SB Nation - Dexter Davis

USC Football News and Notes 11/10 - The Offense

Paragon SC — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:45 -0000

USC is going to be challenged this weekend when they Stanford if for no other reason than the amount of players injured on the team.

This week Damian Williams is unlikely to play due to a high ankle sprain...

Damian Williams, USC's top receiver and punt returner, is doubtful for Saturday's game against Stanford because of a high ankle sprain suffered against Arizona State.

The junior did not practice Monday and wore a calf-high protective boot on his right foot.

"It's been tough the last two days just trying to walk," Williams said. "I kind of figured out, like, 'OK, there is a possibility that I might not play,' so that's really tough for me."

Williams said it was too early to rule out his playing against the Cardinal -- "I'm a quick healer," he said -- but high ankle sprains typically take weeks to heal.

USC tight end Anthony McCoy, for example, has sat out the last two games because of the same injury. The senior did a few drills Monday and said he would meet with doctors tonight with hopes of playing Saturday.

This is the last thing SC needs. This Stanford defense can be exploited but USC needs its skill players to make plays. RoJo is pretty much back at full strength so who will play the #2 receiver. Ausberry is pretty much out for the year. Carswell? Butler? Carswell has a toe injury so I doubt he's the guy. Butler has shown us some nice things, 10 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, but he hasn't been on the field enough to really show some consistency. Now is his chance. This is really concerning because the passing game has been the one thing that has kept opposing defenses on their heels as the running has been inconsistent.

This is where the coaching staff is going to earn their money...it is easy to be good when you are at full strength with top notch players. When you have piece a team together with untested players it is a whole different story.

One weapon SC hopes to have back is TE Anthony McCoy...

Receiver Damian Williams‘ situation makes tight end Anthony McCoy’s possible return even more essential for USC.

McCoy, who has missed the past two games, ran in a straight line and jumped without any setbacks Monday. He said he still has some pain but expects it to dissipate by the end of the week. He will try to practice Tuesday or Wednesday.

Although replacements Blake Ayles and Rhett Ellison have struggled with drops, that isn’t McCoy’s motivation to come back.

"The season’s almost over; that’s my urgency trying to get back," said McCoy, a senior. "I’ve got three games left. … I want to get back so I can finish my senior season."

Don't get me started. Ayles hasn't struggled, he simply hasn't shown up. He has 5-star talent with a 5th grade mind. He has dropped some easy balls the past few games that were drive stoppers. When highly touted players with great potential aren't getting it done it takes another option away for an already struggling offense. The TE position is crucial component to the USC offense so whomever is playing need to have a lot of positive production. I say give Ellison a bigger role until Ayles gets his head straight.

Of course the other concern that we really shouldn't have is with the O line. They got pushed around by the ASU defense especially their stud DE's. There is definitely some talent on the line but for some reason they have not lived up t their potential. Again, some of that is due to injury but you can't use that excuse forever...guys need to step and beat back the rush...

One of the more interesting comments following USC's offensive meltdown at Arizona State occurred when quarterback Matt Barkley said the Sun Devils' defensive ends lined up wider than expected and he could not see them when they tipped his passes.

But USC coaches said Monday the Sun Devils did not line up wider than other teams. They simply slipped past USC's offensive tackles when they pressured Barkley.

"We just got beat. Flat out," USC offensive coordinator John Morton said. "That was unexpected. It was one-on-one situations."

The most successful rusher was Arizona State defensive end Dexter Davis, who tipped two Barkley passes.

I understand that they can't protect Barkley on every play but you could see SC's O line really struggled. I also think that the ASU defense was already in Barkley's head before the game even started...he had happy feet all night. He never looked comfortable in the pocket. And it showed with some of the throws he made...he made a couple of short throws but it was the over thrown balls that concerned me more. That showed me a guy who had a little too much adrenalin going.

Barkley has enjoyed a fair amount of success this season it hasn't been perfect but it has been serviceable. His last to games though have shown us that his still growing into the game. I realize that some do not to want to hear that he is a freshman QB...but the facts are the facts. He is a true freshman and while he has shown us some great things he is still prone to mistakes. Heck, last season MArk Sanchez looked like a freshman against ASU throwing 3 or 4 picks, we see how that turned out...

Barkley is not satisfied with his poor performance...

Barkley completed only seven of 22 passes for 112 yards, 75 of which came on a catch-and-run touchdown by receiver Damian Williams.

Barkley was four for 11 for 24 yards in the first half and three for 11 for 88 yards in the second. He had one pass intercepted, and might have had two more if not for a penalty that overturned one and a drop that prevented another.

Barkley, who also struggled in the second half against Oregon, said he was "a little frustrated" against the Sun Devils.

"I just felt like we couldn't get into a rhythm," he said.

Barkley has completed 125 of 221 passes for 1,839 yards, with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

I cannot blame Oregon on Barkley...the coaches went off the reservation in trying to force things to play catch-up. But I can lay some blame on Barkley for his ASU performance...some receivers did drop some easy balls but Barkley made some errant throws as well...lets just say that there is plenty of blame to go around and leave it at that.

SC need to put all of its focus into beating Stanford this weekend.

- - -

File this in your "NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN." file...

Think UCLA at 4-5 is a cinch to make a bowl game with two more victories? Think again. In a testament to how weird this Pac-10 season has been, in order for the Bruins to earn a bowl invitation, not only must they beat Washington State and Arizona State but they likely need USC to win out … which means they would need to lose to USC in their regular season finale.

Consider the following:

There are only six guaranteed bowl spots for the Pac-10.

UCLA, with two victories in its final three games, would be 3-6 (6-6 overall) and finish seventh in the conference.

UCLA, if it wins out, would be 4-5 (7-5 overall) and still probably finish seventh in the conference. (Only Cal, currently 3-3 in the Pac-10, has a reasonable shot of falling below UCLA. If USC loses out it could also finish behind UCLA.)

Oregon’s loss to Stanford ended the Ducks’ outside shot of playing in the BCS title game, which would have given the conference an extra bowl bid.

USC is the only Pac-10 team in line to play in a BCS bowl other than the Rose Bowl, which would give the conference an extra bowl bid.

If Oregon wins out, it’s going to Pasadena. If the Ducks were to lose again, their ranking would be too low to play in another BCS Bowl. Neither Arizona, Oregon State or Stanford are positioned to finish high enough to make another BCS Bowl. (Note: Another Oregon loss would probably mean a three-way tie atop the conference, which could put USC in the Rose Bowl and deny the Pac-10 the extra bowl bid.)

In other words, UCLA needs any team other than USC in the Rose Bowl and USC in another BCS bowl. This leads to my favorite part: Heading into their season finale with USC, the Bruins, with victories in their next two games, could be in a situation where they would knock themselves out of a bowl by beating USC (subsequently knocking the Trojans out of a BCS bowl) but would ensure making a bowl by losing. That would be fascinating.

Heh.

Right...

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."

Some Rays of Sun Shine Through

mlev811 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:05:38 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

2 months ago: Arizona State wide receiver Kyle Williams (6) unsuccessfully tries to pull in a pass as Georgia cornerback Prince Miller, right, and linebacker Darryl Gamble (50) defend during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 20-17. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Browse more photos »

Although the rain came down steadily throughout the game, there were some bright spots on the field for the Devils in a tough 20-17 loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. Here is a quick break down of how the Devils fared...

QB: Not all the blame can go on Danny Sullivan as there were a few untimely drops from the receiving corps, but Sullivan's accuracy was plain horrendous. Sullivan couldn't seem to make a big play when we needed it and mismanaged the play clock several times. In order for this team to succeed, we need some production from the QB.

QB Grade: D

RB: Nance was the main RB for the Devils tonight, and he didn't take the opportunity for granted. Dmitri carried the Devils for much of the game with explosive runs and several catches. He scored the only offensive TD for the Devils, and showed that he can handle the majority of the carries for this team.

RB Grade: A-

OL: The offensive line provided Sullivan with some time to throw the ball for once. The pass and run protection held up relatively well throughout the game, sans a few breakdowns on some of Nance's runs. Compared to the OL's of the past few years, this one rose up to the occasion against a tough SEC defensive front.

OL Grade: B

WR/TE: The WR's had game changing drops. A number 1 receiver (ahem...Kyle Williams) is expected to make the routine plays while also making some outstanding plays. Williams did neither. 2 Huge drops in the 4th quarter took away first downs from the Sun Devils anemic offense and killed the momentum after a turnover. With Sully's good passes being few and far between, we can't afford to drop the ball. Knapp also had a drop, although we would've most likely been stopped short of the first. Overall, I expect more from the WR's.

WR Grade: C-

Special Teams: The special teams met expectations with their play. True frosh Bobby Wenzig connected on a 43-yd field goal attempt, but also got a low kick blocked with the game on the line. Its unfair to expect Wenzig to play up to Weber's level, but with our offense we are going to need him to connect when called upon. His leg looks very weak on kickoffs, leading to good UGA field position.

The return team played average. Williams often looked tentative to return kicks, calling for fair catches before truly assessing whether he had room to run. In a game like this, field position is key and we need Williams to make better decisions when returning kicks.

Special Teams Grade: C+

Defensive Line: The DL did well against the run, but got very little pressure on QB Joe Cox. With no sacks, and very few hurries, it makes you wonder where Dexter Davis has gone. The DE's need to step up and get some pressure on the opposing QB's.

DL Grade: B-

Linebackers: The LB's are the strongest part of this team. Burfict, Munns, and Nixon all made big plays throughout the game. Vontaze Burfict continues to show why he is the prize posession of Erickson's recruiting class. Despite running through a misplaced referee, Burfict jumped over the line to stop UGA on a critical 4th-and-1. He's a beast. The linebackers make their presence known all over the field and fought hard through the end of the game.

LB Grade: A

Secondary: The secondary played pretty well. There are few WR's better than AJ Green, and despite his 153 yards, the coverage was usually pretty decent. On Green's catch to set up the winning FG, Singfield was well positioned on the play. Green made an NFL-caliber grab. In wet conditions, the CB's and Safetys looked pretty good.

Secondary Grade: B

Overall the Devils played a good game and beat most people's expectations. Time to come back to the dry desert and prepare to take on the Beavers next Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.

Poll

Which Sun Devil unit was the most surprising against the Bulldogs?

RB's

20 votes

WR

3 votes

TE

1 votes

LB

13 votes

OL

12 votes

DL

3 votes

Secondary

3 votes

Special Teams

1 votes

QB

5 votes

61 votes | Poll has closed

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 Season: Arizona State Sun Devils

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

More photos » by Nick Ut - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oregon 31, Arizona State 21

Arizona State Roundtable

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

via azmc.org

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

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

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

Article:

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

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

Article:

via www.eastvalleytribune.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TwistNHook:

via www.fidrabooks.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Maybe you should recruit better linemen."

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

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

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

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

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

via www.nationalchamps.net

Heres what the official site has to say about him:

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

He has some elite stats in the Pac10:

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

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

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

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

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

To avoid another, the defense must be spectacular.

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

From Pitchfork Nation.

One first down on their first six possessions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TwistNHook: What an ever so delightful non-sequitir!

Avinash: Here is another one:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Arizona State Snubs Obama

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Healthcare Protests

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

Avinash: In terms of the score, probably.

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

Whoops, double entendre!

TwistNHook: Triple le sigh.

Poll

How will Cal do against ASU?

Big win

75 votes

Close win

45 votes

Close loss

11 votes

Big loss

5 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

Keaton Kristick on Bednarik Watch List

AndyPanda — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:24:31 -0000

Oregon State senior linebacker Keaton Kristick is one of 56 players on the watch-list for the 2009 Chuck Bednarik Award, and one of nine from the Pac-10 to make the list.

The Bednarik award is presented by the Maxwell club to the nation's top defensive player.

The other Pac-10 players:

Reggie Carter, LB, UCLA
Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State
Taylor Mays, FS, USC
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE, Washington
Syd'Quan Thompson, CB, California
Will Tukuafu, DE, Oregon
Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA

It's the second list Kristic has made this year, having also been named to the 42 play watch list for the Ronnie Lott award, presented to the "Defensive Impact Player" of the year.

New Sporting News mock draft offers big surprise

Mocking Dan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:22:38 -0000

The gang from Sporting News have put out a new mock draft. The first 16 picks are available to the general public. The rest are for members of the War Room.

Here's the first five picks:

1. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

2. St. Louis Rams: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

4. Seattle Seahawks: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

5. Cleveland Browns: Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

SN used the 2009 draft order. Some of the great Mocking the Draft commentators have been discussing a mock draft order in a Fanpost by ejrulz. Join in the fun!

On this mock, you're seeing it right – Brandon Graham is being picked third overall. He's a good pass rusher, but at this point doesn't seem like a top-five player. A few other quick surprises: No Jevan Snead or Bryan Bulaga. Jared Odrick being the second defensive tackle off the board. A few undersized defensive ends were given out in Graham, Thaddeus Gibson and Dexter Davis. To me, none of those three scream Larry English.

Incidentally, stay tuned here at MTD for a new mock draft from our newest staffer!

Dexter Davis and Mike Nixon are Preseason First-Team All Pac-10

Cory Williams — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:40:18 -0000

ASU's Davis and Nixon Named Preseason First-Team All-Pac-10 by Lindy's

In all, eight Sun Devils honored with preseason conference honors.

TEMPE, Ariz.--Arizona State University senior linebacker Mike Nixon and senior defensive end Dexter Davis have been named to Lindy's 2009 Pacific-10 Preseason All-Conference Team. Six other Sun Devils were honored with second-team preseason All-Pac-10 honors. Senior wide receiver Chris McGaha, senior offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao, punt returner Kyle Williams and junior placekicker Thomas Weber were named to the Offense Second-Team. Sophomore defensive lineman Lawrence Guy and defensive back Omar Bolden were given Defense Second-Team accolades.

This is promising for our defense. Mike Nixon has been invaluble at the linebacker position since his enrollment.

To read our exclusive interview with Mike Nixon from February, click here. He is a great leader for our team, and has a lot of interesting things to say.

Anywho...

On another note, this girl goes to ASU and is in this Karaoke contest, she sounds pretty good. We like to keep you up to date here at the House.

Sun Devil Madness - 2 days, 2 sports, 3 games - 2 wins, 1 loss...

ASUBoyd — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:12:11 -0000

Wow, what a crazy weekend full of crazy Sun Devil action. The games were wild, the food was delicious, and Tempe has finally started having some beautiful weather. Lets get to it.

ASU FOOTBALL - 34, UCLA 9... BIG WIN

ASU has a dominant (defensively oriented) win over the UCLA to get up to 5 wins, and set up a fateful showdown with Arizona for a bowl berth, which we do not really deserve, but will gladly take.

This game was bizarre. If someone tossed the game stats in your face you'd cringe and assume ASU got trounced.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	18	10
3rd down efficiency	6-17	2-13
4th down efficiency	0-1	0-0
Total Yards	306	122
Passing	217	101
Comp-Att	26-44	13-26
Yards per pass	4.9	3.9
Rushing	89	21
Rushing Attempts	35	24
Yards per rush	2.5	0.9
Penalties	9-81	7-56
Turnovers	4	1
Fumbles lost	1	0
Interceptions thrown	3	1
Possession	31:26	28:34

So, we couldn't run the ball, couldn't pass the ball, held the ball for less time despite 4 turnovers, and were nearly outgained 3-1...but we win by nearly 30? How? Defense. Like I have been saying since the USC game, our defense is well coached, full of studs, and has been the strongest part of this team. Nolan, Nixon and Goethel all had INT returns for TDs. That kind of thing is not sustainable, but it sure kicks ass. Troy Nolan's was even for 100 yards. Dexter Davis now has 10 sacks - he could get up to 12 easily by the end of the season, since bowl statistics count in college. Nolan has 4 ints, Nixon has 5. Defense looks good.

Offense - not so much. Rudy threw for 101 yards, 1 int, and had a 50% comp percentage. He looked lost out there, and really struggled. He sucks. I look forward to the future. McGaha and Jones were the only people getting open. UCLA has a good pass defense, but this was pathetic. Herring, Nance, DeWitty - none of them could run the ball against one of the worst rush defenses in the nation (96th nationally). The line sucks. At least the penalties were cut down by about 30 yards today...

Anyways. It was a good win, and it sets us up nicely for a showdown with Arizona that will be packed with storylines.

ASU Basketball 1-1

ASU 78, Baylor 87 LOSS

The first loss of the season came in depressing fashion. The game started off nicely and looked like a win until it became clear that Baylor was going to successfully do the one thing our defense wants other teams to do - shoot threes. The zone scheme Sendek has in place is predicated on forcing the opponent into taking a bunch of long threes, since it clogs the passing lanes and the key, but Baylor just kept hitting shots. Baylor was 11-24 (~46%) from downtown, with LaceDarius Dunn hitting 6 of them off the bench for 27 points. Baylor's guards combined for 69 points and Baylor just drowned us out in the second half. Baylor played flawlessly with only 8 turnovers, and shot an incredible 57% for the game.

Frankly, I am not that upset with the loss. Baylor hit everything. They took shots we wanted them to take, and in the end, just made more. They are a quality team. Harden was huge again with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. He just was not enough. Abbott was garbage, going 2-10, and 1-7 from three. Harden can't do it alone. Pendergraph had another solid game with 19 points and 10 boards, but needs to be more assertive on the offensive end. He should have taken more than his 7 shots. He was 6-7 and 7-7 from the line. We just got beat, which is something I can accept.

ASU 88, UTEP 58

We responded on Sunday with a crushing defeat of UTEP. Sendek really is an amazing coach. Obviously, UTEP is not Baylor, but in one day Sendek fixed our defensive problems and the team responded in shutting down UTEP to under 30% from the field (29.6%), and from three (23.5%). Defense was amazing, but James Harden was king.

Harden dropped 40 points and set the tournament record for points in a game, and points in the tournament. 40 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assits. 6-7 from three. 6-6 from the line. Harden is simply gangster. Abbott was the only other person in double figures with 12, although he shot poorly again. He needs to find his stroke quickly if he is going to be taking 7 threes a game. He is only shooting 26% on the season. The team looked good today. Wish we could have come out of the tourney undeafeated..but oh well.

We are 5-1 and have one of the best players in the country on our team, and our football team has won 3 in a row. ASU athletics are looking good.