Sep 26, 2012 - 12:39 pm - By James Romo for DieHardDevil.com The intensity was thick enough to cut with a knife prior to kickoff on Saturday night.  From the moment you passed through the gate entering Sun Devil Stadium, it was evident that this was going to be a good night in Tempe.  The Sun Devils came out firing on all cylinders, and Utah had no response for what was a relentless bombing campaign on their defense, and a good old fashioned trip to the woodshed for their offense.  All of Sun Devil Nation was curious to see how this team would respond and rebound after a very tough road loss last week against Missouri.  That question was answered early and often as ASU jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. OFFENSE Taylor Kelly looked like a cold-blooded assassin against a Utah team that prides itself on their national #15 ranked defense.  He finished the game completing 19 of his 26 passes for 326 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.  Not only has he reached the 1,000 yards passing mark for the season, he also currently sits in 1st place in the Pac-12 and 9th place nationally in pass efficiency.  One can't help but to imagine what those numbers would look like if he'd had better production from his receiving core prior to Saturday night.  As impressive as his numbers are, it's the attention to detail that he continues to play with that continues to stand out.  He does a great job of carrying out ball fakes, has improved his footwork tremendously from the spring, and was even caught looking off defensive backs, something that was sorely lacking by all three quarterbacks during the QB position battle before the season.  On Saturday, it was going to be imperative to have a big play threat emerge from the inexperienced group of receivers going into conference play, and Rashad Ross responded with what was hopefully his breakout game after a very difficult outing last week.  He finished the night with 5 grabs for 87 yard including a catch and run (complete with some shiftiness) for 38 yards and a touchdown to open up the scoring on ASU's opening drive.  Alonzo Agwuenu had his first catch as a Sun Devil for 19 yards that was hopefully a small glimpse of more to come from him.  ASU will need his size and speed going forward against several talented secondaries in the Pac-12.  Jamal Miles got his downfield receiving game going with four catches for 59 yards.  Kevin Ozier also flashed some big play ability on a 59 yard reception showing good body control during the catch and run.  Chris Coyle also contributed 62 yards on five catches and is proving to be an extremely valuable weapon who creates headaches for opposing Defensive Coordinators.  One of the keys to the game for ASU was to stretch the field with vertical pass routes in order to open the short to intermediate passing lanes.  Coyle benefited from Ozier and Ross running safeties off, leaving him able to find the soft spots in the Utah secondary. The power running game is still all but non-existent, but DJ Foster was able to slash the Utah defense for 70 yards on ten carries.  He only had one catch on the day, but it went for 26 yards.  As productive as Foster has been at running back, I can't help but to think that they'd rather have him lined up in the slot with either Cameron Marshall or Marion Grice getting the nod for the between the tackles carries.  Marshall had another game of limited touches, but he is proving to be lethal catching balls out of the backfield.  He only had seven carries for 14 yards and a TD, but he caught three passes for 30 yards and another TD (in which Kelly did a great job of looking off defenders).  Enough can't be said for the play of the offensive line in pass protection on Saturday.  The Ute's front seven have been the strength of a team picked by many to challenge USC for the Pac-12 South Division crown.  All-America candidate Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei was held in check for most of the game being limited to five tackles and not affecting the ASU passing game in the manner that he destroyed the BYU O-line just a week ago.  Jamil Douglass had another great game being matched up against another NFL draft pick. DEFENSE The biggest key to the game for the Sun Devil defense was to contain Utah running back John White.  ASU was able to hold the Ute running game to 2.4 yards per carry.  Playing with huge heart and fierce competitiveness, Will Sutton continues to absolutely be unblockable whether he's beating O-lineman with quickness or bull rushing his way into disrupting offensive plays and routinely putting quarterbacks on the turf.  Although he was only credited with four tackles and half a sack, he had another monster night disrupting just about everything Utah wanted to do on offense.  Another important key for a Sun Devil win in this game was going to be improved tackling.  Tackles were made on first contact throughout the game as compared to last weekend in Missouri.  Brandon Magee was a wrecking ball against the Ute rushing attack both forcing a fumble, and recovering a Chris Young caused fumble.  Young has turned out to be more than advertised this season as the Western States Football League Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 out of Arizona Western CC.  Young had eight tackles with 2.5 for loss including 1.5 sacks.  In John Hays' 11 starts as the Ute QB, I doubt that he's seen that much pressure from so many different defensive positions in his young career.  If Young and Magee weren't attacking Hays and White relentlessly, Carl Bradford (2.5 tackles for loss and a sack) and Junior Onyeali (highlight reel, power sack) were bringing plenty of noise off the edges.  To throw a little bit more salt in the Ute's wounds, Steffon Martin was seen in the backfield as a result of either Jaxon Hood or big Mike Pennell tying up interior lineman.   Although the big early lead didn't force Utah into changing their game plan to a heavy passing attack, it did allow the ASU front seven to pin their collective ears back and spend a lot of time in the Ute backfield.  When Utah did attempt to pass, they were only able to hit for short passes into the flat as the secondary was stellar in coverage giving up only 117 yards on 16 attempts.  Keelan Johnson came up with his first pick of the season (a by product of Sutton's pressure on Hays), a few more bone-jarring hits, and remained sure in his tackling.  Deveron Carr and Osahon Irabor completely shut down the two top Utah receivers not giving up a single reception to either Dres Anderson or DeVonte Christopher.  Irabor has been a monster at his boundary corner position, and Carr looks to be his old shut-down corner self while (knock on wood) remaining healthy this season.  ASU now ranks 5th in the nation in passing defense allowing a mere 139.8 yards per game in the air.  Skeptics will continue to point to the Sun Devils solely facing backup quarterbacks in their first four games.  And I'll continue to contend that you can only play against who they put in front of you, and this defense has been dominant. Don't look now, but the Arizona State Sun Devils currently occupy the early top spot in the Pac-12 South as they prepare to venture into Strawberry Canyon where they haven't won since 1997 against Cal.  With a new coaching staff leading and preparing a Sun Devil team with a new attitude and perspective, ASU fans are beginning to have higher expectations for victory each and every week.  And that’s how strong programs are built over time.  Saturday at Cal will be another opportunity for the 2012 Sun Devils to “Prove It” to Sun Devil Nation.

Sep 23, 2012 - 12:03 am - From their opening drive of the evening, the Sun Devils came out crisp on offense and got Senior Cam Marshall involved early with a few running plays and a nice catch out of the backfield.  Their first drive was very effective and ended with a 38 yard touchdown pass to Rashad Ross.  Very solid play calling by offensive coordinator Mike Norvell and nice run after the catch for Ross.  Good to see a Sun Devil receiver step up early.  On the second drive, Ross made another beautiful catch showing great focus and concentration.  To cap off the drive, Cam Marshall hammered the ball in from the one yard line to increase the Sun Devil lead to 14-0 with 7:00 left in the first quarter.  Will Sutton, Brandon Magee, Keelan Johnson and the Sun Devil defense also did their part out of the gate by flying around all over the field and making textbook tackles.  After Magee made a big hit to cause a fumble and Utah turnover, the Sun Devils went on another first quarter drive that ended with a 10 yard touchdown catch and run by Marion Grice.  ASU was in full control of the game early leading 21-0. At the start of the second quarter, Utah finally got in the game and put together their first and only scoring drive of the night with a 2 yard touchdown pass that cut the ASU lead to 21-7.  The Sun Devils responded quickly with another effective drive that included a 52 yard pass to Kevin Ozier.  Once again, another ASU receiver stepped up in the game.  However, the Sun Devils had to settle for a field goal from Alex Garoutte increasing their lead to 24-7 with 10:19 left in the second quarter.  The offensive play calling continued to be outstanding in the second quarter with a machine-like drive that took 10 plays and 70 yards, and ended with a 13 yard TD pass to Cam Marshall putting ASU ahead 31-7 at the end of the first half. The Sun Devils received the ball to start the second half and traded punts with Utah until a Keelan Johnson interception gave the ball back to ASU.  The Sun Devils then put together a 10 play, 56 yard drive that ended with another Garoutte field goal, extending the lead to 34-7 heading into the fourth quarter.  Utah seemed to raise a white flag in the fourth quarter, putting in their third string quarterback to get some experience.  The ASU defense continued swarming the Utah offense for the remainder of the game.  The Sun Devils also gave Michael Eubank some extended playing time during the fourth quarter, and he was able to get the team back in field goal position, where Garoutte nailed another one making the final score 37-7.

Sep 22, 2012 - 11:45 am - By James Romo for DieHardDevil.com The Sun Devils will open up Pac-12 Conference play today against a very physical Utah team coming off of an emotional win against their in-state rival last week.  The Utes will either show up brimming with confidence and resolute on carrying that same intensity into Sun Devil Stadium...Or like many teams after a big program win, they will show up emotionally hung over and have a big let down with their focus.  Either way, the keys for an ASU victory will remain the same if they want to take early control of the Pac-12 South division. On Offense: Rediscover the Power Run Game - To this point, Cameron Marshall has been noticeably absent this season in both the number of carries he's received, and in his total production (25 carries for 81 yards).  Much like Missouri, the Utah defensive front is extremely bullish against the run.  However, whether it's Marshall, Grice, or Morrison, ASU cannot abandon running between the tackles.  This will keep linebackers honest at the line of scrimmage, and open up what has been the strength of the ASU offense - the short to intermediate passing game. Going Deep - ASU will fare much better if they can stretch the field vertically today.  Finding a true deep threat receiver will not only go a long way in making big plays, but this too will create passing lanes underneath.  The Sun Devils have done a great job of spreading the field out wide, but will have to have an above average Utah defense covering the entire field today.   On Defense: Contain John White - Coming back from an ankle injury, Utah will attempt to ride their running game to the finish line and come out of Tempe with a win.  The ASU defense has got to keep White bottled up and forced inside.  If they can suffocate the Utah running game, the Sun Devil front 7 will be able to pin their ears and get after Jon Hays against an inconsistent pass protect Utah Offensive line. Better Tackling - The ASU defense was very inconsistent tackling agains Mizzou, ultimately giving up several yards after first contact.  There were several opportunities to make a stop for loss of yardage, but ASU defenders failed to break down and make sure tackles.   Special Teams: Just Get Back to Basics - In the kicking game, just hike the ball, catch the ball, and kick the ball.  Punter Josh Hubner should be a huge weapon in the battle for field position every week.  The ASU kick and punt coverage teams need to maintain lane integrity and not be fooled this week by trick plays in the Utah return game.  Utah has dynamic kick returners and converted a fake punt last week.

Sep 21, 2012 - 05:08 pm - By James Romo for DieHardDevil.com ASU faces an opponent this Saturday who is riding some momentum after beating their in-state rival this past weekend.  All the while, the Sun Devils will attempt to bounce back from an emotional and heartbreaking loss in Missouri on Saturday.  This will be a clash of two teams opening up conference play with identical 2-1 records, but in entirely different moods.  Utah brings their physical brand of football to Tempe on Saturday looking to make the statement in their second season as a member of the Pac-12 that they weren't able to make in their inaugural season playing in a "big time" conference last year.  Both teams are eyeing the opportunity to take early control of the Pac-12 South division after unanimous pre-season favorite USC lost to Stanford, leaving the door wide open. Offensively, the Utes will be starting back-up quarterback Jon Hays for a second consecutive week after starter Jordan Wynn suffered a shoulder injury in their second week surprising upset loss to Utah State.  Wynn subsequently announced his retirement from football after having battled serious injuries throughout his career, with the most recent injury being the final straw.  ASU has had the advantage of playing against three back-up quarterbacks in their first three games, but Hays is no "deer in the headlights" reserve.  He took the starting nod for nine games last season during Wynn's injury recovery, including his first career start in a loss against ASU in Salt Lake City.  After leading Utah to a big win against #25 ranked BYU on Saturday, I think it's probably safe at this point to go ahead and drop the "back-up" moniker that he's been wearing.  Utah will also have All-America running back candidate John White in tow after having sat out last week with an ankle injury. Utah will enter Sun Devil Stadium with a Spread/West Coast hybrid offense intent on riding their running game with White returning to the backfield.  The standout running back rushed for over 1,500 yards last season and was seen on the Ute sideline against BYU chomping at the bit to be playing.  Expect Utah to keep what has been an outstanding ASU defensive line off balance with a mix of run and pass.  They were able to use play action very effectively against BYU, so the Devils should be looking for a heavy dose of that this weekend.  The Utes will undoubtedly use play action against the aggressive nature of the ASU safeties who have been outstanding in run support this season.  The secondary will have to continue to do a great job of reading keys, staying disciplined in coverage, and not allow big plays with the Utah slot receiver getting behind them on seam routes.  This was a huge weapon against BYU last week, and Utah will look to duplicate that success again this week, especially with ASU having to prioritize neutralizing White in the running game.  Biting on the play action the play action fake will be a definite recipe for big play disaster as Utah has a pair of very speedy receivers in DeVonte Christopher (6-1, 200) and Dres Anderson (6-1, 185). Although Hays threw 3 interceptions last season against ASU, he has grown into a very solid quarterback who took great care of the ball completing 18-27 passes for 196 yards, 2 TD's, and no interceptions against BYU.  Much like Taylor Kelly, Hays has been able to extend plays and complete several difficult tosses down field after his pocket collapsed despite not being nearly as fleet of foot as Kelly.  The Sun Devils live and die by the blitz, and will have to do a much better job of capitalizing on their penetration into the backfield making tackles upon first contact with Hays or White.  There were a number of times against Mizzou that ASU defenders blitzing from the outside were in perfect position to make a tackle for a loss of yardage, but failed to break down and make the stop.  ASU will have to be better in their technique this week while facing a much more elusive John White .  Similar to Michael Eubank at ASU, Utah has an imposing freshman  quarterback in Travis Wilson (6-6, 220) who will get playing time in certain packages utilizing his superior athletic ability.  If there is any weakness in the Ute offense, it would be an inconsistent offensive line.  Despite their hulking size, they have only been able to muster what I calculated to be less than 3 yards per carry, and often have breakdowns in pass protection.  It was a testament to Hays' will and toughness that he was even able to finish last week's game despite having to repeatedly pick himself up off the rug after taking several vicious hits.  The offense under Hays isn't dynamic, but it doesn't shoot itself in the foot by turning the ball over either. Utah will only go as far this season as their stout defense will take them.  Led by All-America candidate Star Lotulelei (6-4, 320), they have been nothing short of bullies against the run.  In 2011, Lotulelei was a first-team all-Pac-12 performer and won the Morris Trophy as the league's best defensive lineman as voted on by the starting offensive linemen, and is expected to be one of the first players taken overall in next year's NFL draft.  He is flanked by brothers Dave (DT) and Joe (DE) Kruger who have shown an exceptional ability to shed blocks and make plays against the run.   At rush end in their 4-3 defensive front is Nate Fakahafua who could consistently be seen in the BYU backfield applying pressure on Cougar QB Riley Nelson.  The ASU offensive line will have their hands full again this weekend with attempting to open running lanes and pass protect against future NFL talent.  Look for Taylor Kelly to continue scrambling and throwing on the run, as he will be under at least as much pressure this weekend as Missouri applied last week.  ASU will continue to use the short to intermediate passing game to loosen up a young linebacking core and negate at least some of the pressure that the Ute front 4 will be raining down on Kelly.  Much like last week, it should be priority to establish the inside running game to soften up the Utah monster D-line.  A conspicuously absent Cam Marshall to this point will go a long way in creating more balance in the Sun Devil offense if he is healthy.  Combine a still unproven and unproductive ASU receiving core with an extremely talented Utah secondary, and what you are left with is another heavy reliance on TE Chris Coyle and running backs out of the backfield tasked with the burden of carrying the passing game.  Cornerback Ryan Lacy (5-9, 186 with 4.3 40 yard dash speed) is a great cover corner and will have two of his secondary mates back this weekend.  Safeties Eric Row (hamstring) and Brian Blechen (suspension) will bolster the already stingy defense making turnovers, dropped passes, and penalties way too difficult to overcome for a Sun Devil win. Utah punter Tom Hackett earned Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors this week after pinning BYU inside its own 10 yard line three times on Saturday.  They were also able to convert a fake punt into a first down from inside their own territory.  Also, the Utes were penalized for 10 times against BYU for a total of 112 yards including 6 personal foul calls.  Much of this can be attributed to a highly emotional game that got chippy between the two rivals early and often. The team that I watched on Saturday night against BYU instead of the team that lacked intensity and lost to Utah State is who ASU should be expecting to show up on Saturday night.  For the DieHard Sun Devil fans in the stands? Well, we can expect to see an extremely physical game that's going to require ASU to come out with a lot of intensity and jump on Utah early if we want to grab the reins of the Pac-12 South in the first conference game of the season.

Sep 21, 2012 - 11:45 am - by Joey Palomarez The Sun Devil fans I especially want to reach with this article are the ones who ask themselves, "Why should I leave the comfort of my home to go to the ASU game?" I'm going to explain my reasons for being at the Sun Devil football game on Saturday night. Does everyone remember their first ASU game? Looking out at the field while the two teams warm up. The sea of gold filling up Sun Devil Stadium. The only word I can use to describe a college football atmosphere is amazing. Everything from standing for the fight song to screaming on third downs make the game day experience. You can't feel the chills go through your body as Sparky stomps the bus and the team charges onto the field while sitting on your couch. No TV Network can give you the energy you get inside Sun Devil Stadium for the game. The second reason is because you love your school. Anyone can say, “they bleed Maroon and Gold.” But do you really? I can't remember the last time I heard about someone sweating off face paint in a nail biter watching the game at home. This is YOUR program, YOUR team and YOUR school. Get to the game, and show ASU that you not only care about winning, you demand it. Lastly and most importantly, you can make a difference! Imagine a sold out Sun Devil Stadium, 73,000+ people all wearing gold, screaming A... S... U.. Opposing teams should not only have to prepare to play our team, but deal with our noise. As a fan base we should cause false starts, delay of game penalties and fire up our team. Who remembers the Missouri game last year? It was loud! Head Coach Gary Pinkel said after the game that Tempe, Arizona was one of the toughest places he's ever played at, and he would be ok if he never had to come back. And guess what, the attendance was only in the 60,000's. I heard that the Nebraska game in 1996 was a sell-out. I would have been there, but I wasn't born yet. I know as fans, we can literally shake that stadium. So get to the game! Not only bring yourself, but bring friends! It's part of what Coach Graham calls Speaking Victory. It's part of our duty as fans, students and alumni. So fill SDS on on Saturday! AND BEAT UTAH! Go Devils! * DHD: Joey started going to ASU games with his Dad when he was three. He's been paying his Sun Devil Club dues out of his own pocket since he started getting his allowance. Now he's a sophomore at Queen Creek High School in Queen Creek, AZ. He's got just a couple years till he can apply to ASU and get more involved. Joey's a DieHard Sun Devil, and he's now got his friends hooked on ASU Football as well. Home-grown pride is alive and well in the Valley of the Sun. #SunDevil4Life   DieHardDevil. Are You? Prove it.

Sep 20, 2012 - 01:46 pm - Cam Marshall rocks the house (photo by Peter Vander Stoep, DieHardDevil.com) The perfectly played ASU Football Game is up for debate and worthy of a future article. But what we’re talking about here is the Perfect Game experience for Sun Devil fans whether it’s a blowout victory, a last-minute pass to Chris Coyle, Marion Grice or DJ Foster for the Sun Devil Win, or a “rhyme’s with the word boss”. The fact is as Sun Devils fans, we have just 6 Games a year in "Our House." That’s only 6 opportunities to see our team fight for every inch when it matters most, from 15:00 in the 1st quarter to 00:00 in the 4th. For those of us that follow the program year-round, 6 home-games feels far from enough. The off-season is a lot of fun with the recruiting period that builds up to February signing day, Spring Ball when freshman & younger players hope to get noticed and upper classmen emerge as leaders and finally, Fall Camp with a culmination at Camp T. Yet after all of that build up to the season ahead, we get just 6 chances to be there at Sun Devil Stadium with our Devils in a live battle with a visiting program. That’s what makes those 6 games special. It’s when Sun Devil fans and Sun Devil players give it their all together to be the best THAT day and leave "Our House" with Our Victory. So what’s this Perfect Game all about? Well, it’s about the merging of old-school blood, sweat & tears by the fans, players, students and coaches in our own backyard AND..... Technology in the form of a DVR (Digital Video Recorder). It’s the best of both worlds for DieHard fans. The difference between the two, is that one is seeing U2 Live at the Rose Bowl and the other is watching it on YouTube. One is the human experience with other sweaty fans losing their voices and rocking live together through a great set while the other is the chance to relive that show/game in the comfort of your own space later. If you're lucky maybe you'll re-live some moments of that live experience, but it's no substitute. And hey, you can watch that ridiculously great run you saw by Cam Marshall again, this time in slow-mo. * "Showing up is eighty percent of life." That's a quote published in the New York Times on August 21, 1977, and it's attributed to Woody Allen. It's simple truth resonated with many Americans, so much so that it lives to this day. A quick web search shows many ways the quote has evolved over the years, including changing: 80% to 90% Life to success or winning The order, to put the number first So a common version now is "90% of success is just showing up." You get the point. It is the modus operandi of tens of thousands in Sun Devil Nation to show up, come together in our house a few times a year and prove it to our players that we've got their backs. For those of you reading this who are considering sinking into your sofa and staying home Saturday night, there are thousands of DieHard Sun Devil fans who wished you were home with them in Sun Devil Stadium for the “live show”. If you’re a DieHard Sun Devil, prove it by calling that friend on the sofa Saturday night and telling him he best be in gold and ready to roll in 30 minutes to Tempe. He'll be glad he did because just by showing up, he'll be a part of the Perfect Game. And his TV/ DVR will be looking forward to a visit on SUNDAY.   #SunDevil4Life #SunDevilPride #ALLin. SATURDAY 7PM - WEAR GOLD - BEAT UTAH.

Oct 04, 2011 - 11:54 pm - Source, ASU Football After a 35-20 victory over Oregon State, ASU will play its first ever Pac-12 road tilt, against the University of Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Oct. 8. Photo by: Jason Wise Related Video Devils to face Utes in ASU's first Pac-12 road game Watch full size video. Related Stories ASU, Utah train future military officers in critical languages, culture An initiative under way at ASU and the University of Utah aims to improve the critical language skills and cultural awareness of future military officers. Quotes: Dennis Erickson on Utah game Head football coach Dennis Erickson looks back on the victory against Oregon State and previews Utah. Quotes: Osweiler looks ahead to Utah match Starting quarterback Brock Osweiler looks ahead to Utah and reviews past weekend's game against Oregon State. Utah Release Following a 35-20 victory over Oregon State, Arizona State will play its first ever Pac-12 road tilt, taking on Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Oct. 8. The Sun Devils erased a 13-0 second quarter deficit, scoring 21 straight points to take a 21-13 lead they would not relinquish. The Utes come into the game with a 2-2 record, 0-2 in Pac-12 play. Utah fell to Washington 31-14 last weekend in Salt Lake City. Source, ASU Football