Arizona State Sun Devils

Devils Get Back on the Winning Track

Game Report Posted: August 20, 2011 17:00  

ASU returned to what worked for them last season, which is to play defense. The Devils completely smothered the Wildcats offense as they didn't allow a single point (NW's 14 points came on a scoop and score and kick return for a TD). They held the wildcats to only 192 yards of offense (despite a 22 min to 10 min TOP differential in favor of the wildcats) and less then 100 yards of rushing and passing. They also didn't allow NW to complete 50% of their passes and forced 6 turnovers, including 5 INTs. On the other side of the ball, the Devils protected the ball (although they did have 1 scoop and score on a sack) and were efficient. Osweiler completed 7 of his 9 passes for 2TDs and Cam Marshall totaled 131 yards on only 11 carries while also catching a 50 yd TD pass.

Next week the Devils will face the Razorbacks where our goal is to hopefully make the game at least slightly less embarrassing than last week's vs. the Badgers. If we can at least force them to have to play the 2nd half, then we'll be making progress.

Here We Go Again

Game Report Posted: August 19, 2011 05:11  

The fears after our terrible showing in week 1 are clearly justified. The Devils looked like a JV team compared to the Badgers. The Wisconsin lines absolutely mauled and destroyed the Devil front lines. The Badgers racked up 300 yards on the ground and their QB was never even hurried, let alone sacked. On the other side, the Devils QBs were sacked 7 times (21% of their drop backs). This will indeed be a very long season for the Devils.

The goal was never to gain a 5th star of prestige this season (as that's unrealistic with this crappy team) but it now looks like maintaining that 4th star (finish in the top 50) could be in jeopardy as well.

Buckle your seatbelts Devils' fans, this season's gonna be a bumpy ride

Game Report Posted: August 16, 2011 13:50  

#6TCU completely outplayed the very overrated #7 ASU in Fort Worth. If this game is an indication of what the season's going to be like, it's gonna be a rough one. Despite his 138 yards and 7.6 YPC on 18 carries, it was very tough sledding for Cameron Marshall as his numbers are skewed by a 66 yarder. He had far more carries under 2 yards than he had ones over 2 which meant that ASU had to pass the ball a lot. This is where we showed just how bad we could be this year. SR QB Osweiler completed 7 of 15 passes, but he was sacked an astonishing 11 times (meaning he as sacked 42% of the time he dropped back to pass)! Prior to their last offense play of the game, ASU could only account for 115 yards of total offense in the game.

The kids from TCU were very noticeably bigger and stronger than the Devils, be it their D-line breaking through our O-line with ease, or their HB absolutely steamrolling our safeties, or their O-line steamrolling our D-line (see the vid on DW of their QB running the ball as I think I had 8 guys flattened on that play). With all that said, however, our offense did not turn the ball over and our defense played just well enough to keep us close.

ASU was down 4 late in the 4th and driving. They got into FG range, but after a sack they were left with 4th and long and had to settle for a 49yd FG. After hitting 2 51 yarders earlier in the game, the kicker pushed this one left so we were still down by 4. After a defensive stop, we had the ball on our own 35 yard line with 1:28 remaining, still down 4. After an incomplete pass that bounced out of the CB's hands and into my receiver's hands on the TCU 35 yard line only to be knocked loose by a jarring hit by the safety it was 2nd and 10. Following sacks #10 and #11, it was 4th and 26 on our own 19 yard line with 1 minute to go. For one of the very rare times during the game, the O-line held back the TCU rush and Osweiler hit a streaking Pickens for the go ahead score on an 81 yard TD pass. TCU would drive and get to midfield and were down to 4th and 10, still outside of FG range. The QB completed a 9.5 yard pass that was just short and ASU wins 20-17.

Next week we travel to Madison to face our 2nd straight top 20 team on the road and unless our O-line dramatically improves in 7 days, that game could be really, really ugly.