SB Nation - Dimitri Nance

Clear Signs Of Progress: Rick Neuheisel Has Our Bruins Marching Forward (And Meeting Expectations)

Nestor — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:23:54 -0000

Jerzy, Westgate ("Special Teams Zealot" as dubbed by Petros), and Dye getting ready for another huge game week

Let's do another quick reset on this Sunday. Rick Neuheisel's UCLA football team is entering the last game of the regular season (the Holy one) with a record of 6-5, riding a 3 game winning streak. Obviously if you look around here and among other hard core UCLA communities you will get a sense of giddiness and optimism we haven't experienced in a long time. However, no one should mistake that with the notion that we think somehow 6 wins are the standards of success in Westwood. Anyone doing that (like the moronic beat reporter from the Trojan Times) is missing the big picture about where UCLA program was when Rick Neuheisel took it over and how long the journey is going to be before we finally get the program to where it belongs (regularly competing for Pac-10 championships).

During the pre-season, consensus emerged re. expectations heading into this year projecting UCLA to win either 6 or 7 regular season games making itself bowl eligible. Getting to that stage after suffering through a 4-8 season (marked by a talent and experience void all over the team) would amount to same accomplishment for Neuehisel, as what Howland did during his second year in Westwood when he got us into the first round of NCAA tournament. Well with just one game left in this season, I think CRN can make a good argument that he has gotten it done. This year Bruins have won every game they were supposed to (which wasn't the case during previous regimes). They came short in games they were underdogs except for the one in Tennessee and if not for a dropped interception (which would probably turn into pick-6) in Corvallis they would probably looking at a pretty solid 7-4 record at this point in CRN's second season in Westwood. In other words, despite what some blowhards in the media tried to tell us earlier this year (writing nonsense like Neuheisel's team "falling apart") the UCLA football program is showing clear signs of progress and taking step towards right direction.

Those signs of progress were pretty evident yesterday on both sides of the ball. I will start with the defense. Chuck Bullough has gotten a lot of critcism this year (and I though it was deserved). However, it was his defense that really set the tone and won the game for us against ASU. I thought it was huge, especially going into the game, knowing how tough the ASU defense was we were looking at our defense to win the game for us. Well they came through in a big way, destroying the Sun Devil's offense (which seems to have found its own QB) with 6 TOs, returning two for TDs, and limiting them to 315 total yards. Price and Ayers were the defensive terror mongers:

Price had four tackles for a loss, including two sacks.

"It's just hard to block him," defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough said. "He's a powerful guy."

Ayers had two tackles for a loss, one of which was a sack. Bullough used him at defensive end at times, as Korey Bosworth was hampered by a sprained ankle.

"Sometimes he gives you that burst off the edge," Bullough said. "You want to put in him in spots like that because he can be successful."

We have already talked a little about how cool it is to see Ayers coming off the edge. The player he reminds me most of is the late great Derrick Thomas. He seems to have found his natural place in our defense. It's not dropping back in coverage but to find a way to get to the quarterback or just hang out in backfield. It's just fun to watch and he has now emerge as the clear front runner to take share the leadership role with Rahim Moore for next year's defense.

As for Brian Price, what else is there to say. I am going to miss the Big Bear next season. He was classic BP. However, the play that will give Chetey Petey something to think about is the one leading to the second TD. Someone needs to review the tape but IIRC in that sequence BP had lined up at the edge bringing pressure from the outside. That was a new wrinkle Bullough through at Arizona State, which caught them flatfooted. Loved it.

The rest of the defense did all right. Seemed like we had our classic slow start at the beginning when Dimitri Nance kept gashing us for chunks of yardage in that first drive. He was just slicing through the front-7 at the beginning before ATV took it to the House. The defense did make some adjustments though and as a result after Nance racked up some solid yardage at the beginning, he didn't do much rest of the game. Both of the ASU TDs seem to come in broken plays when their QB basically made something out of nothing. Heading into next weekend the Bruin defense will obviously take on an offense with surreal talent. However, I think if they can generate the same kind of heat on Heisman Barkley, and contain McKnight around 120-140 yard rushing yards for the day, I think we will have a shot. More after the jump.

Moving over to the offense, I actually was all right with what I saw from our offense yesterday. We knew we were taking on the best defense in the conference and one of the better ones in the nation. ASU's front-7 is really good and they are vicious hitters. Their secondary also played well. This was one of those games we needed Prince to manage the game and he did exactly that. Our offense didn't turn the ball over once, helping UCLA to win the TO margin by 6-0.

Of course the penalties were killers. Probably cost a TD here and there as we racked up 11 penalties for 100 yards. We will have to clean that up especially among our OL. On the other hand, I thought our OL did ok as they gave Kevin Prince time and most importantly, help wear down the ASU defense in second half, by opening up holes for Chane - The Train - Moline. Here is CRN talking about his game script:

"We learned how not to lose a game," UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said. "We hung in there and protected a lead. That doesn't mean you can afford to not stay aggressive. Penalties kept us from getting a little momentum down the field. But by not turning the ball over and playing sound field-position football, we kept ourselves ahead."

Norm Chow emphasized the point about winning the TO battle to win the game:

"We gave it away last year," UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "They gained 120 yards on offense, and we gave it to them. We couldn't do that. You get to the end and you try to win the game. At this point in the season, all you have to (do is) win. However you win, you have to win."

And his field general - Kevin Prince - talked about making it happen with ball control on the field:

"We weren't trying to do anything too big," said Prince, who added 42 yards on the ground. "That's a good way to describe it, a mature performance. It's important to go in there and execute a game-plan. The coaches just wanted to make sure we didn't turn it over. That's the story of the game - five to zero in turnover margin."

Actually it was better than 5 to 0 Kevin (it was 6-0). A huge reason we were able to win that battle was because of dependable and productive carries from Chane. CRN was impressed:

Senior Chane Moline came to UCLA as a tailback and scored five touchdowns as a short-yardage back as a freshman. He has played fullback this season, but Saturday he was back at tailback, grinding out 84 yards in 25 carries.

The move was made after the Bruins had trouble with fumbles in recent weeks.

"We have been using Chane in bits and pieces and decided maybe we should do it on an every-down basis," Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "It was fun to watch us slug it out."

It was definitely fun to see our OL opening holes against a solid DL and Chane just blast through it. I wonder if we are going to see some of the identical packages next weekened (mixed in with doses of Jet Ski and Knox)

In terms of next week, Reggie Carter as always is just a little excited:

"I love being underdogs. I hope they think we can't win at all. Hopefully, we're 50-point underdogs," he said. "Then they'll be surprised if we win."

Prince is glad that we don't have to go through a bye week to wait for the Trojans:

"I'd prefer doing it this way; I hate bye weeks," Prince said. "I feel like it kind of takes you off your rhythm. It's good for getting guys healthy, but we're healthy enough. We needed to come out here and play and continue to get our confidence going."

And I will end with this from CRN:

"As a program, you've got to learn to crawl, then walk," Neuheisel said. "Next week, let's see if we can't run a little bit."

Well we are glad that our team is standing and walking after all the cat calls about it "falling apart" earlier this season coach. It is going to be fun to read about these guys prepare for next Sat. Hopefully our coaches will have our boys locked in and focused for their best game week of practice. I think it will a matter of which guys are the most prepared next Saturday.

I feel confident though that Rick Neuheisel and his staff will do whatever possible to get our boys focused and ready. As mentioned above, given what we have seen this month (and actually the whole season) it's clear our guys are fighting together every game. They have already done their part for showing progress.

GO BRUINS.

Samson Szakacsy Forced Into Duty During Lopsided Loss To Oregon

Cory Williams — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:21:18 -0000

More photos » by Rick Bowmer - AP

about 1 month ago: Arizona State's quarterback Samson Szakacsy (10) passes against Oregon in the second half during their NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Eugene, Ore. Oregon defeated Arizona State 44-21. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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Well, last night's game was quite tough to stomach. Going into halftime down 31-7, the Sun Devils were down to their 3rd string QB, Samson Szakacsy, after Brock Osweiler went down with a left forearm injury in the 2nd quarter.

Something strange happened after halftime, though. Szakacsy came out and used his legs and his arm to bring the Devils back into striking range. Down 31-21, ASU looked alive. About as alive as this team can look with the vanilla, uninspired playcalling coming from the sidelines.

Coach Erickson's lack of ideas on offense is truly mindblowing. How many times can you run the ball to the right with Dimitri Nance? Is it really that unusual to run the ball towards the other team's endzone?

Where was Cameron Marshall? He did not play until the game was already over.

It wasn't ALL bad, however. Samson Szakacsy played well given the circumstances, and it is nice to get him playing time in a loud environment such as Autzen Stadium. He ended up going 13/22 with a TD pass, and he also ran for 9 yards on 5 attempts.

Nance was given 26 carries, while Marshall only garnered three. At this point in the season, what justification can be given for this? Nance has proven that he is only a marginal Pac-10 player, and it is important to get your young players as much experience as you can.

Without a commitment to the future, you can see Dennis Erickson's "play it safe" mentality shining through. He's going through the motions with this football team, cashing his check every week and denying the fans an opportunity to even get a glimpse of the future potential of this squad.

Give us more, Coach Erickson. You are making far too much money to be mailing it in.

Ducks coast to easy victory over Sun Devils, shows promise for Rose Bowl run

jtlight — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:47:57 -0000

by Rick Bowmer - AP

LaMichael James is on pace to be the most productive back in Oregon history.

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It's not often that a 23 point victory can be view as "disappointing," and while I won't quite that far, it sure seems like the Ducks left a lot on the field. They turned the ball over twice, which led to 14 of ASU's 21 points. They allowed a QB getting his first significant playing time to complete some big 3rd downs after getting outside the pocket. They struggled to stop the run during a couple of drives. Jeremiah Masoli struggled with his accuracy in the second half.

But, beyond the many mistakes, the Ducks looked dominant when they wanted to, led 31-7 at the half, and controlled the game after scoring on their first drive, something which they have been very poor at throughout the year.

So, with the game in hand, I was watching this game with an eye towards the Arizona and OSU games. And, though I have some concerns, what I saw this weekend made me feel much better.

First, Jacquizz Rodgers will give our defense fits, and will get a lot of yards after initial contact. The Ducks had trouble stopping Dimitri Nance at times, and he gained a number of yards after initial contact. Quizz will do the same. However, the speed of the Ducks defense gives the Ducks the ability to get quick penetration into the backfield, and I believe the Ducks will be able to get enough pressure at times to force OSU into 2nd and 3rd and long situations. At least, I hope that's the case.

The Oregon front 7 was able to get pressure on the ASU quarterbacks. Unfortunately, due to Samson Szakacsy's speed, he was able to neutralize that pressure. The Ducks, after struggling to create pressure against the two best offensive line's in the conference, notched two sacks, and pressured the QBs multiple times. In the next two games, the Ducks will face offenses that will be susceptible to pressure. OSU has done a very poor job of protecting the QB all year, and Arizona gave up 3 sacks against Cal, nearly doubling the number of sacks they've given up all year. Also, Arizona, up until this week, had not faced the top 5 pass rushes in the Pac-10, so their numbers are skewed. The greatest problem for the Ducks when they faced Stanford was the lack of any pressure on Andrew Luck. I don't forsee a similar problem in the last two games of the season. It's also important that niether Sean Canfield nor Foles have the scrambling ability that gave Oregon fits last night.

While the secondary took a beating last week, they played very well this week. Talmadge Jackson III is proving to be a very good CB, especially on deep passes. Cliff Harris almost had his 2nd interception as a Duck, and the safety play was back to what we expect, after a very poor showing against Stanford.

Offensively, we have one of the best running backs in the nation in LaMichael James. I've run out of words for him. He simply makes amazing plays every single week. The Oregon offensive line dominated the top rushing defense in the conference, and Oregon steamrolled it's way to 250+ rushing yards.

Passing the ball, Oregon had a good but not great game. However, Masoli and the Duck receivers have done a great job of finding holes in the zones. Masoli's accuracy problems notwithstanding, he had a great touchdown pass to Jeff Maehl. One thing that has been missing from Oregon's offense is the deep threat, and we have seen flashes of it over the last three games, which is a great sign for the offense in general.

I still don't see how Arizona or Oregon State will slow down the Ducks offense. They haven't been held below 40 points with Masoli at the helm in Pac-10 play. As long as the Ducks don't turn the ball over, the offense should be pretty much unstoppable.

So, what'd you guys take from the game? What concerned you? What gave you hope? Either way, it's good to wash away the taste of the Stanford game with a win. GO DUCKS!

Poll

Which of the Ducks remaining two games worries you more?

Arizona Wildcats

215 votes

Oregon State Beavers

276 votes

491 votes | Poll has closed

Inside The Numbers: ASU Edition

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

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Can Jahvid Best or Shane Vereen do this against ASU?

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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!

ASU Wins a Thriller Against Washington, 24-17

Cory Williams — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:32:30 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

That's what I am talking about!

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WOW.

That is all I can say about last night's epic battle between the Sun Devils and the Huskies. I have never seen such a hard fought game between evenly matched teams.

ASU received a huge boost from the 53,219 fans in attendance (many of which were family members of ASU students, seeing as it is family weekend here in the desert).

A lot of great things happened last night for ASU fans. The playcalling received a shot in the arm, and the trickery was just what our stagnant offense needed to get back on track.

Kyle Williams, despite fumbling out the end zone later in the game, earns a gold star for his well placed touchdown bomb to TJ Simpson, who has quickly become a bigger part of this Sun Devil offense.

Who else deserves credit for their performances last night?

Dimitri Nance: I am not the only one who wrote off Dimitri Nance after his abysmal 2008 campaign. Since then, he has rebuilt his image and rejuvenated our faith in him. Nance appears quicker, and is showing better instincts. He was hyped to be the thunder in 2008, but this year he has actually delivered, running hard into the open holes and picking up 70 yards on 13 carries against Washington.

Cameron Marshall: Don't you love it when true freshman contribute to a big win? Marshall carried the ball 4 times, picking up 76 yards (the vast majority of which came on his 75 yard rush in the 3rd quarter that set up a Thomas Weber field goal to give us a 17-7 lead). The crowd went absolutely wild on this play.

Danny Sullivan: What?! Sullivan getting credit for something? It's true. He needed this win so badly. He threw for 263 yards and generally speaking, led the team on several lengthy drives. While I think it was great to get Samson Szakascy into the game on the option run, and I wish Brock Osweiler had received a few snaps, I think Sully competed admirably for the fightin' maroon and gold.

Lets not forget some Haterade...

The Referees: My Lord. For a few minutes there, I actually thought the fix was in. We were flagged on some rather ticky tack plays, and the crowd really let the refs have it. I have to ask, were the fans booing loudly on the TV broadcast? Because to be honest, I was too busy screaming obscenities to hear the decibel level.

And finally, just to point something out...

Vontaze Burfict is extremely talented, but he needs to check himself before he wrecks himself: He runs around like he is about to kill whoever gets in his way, and I love having him on our side. But at times last night, he was literally out of control. We cannot have him committing so many penalties. It makes us look bad and ruined several good defense stops. In time, he will be considered one of the best. For now, he needs to realize what is important- making plays before the whistle blows.

The Sun Devils are 4-2 and look primed to take on the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto next weekend. After losing to UA last night, I believe we can take the Furd.

Poll

How many wins will the Devils finish with this season?

5

12 votes

6

18 votes

7

30 votes

8

13 votes

9

5 votes

10

0 votes

11

4 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

Arizona State Preview

John Berkowitz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:49 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

2 months ago: Arizona's Nick Foles is hit by Washington's Daniel Te'o-Nesheim as he makes a pass during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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After back-to-back close contests the last two Saturday's the UW football team returns to the road for a night game in the desert on Saturday against Arizona State.

The game opened with ASU as a three point favorite and has increased to as much as seven at some of the houses in Las Vegas. A couple of clues for the run up is the proximity of Vegas to Phoenix and the obvious edge ASU holds in the stats in comparison to Washington this season. What the stats don't explain is strength of schedule but the odds makers and gamblers seem to be ignoring that key factor.

I really don't blame them because if I was an impartial gambler I would take ASU. The game is in their home stadium. The game is on a grass field. Most importantly those defensive numbers even held together in losses to two respectable opponents...OSU and Georgia.

I picked Washington because of a few different factors. Locker is a mobile QB that will challenge the Devil defense a lot more than the big immobile QB's at Georgia and Oregon State. Washington has been tough in the red zone all season and that isn't likely to change on Saturday night. ASU's field goal kicker is every questionable because of a groin injury and the replacement missed two PAT's last week at WSU. ASU won't get into the red zone as much as Arizona did and zero's rather than three's can be fatal in a game like this.

Even more important is the propensity of ASU to turn the ball over. They turned it over six times against WSU last week. If they turn it over half as much against Washington they are going to be in serious trouble. The other side of the story is ASU is just as adept at getting the opposition to turn over the ball. They have an incredible plus 7 ratio in the department despite turning the ball over six times last week. Washington has to minimize the errors to beat the Sun Devils. Yards will be tough enough to get without giving an anemic Sun Devil offense the advantage of a short field by turning the ball over.

Like every game left on the schedule this season it is going to be a grind it out, sit on the edge of your seat type of affair. Like we have said since the LSU and USC games...Washington has the ability to beat every team left on the schedule. They also have the ability to lose every game except for WSU.

Position Matchups

Quarterback - Washington - Jake Locker is the best QB in the conference and Danny Sullivan is in danger of losing his job to a true freshman. Sullivan will benefit from a short passing game on Saturday. The question is how long will it take him to throw a pick six with one of his wild throws? A bigger question is how long will Erickson wait to put 6'8 Brock Osweiler in the game?

Running Back - Even - ASU has been able to run the ball this season when they have wanted to. Washington struggled to get a running game going last week against Arizona. The ASU front seven is just as good as the one Washington faced last week. ASU needs to work on eliminating errors. They need to hang onto the ball. The return of Johri Fogerson gives UW a little more depth and creativity at the RB spot.

Wide Receivers - Washington - ASU potentially could have its two leading receivers out on Saturday. Both McGaha (Flu) and Williams (Hamstring) have had big games recently. Washington has more overall depth and everyone is healthy this week. ASU had to activate a true frosh this week to gain some depth. Devin Aguilar had two TD passes against Arizona and has the team's second-best per-catch average at 15.0. Last years leading receiver D'Andre Goodwin returns this week after sitting out the Arizona game with a concussion. Jordan Polk is out for a couple weeks with a cartilage tear.

Tight End - Washington - Kavario Middleton has had two strong games in a row for Washington. ASU lost their starting TE last weekend for six weeks with a broken jaw. Kavario has seven catches for 73 yards and one touchdown in the last two games.

Offensive Line - Washington - This is one of those rare times when I give the UW OL a decided edge. ASU has one of the worst lines in the conference. Washington's line has been serviceable so far this season. They seem to give Locker enough time and Polk seems to be able to get his yards when they go to him. The big question of course is how they will cope with one of the best front 7's they have seen this year. Could that negate the advantage?

Defensive Line - Arizona State - This is a really good front four that is coming off a 12 sack game. Does Washington even have close to that number all season? The UW defensive line needs to get pressure on the QB this week and force some errors. The Huskies are tough against the run. Stanford was the only team to expose so far this season. ASU will come after Locker all day long.

Linebacker - Even - Washington has matched up and played well against every team on the schedule with this experienced unit. Nixon and Burfict are having great seasons for ASU. This is pretty much of a tossup. The power factor is ASU has the better defensive line at this point. You put both the front units together and you have an excellent front seven.

Secondary - Arizona State - Omar Bolden hasn't been healthy this season but is a possibility this weekend. His lack of health has held back this unit. If he was healthy I would rank the ASU secondary in top four of the conference. I think UW and ASU are pretty even back here but I hesitate to give UW the edge with Justin Glenn out for the season. The return of Nate Williams and Jason Wells are a big plus for Washington. UW should have more scheme options this week to battle the short passing game.

Special Teams - Washington - ASU missed a couple of PAT's last week and are auditioning kickers. ASU PK Thomas Weber (groin) is listed as questionable. The 2007 Lou Groza Award winner has missed the past four games. Washington has a decent coverage game and Erik Folk has been rock sold when called upon. Chris Polk gave the return game a boost last week. Now if only Will Mahan can catch all his snaps this weekend. His miscue in the third quarter almost cost Washington the game.

Game Match ups

Washington running game versus the Arizona State defense

Nobody has been able to run on Arizona State this season. Both Georgia and Oregon State which sport pretty good rushing offenses were held under 100 yards by the Sun Devil defense. Washington has seen some pretty good front seven's this year. They will spend the time it takes to try to establish a running game. Chris Polk is one of the toughest backs in the conference. He carries people with him after contact for important extra yards.

Jake Locker who didn't run much this season till last weekend again will be called upon to run the ball this weekend. The Devils are aggressive and like to blitz which means the opportunity is there for Locker to anticipate that, step up, and take off. When Jake gets into the secondary it is tough to catch up with him since he is the fastest player on the field.

Washington Passing Game versus the Arizona State defense

Jake is the top QB in the Pac 10 this season. He is a playmaker that can make things happen at any time. This week he is going to have the opportunity to burn the Devils deep. If he can hit his receivers in stride early when the Devils are exposed by the blitz it could give Washington a few early lightning strikes. The ASU offense does not perform well while trailing.

The key for Washington is avoiding the pass rush and scheming around it. These guys sacked WSU 12 times last weekend. We all know WSU sucks but that is still pretty impressive. Locker's mobility is a big plus but as we have seen on past games it is possible to sack Jake Locker. The offensive line really has to bring their A game on Saturday.

The Huskies have to open up ASU's defense enough to get some play-action going. If Jake has the time he has the potential to light up ASU with both his arm and his feet.

Arizona State rushing game versus the Washington defense

Arizona State is proficient at running the ball but Washington should be able to control this portion of the game forcing the game onto Danny Sullivan's shoulders. I really don't expect the Devils to run that much on Saturday night. Erickson has seen the film from last week’s game and I think he will choose to move the ball with a short and wide high percentage passing game.

The coaches have been happy with Alameda Ta'amu lately. They think he did a pretty good job plugging the middle last week against Arizona. Everrette Thompson is also getting good marks after moving inside. The coaches like the speed he is bringing to the middle this season.

Erickson primarily runs a lot of one back stuff. He spreads the field and that usually gives his running backs some room to move. Expect Thompson's speed to be a factor. UW will have to substitute liberally because of the early heat.

Arizona State passing game versus the Washington Defense

Danny Sullivan gets a lot of the blame for a tepid Sun Devil offense. Sullivan threw three interceptions against the Cougars last weekend and Brock Osweiler fumbled a snap. If the Devils continue to make the same mistakes against a much tougher Washington defense they are going to be in for a long night.

Like I said earlier Erickson is likely to opt for a short passing game to help take the pressure off his maligned QB. It worked well for Arizona last week and in this conference once a weakness is exposed teams will continue to prey on that weakness until you prove you can stop it.

A big reason Arizona had so much success last week with the bubble screen was the fact that UW was shorthanded in the secondary. The Calvary arrives in the form of Nate Williams and Jason Wells this week. Having Williams available gives Washington a lot more options. Wells isn't back to full speed yet in fact he may never get back to full speed. If UW can get 15-20 or so quality snaps out of him this week it will be a big plus.

ASU likes to split things out three wide and go to the sidelines. UW had a tough time defending that type of stuff last week so they need to come up with an early answer for it. Sullivan will work out of the shot gun quite a bit to avoid the rush and will be called on to release quickly.

The intangibles

Playing on the road at Sun Devil stadium isn't easy when it is packed. The Huskies are in luck this week. The Devils haven't been drawing that well this season. Washington travels well to the desert and there are plenty of Husky fans who live in the area who will show up at the game.

ASU committed six turnovers against WSU last week. Washington needs to take advantage of that.

The possible return of place kicker Thomas Weber could be crucial to the Sun Devil hopes of winning this game. Washington has been shutting down opponents in the red zone this season and limiting them to field goals. ASU missed two PAT's against WSU last week. If Weber isn't ready to go the potential of those three's turning into zeros in the red zone is very possible.

Chris Polk and possible Curtis Shaw are going to be the primary kickoff return men this week.

This isn't Dennis Erickson's first rodeo. He is one of the best collegiate coaches in the nation. He knows how to put his team in a position to win.

Game Notes

Curtis Shaw on how he feels being left out of the offense so far this season:

"Sometimes it just happens this way," Shaw said. "There’s always someone better than you out there. We’ve got a running back that’s doing good right now, and he’s hot. We just want to keep it going until the flame runs out - hopefully it doesn’t. You roll with what goes. Right now we’re going with him because we’re getting good results: We just got a (win over Arizona). It doesn’t really matter (who plays). As long as we win, it doesn’t really matter. A ‘W’ is a ‘W’ no matter what."

Coach Steve Sarkisian on the possibility of a Rose Bowl:

"I think of it that way, in the fact we still have an opportunity for it. In reality, I like our guys thinking about this game (against ASU)," Sarkisian said after practice Wednesday. "But when there’s something still sitting there for you to accomplish, it’s nice to look at it to know, ‘Man, the hard work I put in today might help us accomplish something down the road.’ "

Redshirt freshman Chris Polk is third in the conference in carries (115) and has 486 yards rushing. No running back in the league makes up more of his team’s rushing totals than the Redlands, Calif., product.

ASU has a young team. On this week’s depth chart for the game at Arizona State, half of the 22 starters are either sophomores or freshmen.

The Huskies give up 161.3 rushing yards per game, second-to-last in the conference. Their 418 total yards given up per game also is ninth in the Pac-10.

The Huskies are averaging more return yards on punts (18.5, best in Pac-10) than on kickoffs (18.3, worst in Pac-10). That is a big reason that Chris Polk has stepped in the the KO return role.

Daniel Teo Nesheim has 21 career sacks rank No. 7 all-time for Washington in that category with at least six games left in his college career.

CB Quinton Richardson is in danger of losing his starting to Adam Long who has had the majority of snaps with the first unit the week.

Offensive tackle Nick Scott (shoulder) and defensive end Kalani Aldrich (knee) are iffy to play against ASU. Both are listed as day to day.

In three consecutive games, the UW has scored a touchdown on defense. The UW sports information department, which has access to records that go back to the mid-1940s, discovered earlier this week that the three-straight-game feat had never before been done at the school.

UW opponents are 17-for-17 on field goals this season.

ASU CB Omar Bolden may have to sit out on Saturday with a knee injury. That would be a blow for the Sun Devil secondary.

ASU is first in the conference in total defense (221.8) and second in scoring defense (15.8 points per game).

ASU QB Danny Sullivan is 93 of 174 for 1,008 yards, with four touchdowns and five interceptions so far in 2009.

Dimitri Nance is the leading Sun Devil ball carrier. He has 89 carries for 366 yards and five touchdowns.

UW holds a 15-13 edge in the all-time series with ASU. Arizona State won 39-19 last year in Seattle.

The Huskies currently rank fifth in the nation with a third-down conversion rate of 53.33 percent (48-of-90). Their 48 successful conversions are the second-most of any team in the country. In the red zone, Washington has scored 19 of 21 times this season, with only a lost fumble and a loss of downs marring a perfect record. That 19-for-21 mark (.905) rates 28th (tied) in the country.

On defense, the Huskies have also had remarkable red-zone success. While opponents have scored in 25 of 30 attempts, they’ve been held to a field goal on 14 of those 25 scores, meaning that opponents have scored a touchdown on only 11 of 30 (.367) trips inside the UW 20-yard line.

UW's first six opponents are 22-5 excluding games against the Huskies -- only Virginia Tech and Florida State have faced opponents with a better combined record.

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.

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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."

Georgia Bulldogs 20, Arizona State Sun Devils 17

T Kyle King — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:21:32 -0000

My father will not leave a sporting event early. This dates back to his boyhood, when he rode into town to see minor league baseball games in Cordele, Ga., with a local man who insisted upon leaving at the seventh-inning stretch in order to beat traffic. That is, in order to beat the sort of traffic one encountered when leaving a minor league baseball game in Cordele, Ga., in the 1950s.

Because of that experience, Dad insists upon getting his money’s worth out of a game. As a result, I have spent more than one summer afternoon under the overhang at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium watching rain pelt a tarp during an Atlanta Braves weather delay while thinking, If I were home, I’d be watching Andy Griffith right now. Although I do not quite have Dad’s fortitude in such matters---I left the 1996 Texas Tech game early; Dad stayed in Sanford Stadium to the very end---I have inherited much of his devotion to sticking it out while the game is being played.

Consequently, I was present for the entirety of last night’s game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Arizona St. Sun Devils. I was drenched to the skin by the time the game began, and I hung around ‘til the final horn, teeth chattering and legs weary, while thinking, At least I’m not as wet and cold as I was at the 1993 Florida game.

In a not unrelated item, Doug Gillett and Orson Swindle are total wusses.

I was supposed to meet Doug at his usual tailgate spot at Tent City, and, while a good crowd was there, Doug was not. He had promised to bring Holly Anderson (whom I have never met face-to-face), but, since he didn’t come, she didn’t come, and he also had promised to bring Orson and The Conscience of a Nation, but, since he didn’t come, they didn’t come, either.

I know Holly and TCOAN are women of fortitude and substance who happily would have braved the elements, so I will not disparage them in the slightest, but Doug and Orson are buddies of mine, so I feel perfectly justified (in a good-natured locker room sort of way) in denouncing them as a couple of pansified nancy-boys who melt upon contact with water like witches in "The Wizard of Oz" or major league baseball players. Ignore what they have to say about college football and heed the words of a man who was fan enough (or a fan who was man enough) to stand out in it and shiver and cheer ‘til he was hoarse. These are those words:

My faith that there is symmetry to the universe is underscored by the fact that, on the Saturday following the 25th anniversary of Kevin Butler’s historic last-second field goal to beat Clemson, Georgia won on a last-second field goal in a game in which Drew Butler played well for the ‘Dawgs on special teams.

What appeared to be the case through much of the second quarter in Stillwater appeared to be the case through halftime this weekend: Georgia had the game well in hand, despite the relative closeness of the score, until the Bulldogs started coughing up the ball. Three giveaways a game in each of the first four weeks is inexcusable and will lead inevitably to ruin against teams in the Red and Black’s weight class. As it stands, the Athenians have won three straight nailbiters when, without the turnovers, they’d have won three straight comfortable victories, and maybe even three straight runaways.

Because the foregoing statement is true, it also is the case that you can’t hang this one on the defense. I have criticized the Georgia D’s failure to step up in sudden change situations, a shortcoming which was all too apparent against the Auburn Tigers and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last year and against the Arkansas Razorbacks this year. Against the Sun Devils, though, the Classic City Canines at least showed some fight following Caleb King’s third quarter fumble. Arizona State took over at the home team’s 37 yard line and required eight plays (including two third down conversions) to score. I wish they hadn’t given up the touchdown, but at least they contested it even when placed in a tough spot. Obviously, the defense stepped up a second time after Jarrell Holman’s interception return to the Georgia 21. The ‘Dawgs pushed the Sun Devils backwards on the drive, which ended in a blocked field goal. The results of those efforts offer at least a glimmer of hope, as does the fact that the defense ultimately adjusted and appeared to figure out how to slow down Dimitri Nance.

Six penalties for 45 yards isn’t good, but I’ll take it. Likewise, while the special teams were far from flawless, they turned in their best performance of the season so far. Please, let it be "so far."

The young and talented Bulldogs are starting to shed the trappings of youth and demonstrate the fact of their talent. This week, Bacarri Rambo and Rantavious Wooten began to emerge from the cocoon of hype and enter the early stages of realizing their potential.

We in the South should abandon all usage of the phrase "SEC speed" in any manner which is other than ironic. That Pac-10 defense looked pretty doggone fast to me. In a related item, although Caleb King was an effective complement to Richard Samuel, this might have been a good game to give Carlton Thomas some carries, as his running style might have been better suited to getting through the Sun Devils' defense.

Sometimes, conventional wisdom gets to be conventional wisdom because it’s correct. Attempts to surprise the other team by handing off to the fullback only work when your frequent use of the fullback in short yardage situations on third down hasn’t caused everyone in the stadium to look for a handoff to the fullback. Georgia has a stable of talented running backs; they should be used in such situations. By the same token, the Bulldogs have to get Logan Gray in for whole drives at the time, not for one snap at a time for plays that are blown up immediately due to their predictability.

Going for it on fourth down was a bad call. It’s fourth and one in the fourth quarter of a low-scoring tie ballgame. You have the ball on the visitors’ 28 yard line, the wind at your back, and Blair Walsh standing on the sidelines. You kick the dadgum field goal.

That said, the final drive following the blocked field goal was well designed and well executed. Joe Cox, who earlier in the game had thrown the ball when he should have run it, picked up three yards when a play broke down and completed four out of five attempts before darting to the hash mark and kneeling to set up a field goal on the final play of the game. Facing overtime as the worst realistic scenario, the Bulldogs had a win virtually assured and made sure to do nothing that would give it away.

Georgia is living on the edge, which justifiably is causing considerable heartburn in Bulldog Nation, but the LSU Tigers look every bit as beatable as the Red and Black in an autumn in which almost every team appears riddled with imperfections. Even if our team doesn’t seem to be particularly good, it may be enough that no one else seems to be particularly good, either.

Go ‘Dawgs!

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.

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