go bowling this year, although I think any conference title talk is completely out the window until further notice. Maybe they figure a few things out and turn it around after a couple games, like Oregon State did last year, but I’m not holding my breath.

Missing Barry takes a harsher view, believing Oregon's about to go in the tank.

I’m pretty much in the opposite camp as you. I think Oregon got exposed yesterday. Boise didn’t beat them on flukes, trick plays, or by injuring all their QB’s – Boise beat them while playing a sloppy game themselves because they pushed Oregon around and dominated them on the line on both sides of the ball. They were simply the better team out there, and if it wasn’t for Moore just dropping the ball onto the field, or a few missed field goals, we’d have the perception that Boise smoked Oregon, instead of just beating them in a sloppy game.

Basically, Boise was simply the better team. They completely outmatched Oregon on the field, and I don’t think that bodes well for Oregon’s future. With a situation like @UT for Cal, I felt Cal got sucker punched by Syd getting beat (because Mixon was hurt) and just didn’t recover very well, but was capable of matching up with them most nights. Last night I saw a big gap between the two teams – Boise was clearly better – they slowly and methodically moved the ball for the entire first half, not on big plays, but by simply dominating Oregon on almost every play. Meanwhile the defense shut Oregon down completely. I really don’t think Oregon even showed the potential to be a very good team last night.

Of course, they’ll still probably play us tough in Autzen.

Addicted to Quack sums up the situation quite well:

But what's important here will be the response. This team could implode faster than the 2006 team, or, it could pull it together like Cal did in 2006. We just don't know. And so we'll get to stew with this terrible game until at least next weekend.

How do you guys feel Oregon will respond from this? Will they lay down or step up?

USC 56, San Jose State 3

I didn't try to analyze much of this, especially when the first real test for the Trojans comes next week. That being said, anyone thinking USC would miss a beat with Matt Barkley seems (at least through this weekend) mistaken. Conquest Chronicles notes that with so much talent at every other position on offense, the freshman quarterback won't have to be asked to do much.

Well, I think he had a decent game yesterday but I won't celebrate for a while..at least not until we get through the meat of the schedule. SJSU was a nice appetizer but lets concentrate on the steak and not the peas next weeks game in Columbus will give us some more infor on Barkley but it will it will be on the road against Cal and Oregon and at home against UW before I can make a solid opinion on the kid.

Barkley had a terrific supporting cast yesterday and that went along way to making his first start a little easier. There wasn't a running back on the sideline that didn't contribute and with the staff calling a very conservative game plan it was hard for Barkley to mess this one up.

How do you feel Matt Barkley will do in the Horseshoe Saturday night?

via i79.photobucket.com

Minnesota 23, Syracuse 20 (OT): Not an impressive game for the Golden Gophers, as the Dukie whipping boy Greg Paulus did plenty of damage before reverting to his natural state of choking Blue Devil (author's note: I hate Duke). The Daily Gopher goes over the best and the worst of the game (the best is below).

DEFENSE. The defense gave up a few big plays, but did a spectacular job of adjusting to the Syracuse offense as the game progressed. Cosgrove and Lee got the job done.

KICKING. Despite one bad field goal attempt, both the kicking and punting was strong for Minnesota. This bodes well for future close games. Eric Ellestad was cool under pressure with his last two field goals.

LEE CAMPBELL. Campbell was dominant at linebacker, and appears to have improved greatly from a solid 2008 season. Look for him to become the leader of the defensive squad on the field.

ERIC DECKER. Minnesota would have lost without him. He's back to his top form after finishing last season with some wear and tear.

TROY STOUDERMIRE. Despite a bad decision late in the game on a punt return, Stoudermire appears to be a great kick returner and a solid option at receiver.

Which of these positives worry you the most about the Cal-Minnesota contest?

Brief looks at the rest.

#11 LSU 31, Washington 23

UW Dawg Pound is pleased with what Locker did against LSU.

Jake Locker put up some big numbers last night which was good to see. The interception that was returned for a TD in the first quarter was unfortunate because without that gift LSU might have been playing in catch-up mode for most of the game. Jake flashed his wheels when he had to especially in the second half but he was definitely in pass first run second mode all night. LSU's team speed negated Jake's ability to create a big play with his feet. He did however pick up some critical third down conversions. What we saw last night was a kid who is a future first round draft choice who finally is getting the type of coaching he needs. Look for Jake to continue to improve every game and when he isn't playing a team as fast as LSU he is just going to eat the opposition up.

Oregon State 34, Portland State 7

Building the Dam is quite happy with the offensive line play

The offensive line was quite another matter. With zero starts on the left side, even the most zealous Beaver Believer had real questions about what would happen, especially against a veteran defensive line, albeit a Big Sky one.

The first test of fall term produced passing grades, however. Michael Philipp avoided what is often the downfall of otherwise solid linemen, something that showed so glaringly in Boise. When linemen are confused about assignments, and block no one because they aren't sure who to block, otherwise very good teams quickly look very bad, and it can be the whole program. Philipp turned in a solid job, and so did Grant Johnson at guard.

Leland Furd Junior 39, Washington State 13

Grady of Coug Center really likes the way James Montgomery is performing.

Let's talk about special teams first. The Cougars wasted a half's worth of kick returns by using Aire Justin in favor of James Montgomery. Let's not go crazy about Justin's horrible decision to start a return seven yards back in his own end zone; he knows that was a bad call and so do the coaches. What was a poor decision, however, was failing to put the better pure runner (Montgomery) out there in the first place. Justin is a defensive back who managed 16 yards per return. Montgomery is a running back who averaged 30 yards on three returns and gave the Cougars some hope in the field position game. Let's keep him there. (Side note: I'm growing to like Montgomery - especially the whole "I'm going to hit the other guy before he hits me" mentality")

UCLA 33, San Diego State 14

Nestor at Bruins Nation wasn't pleased with the slow start by the D, although believed they slowly got better as time went by.

Turning over to the defense, I am with 66 in the sense that I was disappointed by the slow start last night. The only explanation I have is that perhaps Coach Bullough was handicapped a bit because he didn't have any kind of game film to analyze. The pressure upfront towards the beginning of the game was non-existent. Seemed like Lindley had all day. However, we did seem to make decent adjustments after the first few series, and turned it on. Perhaps another reason we weren't getting to him faster was because he seemed to be taking 10-15 step drops to elude our pressure.

I like the fact that our defense seemed to be getting stronger as the game went on. Reggie Carter and Bosworth (although I am blanking out which one) had couple of vicious pops in the second half. However, I would like to see even more (controlled?) aggression in the first half, allowing the defense to make a statement. We are going to need that next week, if we want to stay in that game.

Arizona 19, Central Michigan 6

Arizona Desert Swarm is more than happy with how the Wildcats shut down CMU's stud senior quarterback.

What can you say about our defense? They were awesome. Dan Lefevour only had 108 passing. 108! This guys has set all kinds of records in the MAC and nationally. We held him to 108 yards. VunaTuihalamaka intercepted Lefevour on CMU's first possession for his first of the year. Tuihalamaka was absolutely everywhere last night. We'll be back later in the day or tomorrow to grade the defense coaching plan for the CMU game.

Arizona State 50, Idaho State 3

House of Sparky talks about the athletes on ASU's team that could be the ones to look out for in the future, although there is one aspect of the Sun Devil performance that should give their fans cause for concern.

Mike Nixon looked incredible last night. His experience, wisdom and superior talent really shone through. We're going to need him to come up big all season if we want to achieve the goals we are capable of.

Thomas Weber is looking pretty good, even if he missed one of his chip shots.

Danny Sullivan appears to be more comfortable than I've ever seen him before in a Sun Devil uniform, but Brock Osweiler looked poised in the pocket as well. Watch out, Danny.

Is anyone else concerned about the lack of a running game? In reality, we barely scratched the surface of what we should be doing on the ground.

I expect Gerell Robinson to be increasingly utilized over the course of the season. He's a quality player.

First Impressions From Week 1; ASU wins big, 50-3

Cory Williams — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:28:27 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Danny Sullivan is comin' to getcha.

Browse more photos »

Lets take a quick look at last night's game.

Mike Nixon looked incredible last night. His experience, wisdom and superior talent really shone through. We're going to need him to come up big all season if we want to achieve the goals we are capable of.
Thomas Weber is looking pretty good, even if he missed one of his chip shots.
Danny Sullivan appears to be more comfortable than I've ever seen him before in a Sun Devil uniform, but Brock Osweiler looked poised in the pocket as well. Watch out, Danny.
The new jerseys look fantastic (see above).
Is anyone else concerned about the lack of a running game? In reality, we barely scratched the surface of what we should be doing on the ground.
I expect Gerell Robinson to be increasingly utilized over the course of the season. He's a quality player.
I am very happy with Cameron Marshall's first appearance in maroon and gold, he played well for a freshman.
Finally, Idaho State is truly brutal. I am embarrassed that we played such a creampuff when there were such better options at the time we made our schedule.
The Sun Devils are now 1-0, and are undefeated!