It’s a good time to be a fan of Sun Devil sports.
The wrestling and diving teams are off to a good start. Many top recruits in various sports are choosing ASU. The men’s basketball team has a potential superstar in the making in Trent Lockett.
However, all of that is background noise for the moment. As everyone knows, the talk around campus, and for that matter the Valley as a whole, has been the amazing success of the football team.
This phenomenal young team - with only two starting seniors – has far surpassed the meager pre-season expectations placed upon it by posting an 8-2 overall record. Their 5-2 conference record has them only a half game behind Stanford for second place in the Pac-10.
How has a team that the conference media deemed the ninth best heading into 2010 managed such a magical season?
The roots go back to fall camp.
Head coach Dennis Erickson knew that this season would be key for his future at ASU. He had a strong defense but was saddled with two major areas of concern - a lifeless offense and the most penalized team in in the nation.
To the former issue, he brought in Noel Mazzone as offensive coordinator in an attempt to bring an attacking, up-tempo offense to suit his talented, yet unproven, players.
All throughout the offseason, the headlines revolved around the quarterback battle between sophomore Brock Osweiler and junior transfer Steven Threet. After weeks of their back and forth duel, Osweiler was tabbed as the leader of Mazzone's offense.
As for the penalty issue, he altered his player friendly demeanor and made it clear that such actions would not be tolerated. He backed up those words with action and sat players who thought his words were typical Erickson bluster. This approach worked particularly well with sophomore linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who left the personal foul penalties of his freshman year in the past.
The Sun Devils easily cruised during their opening two games against FCS opponents Portland State and Northern Arizona. Osweiler used this time to further acclimate himself with the offense and develop a repoire with his young stable of playmakers. In particular, running backs Cameron Marshall and Deantre Lewis stood out with their game breaking ability.
But how would ASU fare against an elite opponent? They would soon find out when they traveled north to face the 11th ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
While the Devils’ defensive front held the vaunted Badger run game at bay, the ASU special teams stole the show with a staggering three return touchdowns. Omar Bolden led it off with a 97 yard kickoff return for a score and then at the end of the first half Kyle Middlebrooks took one back 96 yards to pay dirt, narrowly avoiding being tackled at the one yard line. Jamal Miles completed the rare trifecta by taking a punt back 80 yards for - in which there were no holding calls - and kicker Thomas Weber had great protection on his extra point attempts as ASU scored the major upset.
The road would get no easier for the Devils the following week when they hosted #5 Oregon. For the second straight game, the defense held a highly productive running game in check, but despite the effort, ASU was narrowly bested by what would eventually become the #1 team in the nation.
Arizona State then faced a pivotal game in their season with a Week 5 trip to Oregon State. A loss could send this young team into a spiral from which they may not recover, while a win would begin to cement their legitimacy as a force in the Pac-10.
Thankfully, the Devils had Osweiler 's arm and the legs of Marshall and Lewis. A back and forth affair came down to the fourth quarter with the Devils trailing. Where others in his position may have pressed and made mistakes, Osweiler showed great poise in managing the offense. It was that discipline that played a large role in guiding the team into Weber's field goal range where he gave ASU the hard fought victory.
With people on the national level beginning to take notice, the Sun Devils continued their roll against an overmatched Washington team a week later. The defense befuddled Husky quarterback Jake Locker and the Devils easily moved to 5-1 heading into the bye week. Coach Erickson praised Osweiler for his continued growth and avoiding the costly interceptions that often plague first year starting quarterbacks. Burfict was being hyped by ESPN types as the next Ray Lewis, as his playmaking had long since overshadowed his former penalty issues.
The burden of expectations now fell upon the team, a notion thought laughable only a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, ASU did not respond well. They came out flat against Cal and were pummeled in an ugly road loss. The doubters who had reversed course only a week ago to praise the Sun Devils pulled another 180 and began the "I told you so" rhetoric.
The best remedy for a loss? Play Washington State. In what amounted to a high-level scrimmage, Osweiler had his best statistical game as a starter and the defense pitched the season’s first shutout to the delight of the homecoming crowd. To add to their joy, ASU made an appearance in the Top 25, coming in at #23.
Now the talk of the Pac-10, ASU traveled to Los Angeles looking for their first win over USC since 1999. It was a hard fought game that would come down, as it often does in such games, to special teams. Weber, enjoying a nice rebound season after his injury plagued 2009, made all of his extra points and then kicked a game winning field goal late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The big win over the Trojans vaulted ASU to #17 as they welcomed the 7th ranked Stanford Cardinal to town. The secondary, led by Bolden and emerging safety Max Tabach, were able to hold star quarterback Andrew Luck in check, keeping the Devils in the game.
With the continued success of the ground game, Mazzone fought his instincts and committed to the run. His faith was rewarded. Marshall continued his great season by gashing the Cardinal front and topped 130 yards on the night. His third quarter touchdown gave the Devils a 14-10 lead following yet another successful extra point.
After a Stanford touchdown put the Devils down 17-14 in the fourth, Osweiler marched the team down to the Cardinal five yard line with under a minute left. On second own with his receivers well covered, he scrambled. As he dove for the goal line, he smartly wrapped both arms around the ball as he absorbed a massive hit. When the whistle had blown, he still had the ball firmly in his grip and across the goal line to give ASU the game winning touchdown.
The small senior class on this team now heads into their final home game of their Sun Devil careers this Saturday. As they prepare to face UCLA, they are simultaneously comforted in the fact that they are a part of something special and motivated to close out one of the most remarkable seasons in the program's history.
The performance of the now 13th ranked Sun Devils has saved Erickson’s job, silenced the critics and made football relevant in Tempe once again. While not overly flashy, this team is loaded with tremendous talent that plays with great passion and discipline. They’ve exorcised the turnover and penalty demons that have haunted the program in recent years and will be playing in their first bowl game since 2007.
The glory of the present is topped only by the promise of tomorrow's triumphs.
A fan can dream, can’t he?
Follow me on Twitter @ASU_Examiner for the latest updates and analysis on ASU athletics
Comments