Of course, the year starts with both the Coyotes and Suns mid-way through their seasons. With both of those teams having major questions, the ugly saga of Coyotes’ ownership combined with the lackadaisical middle of the road line-up offered over on Planet Orange explains the less-than-stellar attendance for both. One place where attendance is never a problem is on the sun-baked links of North Scottsdale. As the sports year continues with the “Greatest show on Grass”, the 2012 PGA Waste Management Phoenix Open. And if you’ve read this column in the past you’ll know my opinion of the most-attended PGA tour stop every year. As a matter of fact, the third round attendance set a tourney as well as PGA one day record of over 173,000 people. But for golf fans, this year’s event will be more remembered for Spencer Levin’s final round of 74. Going into Sunday with a six-stroke lead, Levin’s collapse and Kyle Stanley’s final round of 65 created a final round of intrigue and suspense. And if this wasn’t enough golf drama, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship takes place three weeks later down in Marana, AZ, where the golf is a head-to head matchup with no room for a bad round. This year in a quest for the #1 ranking in golf, Rory Mcilory lost to Hunter Mahan in the final. Not to be deterred, the young Irishman would eventually gain the coveted number one spot within the next few weeks.

If golf is a little mundane for your taste, and you seek a little more horsepower the opportunity to see two of the major race series come literally within two weeks of each other. The insane horsepower of the National Hot Rod Association rode into Firebird Lake for the Arizona Nationals in February. Traditionally the second race of the season, the 2011 schedule had the AZ Nationals in the late fall. But the 2012 schedule had the race weekend back where it belongs as the second race of the season after the Winter Nationals in Pomona, CA. I’ve preached for years that before stating an opinion of this race form, one must have to attend an event. As my daughter puts it, “Daddy, when the cars go by my insides shake around”. And you won’t find any more colorful personalities than in the NHRA. This year’s Top Fuel category winner Antron Brown is one of the most genuine and entertaining interviews in all of sports. And who can’t resist a vintage John Force rant. And just two weeks later the NASCAR nation invaded Phoenix International Raceway for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 where Denny Hamlin came away with a victory circle visit.

To round out the first quarter of the year the boys of summer are currently amidst their annual right of passage to the Valley. Fifteen Major League Baseball teams are drawing fans from across the country to watch their favorite teams get their winter kinks out. And if that wasn’t enough, the NCAA March Madness gets a little southwest cooking as the West bracket gets their Final Four representative from the US Airways Center next weekend. And of course the Arizona Rattlers, the indoor warriors of football, start their season every March.

I believe you really have to step away from Phoenix to really appreciate the great opportunities sports fans have when most of the country is still enjoying winter. NBA, NHRA, NHL, NASCAR, PGA, AFL and the MLB all in three months with the best weather in America.

My spring cleaning wouldn’t be complete without a few words about a departed friend. No, he didn’t pass away, he just left the sports world to join the private sector. Randy Policar, formerly of the Arizona State University sports information office will be sorely missed. Most sports fans don’t realize the best friend of any media member is the media relations or sports information directors. They credential, allow access to players, feed valuable information as well as babysit the media. A great relationship with these staffers is invaluable to the beat writer. I’ve had the pleasure to work with Randy during his time with the Diamondbacks, Rattlers/Mercury as well as ASU. And now as Randy starts his new career outside the ‘velvet ropes’ I would like to thank him for being part of this reporters media career. This journey would never have been the same without him.

Four years ago the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys invaded the Valley of the Sun to participate in the Insight & Fiesta Bowls. Fast forward to 2011/12 and once again the Orange and black as well as the crimson and cream cover the greater Phoenix landscape. But this time, the Sooners played in the Insight and the Cowboys in the Fiesta. Unfamiliar roles indeed, as the Sooners have been BCS regulars while the Cowboys have been mired in lower tier bowls. But could the Cowboys find the elusive Fiesta win the Sooners were denied? Even Oklahoma State booster extraordinaire T. Boone Pickens commented that the rise of his Cowboys was two years earlier than even he thought.

The Insight scoring was started the same way a lot of Oklahoma scoring was all year. Quarterback Landry Jones would lead his team downfield and then once in the red zone back up quarterback Blake Bell would get the nod for the score and the Sooners would lead the Iowa Hawkeyes 7-0 after the first quarter. The scoring was similar for the Stanford Cardinal, as they too led the at the end of one with a beautiful 53 yard Oliver Luck pass to wide out Ty Montgomery. The appearance of sleep from Iowa and Oklahoma State was not more evident than the Cowboy’s one yard rushing, 27 total yards and zero first downs in the first fifteen minutes. But unlike Iowa, Oklahoma State decided to make it a game in the second quarter.
While Blake Bell scored his second touchdown in the second quarter to lead the Sooners to a 14-0 half time lead over the still apathetic Hawkeyes, the scoring brigade gates opened widely in the Fiesta Bowl.

After a Jeremy Stewart 24 yard scamper to put the Cardinal up 14-0, it became the Brandon Weedden to Justin Blackmon show as they connected on touchdown passes of 43 and 67 yards. Not to be outdone, the Cardinal proceeded to march downfield and finished the drive with a four yard touchdown run by Stephan Taylor to put the Cardinal back up by seven. The Cowboys got the ball back with 2:18 left in the half which was plenty of time as quarterback Brandon Weeden called his own number with just :27 seconds left in the half to send the game into the half knotted up at 21.

Interestingly enough, in both games the third quarter was rather quiet with Oklahoma getting the only points in the Insight and only 10 total points scored in the Fiesta. But fear not, the fourth quarter is what makes games great, and both the Insight and Fiesta had a lot left to show.

It only took three quarters for the Iowa Hawkeyes to awaken and when they did, it proved exciting. Scoring early in the quarter, playing some defense and scoring again with just under seven minutes to play lit a fire under the Sooners behinds. But unfortunately the Hawkeyes couldn’t keep the Sooners off the board late and they gave up a field goal and a late touchdown to lose 31-14. The final 15 minutes in the Fiesta lived up to every game in recent memory. Both the Cowboys and Cardinal threw everything they had to close out this BCS game. With just mere minutes left on the clock, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck drove his team 63 yards to set up a game winning field goal with no time left on the clock. Red shirt freshmen kicker Jordan Williamson then missed a 35 yarder to send the game into overtime. With Stanford getting the ball first, the Cowboy defense got stout when it needed it the most and Stanford had to rely on their kicker again with a 41 yard attempt which also went left for his third miss of the night. On the Cowboys second play from scrimmage in overtime Brandon Weeden hit fellow senior and overlooked wide out Colton Chelf for what appeared to be a game winning touchdown, but after further review it showed he was down on the one. Setting up a field goal, Weeden took a knee on the five yard line before his punter/kicker Quinn Sharp drilled the 22 yarder home to give the Cowboys of Oklahoma State their first BCS bowl victory and arguable their biggest win in football history.

In retrospect, Oklahoma and their storied football pedigree took care of business in the Insight and Oklahoma State didn’t wilt under the bright spotlight of the BCS to make Arizona one of the most popular places to be outside the great state of Oklahoma. The result of the 41st annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl also sent the Pac-12 conference into the off season with a dismal 2-5 bowl record. Perhaps that’s why the conference will display four new head coaches in the 2012 season.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Well, thats what the advertising campaign promotes. But unfortunately for the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas was nationally televised. In a bowl game that featured two teams going in totally opposite directions, tonights outcome was rather predictable. A one loss Boise State team feeling very slighted by the BCS versus an Arizona State team who has lost four in a row to finish the season 6-6. A 14 point spread was very generous.

ASU deferred the opening kick to Boise St, which in turn returned it 100 yards courtesy of one Doug Martin. Boise St 7- ASU 0. Arizona State’s first two drives were a total of nine plays and 24 yards. In the mean time Boise St put up another score on a 14 yard pass from Kellen Moore to Tyler Shoemaker and a 14-0 lead. Arizona States first quarter was more of the same we’ve seen the last month of the season. Multiple penalties (3 in a row at one point) and what I call ‘November tackling”. Reaching and slapping at the ball carrier. The quarter ended on an ASU drive that went five plays for 0 yards and took 2:27 off the clock.

The second quarter started with a Boise St 8 play 80 yard drive and Moore to Matt Miller touchdown pass. Followed directly by a Vontaze Burfict unsportsmanlike personal foul. The two teams exchanged punts before ASU found its offense. A 12 play 66 yard drive resulted in an Alex Garoutte 32 yard field goal. Many in the press box as well as stands thought a first down try would have been more prudent, but the ASU lame duck coaching staff opted for three. Boise ST 21 – ASU 3. On Boise’s very next drive quarterback Kellen Moore let loose a guaranteed pick six beach ball to DB Deveron Carr only to have him trip on the Sam Boyd field turf and drop the ball. A costly drop, as the Broncos scored another touchdown five plays later on a vintage Bronco trick play as wide out Matt Miller hit TE Kyle Efaw to go up 28-3.The quarter mercifully ended with that score.

The second half started the same as the first half. In something I have never seen before, both halves began with kick-off returns for scores. ASU’s Rashard Ross took the second half kick 98 yards to pull ASU to within 18. On the next two Boise drives ASU’s defense manned up and picked off Moore and recovered a Moore fumble. The Sun Devil offense? A four and out and then a 100 yard Boise St pick six. The quarter ended Boise St 35- ASU 10. All told ASU’s offense went 0-3 on third downs, 0-2 on fourth downs, a minus 12 yards rushing and one interception in the quarter.

The 4th quarter was an exhibition of two teams that knew the game was over and forgot to play defense. While Boise scored the first two touchdowns with one coming on a fumble return ASU managed to fight for a touchdown on a Gerrell Robinson 21 yard pass. The game MVP Doug Martin, scored Boise’s final points while Osweiler actually found seldom used wide out George Bell for a 30 yard score almost as time was expiring. The final gun mercifully went off with the final score Boise St 56 – ASU 24.

The outcome of this game was not surprising and actually was a relief for this Sun Devil season to finish. Although ASU QB Brock Osweiler secured a few Sun Devil passing records during this game, they were lost in a teary post game press conference as he said goodbye to the coach who brought him to Tempe. Besides an opponent who arguably got screwed by the BCS, this ASU squad had to deal with a 4 game losing streak, and exiting coach and a new coach who came in and started wrecking havoc inside the athletic department. Next up? The Todd Graham era…..

2011 Las Vegas Bowl Post Game Sound

2011 Las Vegas Bowl Post Game by sparkyfan

As with the hiring of all new head coaches fans ponder the greatness of the incoming regime and all the championships they’ll accumulate. And Wildcat fans are no different. With the hiring of their new football coach Rich Rodriguez, Wildcat fans are enjoying the holidays with a smug demeanor how they ‘got over’ on the rest of the colleges looking for their next great coach. But in reality, they had their potential new head coach all along and didn’t even realize it.

Enter Offensive Coordinator Sonny Dykes. In his three-year tenure at the University of Arizona as OC, the Wildcats became one of the most powerful offenses in the Pac-10. This after he helped Mike Leach and the Texas Tech Red Raiders become one of the nations most potent offensive units. Before his arrival in Tucson, the Wildcat offense was anemic, punchless and lacked any kind of big play ability. That changed in his three years in the Old Pueblo guiding receiver Mike Thomas and quarterback Willie Tuitama to conference honors as well as escalating the Arizona offense to national rankings in several categories. But unfortunately for Wildcat fans, the administration was so enamored with Mike Stoops and his two bowl invites (on the back of Dykes offenses) that they extended his (Stoops) contract. So when Dykes left, so did Arizona’s hopes of national prominence. Back to back seasons of 7-6 and 1-5 before Stoops was relieved of his duties.

So as the 2011 Western Athletic Conference coach of the year sits speaking to the media post 2011 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, one must wonder if Arizona made the right decision when it chose a football family coaching tree to lead their program. The Stoops or Dykes.

Most importantly, the 2012 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has an epic match-up and perhaps the most anticipated game of the bowl season. LSU was a clearcut #1 all year, but who they should play in the BCS Championship game has been hotly contested. Both Fiesta Bowl participants, Stanford and Oklahoma State, feel they should have had an opportunity for the elusive national championship. But both teams with one loss must prove their mettle on January 2nd in the 41st annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

So on a beautiful holiday weekend late (8:21pm kickoff) friday evening with a student section looking like a Florida Marlins game, the Arizona State Sun Devils took the field on Senior Night. And immediately after kick-off the Cal Bears took the ball downfield and put up a 48 yard field goal to take the lead 3-0. Not to be out done, ASU proceeded to march down field and in 11 plays and covering 80 yards Cameron Marshall punched the ball in from the one to take a 7-3 lead. After a weak 59 yard kickoff the Bears started their next drive on their own 29. They then rattle off a six play 71 yard scoring drive with none of the plays going for less than 11 yards. The score coming on an Isi Sofele 18 yard run. Cal 10- ASU 7.

The ensuing kickoff saw Jamal Miles return the ball 51 yards to the Cal 45. And in the ‘we continue to show how we’ve lost three games in a row to lesser talented teams’ category, seldom used and disappointing tailback Kyle Middlebrooks fumbled the ball away. First play for Cal resulted in an ASU pass interference penalty and then a 16 yard run by quarterback Zach Maynard for a touchdown. The 1st quarter ended with ASU having the ball over 10 minutes but trailing the Golden Bears 17-7. The first play of the second quarter saw Osweiler find fan favorite Aaron Pflugrad for 16 yards to bring the score 17-14. The second drive in the quarter ASU had the Bears stopped on third down but committed another pass interference penalty which kept the drive going. Five plays later CJ Anderson punched it in from the one to extend CAL’s lead back to 10 points. Before Sun Devil fans could reseat themselves after the kick-off, on ASU’s first play Osweiler was picked off with CAL getting the ball back on the Devil 16 yard line. Despite another ASU penalty, they still only allowed a field goal to keep the Bears within a two score range. Just as quick as they fell behind, ASU took the next drive in for a touchdown and on the following kick-off, turned a fumble recovery into another score. Halftime score, ASU 28- Cal 27.

The scoring continued into the 3rd quarter as ASU put up 10 points and Cal 14. A more important storyline of the third wasn’t so much the score but three more ASU penalties. The big one coming from Vontaze Burfict in what might be his final personal foul he ever commits as a Sun Devil. Burfict sat on the bench through the entire fourth quarter dis-interested and dis-connected. A sad ending for what was suppose to be a spectacular season for the junior linebacker. Cal mustered only two field goals in the fourth quarter but it was more than enough as ASU couldn’t get any offense going. Final score CAL 47- ASU 38.

The disappointment of this game was muffled by the previous three weeks worth of losses. To go from #18 ranked in the country with a record of 6-2 and the ‘easy’ part of the schedule ahead, to 6-6 is a numbing experience. A numbness the Devils will have to take into a second tier bowl game. Two questions remain for the ASU 2011 season, what bowl will they attend and will Coach Erickson be coaching them. The only highlight of the night for me was having one of my Pac-12 fantasy team players apologize to me for a sub-par season. Hey, its something….

ASU receiver Gerell Robinson is clearly dejected seconds after the Sun Devils' 31-27 loss to the Arizona Wildcats (Photo: Fanster.com)

No surprise to anyone after the coin toss, Arizona elected to receive and sink it’s teeth into the ASU defense that gave up 583 total yards to Washington State. A drive loaded with swing passes and mis-directional plays the Wildcats marched down field into the ASU red zone. On what should have been a hold on third and goal from the six, ASU committed one its infamous 3rd down penalties to give the Wildcats first and goal from the two. Two plays later Keola Antolin punched the ball in for an early Wildcat 7-0 lead. Positive note? ASU is 2-1 when the opponent scores first.

ASU’s first possession featured eight plays and ending in an interception that was returned to the ASU 49 yard line. Auspicious start as the Wildcats then took the ball 49 yards on five plays to take a 14-0 lead on a Foles to Carey six yard touchdown completion.

On the ensuing kick-off Jamal Miles fumbled on the return but he recovered his own fumble as a turnover at that point could have spelled doom for the Sun Devils. Osweiler found his stride as he led the Devils on a 12 play 74 yard drive capped off with a two yard Cameron Marshall scamper. UofA 14- ASU 7. The Wildcats drove back down the field on their next possession but failed to score after a Bonano 49 yard field goal attempt boinked off the left upright. An eight play 68 yard drive drive featuring an 11 yard touchdown catch by senior Gerrell Robinson brought ASU back to a 14-14 tie. After another Arizona field goal miss and a quick :42 second yard ASU drive ending with another Marshall touchdown run put the Devils up 21-14 in a matter of minutes. Arizona added a field goal to send it to halftime ASU 21-17.

The 3rd quarter featured four drives by both schools but only created a 22 yard field goal by ASU. Early in the fourth quarter another ASU drive stalled in the red zone but produced yet another Alex Garoutte field goal. ASU 27-Arizona 17. The next three drives would basically sum up the last three games for ASU. A penalty and more missed tackles than this reporter could count allowed the Wildcats to move 94 yards for a Gino Crump 33 yard touchdown catch. ASU 27-Arizona 24. ASU’s next possession stalled on the Arizona 39 and instead of punting ASU went for it and failed. 2:57 minutes later and another round of the worst tackling in college football history Nick Foles hit Juron Criner for the go ahead touchdown. Arizona 31 ASU 27. On the ensuing drive Osweiler led his Devils down to the Wildcat 23 yard line before throwing an interception. ASU’s defense would hold Arizona and give the ball back to their offense with 1:13. A gallant effort, a little help from the replay booth and a great run by Marshall put ASU down to the Wildcat 15. But time ran out on the Devils as an incomplete pass to Mike Willie fell into the end zone ended the game.

A couple observations from this gut wrenching and demoralizing defeat. And no, they don’t involve penalties, the kicking game or missed tackles. Osweiler was off tonight. Under thrown passes, over thrown passes and throws with no zip. Plus the inability to get the ball in the end zone while in the red zone. But lest us not forget, this is his first year of starting for the Sun Devils. But to Sun Devil fans, this game should have come as no surprise after UCLA and Washington State. A team that was #18 in the country and 6-2 with a cupcake second half schedule, read too many clippings about themselves and forgot you still had to play football. But all is not lost! A three team parlay next weekend will still get ASU into the Pac-12 championship! Right…..

And a note to Arizona fans, I believe they sell football jerseys in Tucson? But you would never know it because all I saw throughout the stadium was UofA basketball jerseys. Now go back to Tucson.

ASU vs UofA by sparkyfan

PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. National Champion and former Olympian Matty Reed dominated the field and emerged the winner of the 2011 Amica 19.7 Phoenix sprint triathlon this morning under picture perfect skies at Wildhorse Pass, Chandler, AZ.

Reed, the 2008 Olympian Trial champion, finished the half-mile swim, 16.1-mile bike and 5K run with a winning time of 1:04:15.

“I am happy with the way I raced today. It’s always great to win,” said Reed, who currently has the highest-ever finish of a U.S. athlete at an ITU World Championship (fifth at the 2008 Worlds). “The course was technical and had a lot of corners. I really enjoyed it.”

Reed was second out of the water behind Brian Lamar, who finished as the overall runner-up (1:05:02).

“I had a bit of a cold and had trouble breathing during the swim,” said Reed. “I didn’t feel on top of my game. But I knew I could break out on the bike. I put everything I had into the bike.”

“Matty (Reed) is an ox on the bike,” said Lamar. ”It’s really hard to stay with him. He showed his strength and I started to fade. Overall, I was pleased with my performance today.”

Lamar’s second-place finish was just ahead of Matthew Russell, who placed third with a time of 1:05:05.

Lauren Goss was the first female to cross the finish line at Wildhorse Pass this morning. She took the Amica 19.7 sprint distance title with her winning time of 1:12:13.

“I had an awesome race today,” said Goss. “I really struggled this season, so this was a good day for me. I was second out of the water, took the lead on the bike and ran by myself the whole way. The run was good and fast.”

Charisa Wernick was the runner-up in the women’s pro division. She finished in 1:13:22. Kathy Rakel took third (1:14:24).

A mix of professionals, amateurs and first-time competitors were among the hundreds of triathletes who competed at the Amica 19.7 Phoenix. The pros competed for a $10,000 prize purse in the Amica 19.7 Phoenix sprint.

Today’s event also featured an international distance triathlon. Peter Nye was the victor, finishing the 1.5K swim, a 34K bike ride and 10K run in 1:53:35.

The top female in the international distance was Cara Payne. She took the title in 2:08:43.

The Amica 19.7 Phoenix is part of the 2011 Amica 19.7 Triathlon Series, a sprint distance series of events held throughout the country. The Amica 19.7 Phoenix was the final event in the 10-race series.

For additional information, visit www.amicatriseries.com.

About Amica Mutual Insurance

Amica Mutual Insurance Company, the nation’s oldest mutual insurer of automobiles, was founded in 1907. The company, with corporate headquarters in Lincoln, RI, is a national writer of automobile, homeowners, marine and personal umbrella liability insurance. Life coverage is available through Amica Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. Amica employs more than 3,100 people in 40 offices across the country.

A dejected Brock Osweiler watches the final stages of the ASU defeat to UCLA.

Despite the constant national media attention given to UCLA every week and their chances to secure the Pac-12 South title, all the Arizona State Sun Devils had to do in Pasadena was basically win, and they’re in. (Pac-12 Championship game)  It simply amazes this reporter how a mediocre Bruin team can be hyped as a challenger for the south title.  On paper anything is possible, but I live in the real world and after watching the debacle UCLA exhibited in Tucson against Arizona two weeks ago, this Bruin team should be happy with a New Mexico Bowl berth.  But like most things ASU football, nothing comes easy and somebody forgot to tell the Bruins they had no chance.

After a quick six plays and punt possession for ASU to start the game, the UCLA Bruins started on their own own 11 yard line and proceeded to march down field in eight plays (six rushing) to put up the games first points.  A missed extra point made it 6-0 UCLA.  Like most games this year, ASU needs a kick in the mouth to get started and that they did.  The Sun Devils responded to the UCLA score with an eight play 81 yard drive featuring a 35 yard touchdown pass from Brock Osweiler to AJ Pickens to go up 7-6.   The end of the first quarter had ASU with the ball and early in the 2nd quarter Cameron Marshall rumbled into the end zone to put ASU up 14-6.  ASU’s offense started half time early as the Bruins put up 10 points to finish the half up 16-14.

The 3rd quarter started with a nice ASU run stop on Jonathan Franklin for a two yard loss.  The very next play featured Kevin Prince to a wide open Nelson Rosario for a 76 yard touchdown pass to put the Bruins up 23-14.  Early 3rd quarter, gut check time, Sun Devils.  A quick four and out for UCLA gave the ball back to the Sun Devils on the Bruin 45 yard line.  Five plays later Osweiler hit Jamal Miles for a nine yard touchdown pass.  The quarter ended with the score UCLA 23 ASU 21.

The fourth quarter was a battle of field position until with a little less than four minutes on the clock ASU put together a monster drive of 10 plays and 93 yards to take the lead 28-23 on a Brock Osweiler one yard run.  A two point conversion was nullified on a holding penalty by Dan Knapp.  The ensuing kick-off resulted in a Bruin turnover but the ASU offense was stymied and settled for a 36 yard field goal attempt, which went left to leave the score 28-23 and the door open for the Bruins.  Kevin Prince then took his Bruin teammates down-field for a last ditch effort for a victory.  With a drive that featured nine running plays the one pass completion was the proverbial straw that broke ASU’s back.  Facing a third and 29 on the ASU 39, Prince hit a wide open Nelson Rosario for 33 yards and first and goal.  Three plays later Derrick Coleman punched in what would be the game winner from one yard out.  A failed two point conversion left the score UCLA 29 ASU 28.  With just 42 seconds left, Brock Osweiler would move the ball down-field to the UCLA 29 with the assistance of a penalty reversal and a UCLA pass interference call.  With just a mere four seconds left, ASU kicker Alex Garoutte missed his third field goal of the day to send the exuberant Bruin team onto the field for a big upset celebration.

In post game interviews, linebacker Colin Parker summed up the game perfectly.  ASU failed in all three aspects of the game.  The kicking game was brutal, the defense couldn’t stop anyone on the ground and the offense missed on several opportunities.  Cameron Marshall’s 168 yards rushing were the lone bright spot in a very disappointing afternoon in Pasadena.  He now also ranks sixth all-time in ASU history with 24 rushing touchdowns.  All stats he would gladly give back to get the win as he stated in the post game interview. Now, without control of their conference finish in their hands, ASU must bounce back from this loss to travel to Pullman, WA and take on the much improved Washington State Cougars.  Win out and a loss by UCLA will put the Devils back into the Pac-12 South front.  But to look past an opponent at this point in the season, will bite you in the ass every time.

ASU UCLA Postgame Sound

ASU UCLA Postgame Interviews by sparkyfan

ASU scored early and often in its first-ever Pac-12 meeting with Colorado (Photo: Fanster.com)

In a distinct change to how they normally start a game, ASU marched down the field with their first possession and scored a touchdown on a 25 yard Brock Osweiler to Jamal Miles pass.  A four and out for the Buffaloes and then six plays later, another ASU score with a 16 yard Cameron Marshall run.  If there was any trepidation in the Homecoming crowd, it was long gone.  It wasn’t a matter of if ASU would win, but just by how much.  The first quarter ended ASU 21 Colorado 0 with Cameron Marshall fresh from the bye week galloping for 53 yards and Brock Osweiler lofting 153 yards.

The second quarter was more of the same  as ASU put another 10 points on the board to go into the half with 31-7.  The only blemish on the ASU scorecard was a Brock Osweiler fumble that lead directly to a Colorado recovery and 16 yard Josh Moten run for a touchdown. The defense put up the first half shut out while the offense amassed 350 yards.  Despite the awesome offensive display, the team still couldn’t escape the penalty bug.  Seven penalties for 80 yards in any other game would have been a huge impact, but today it was barely noticed among the yards the offensive put up.

Although the Sun Devils put up another 10 points in the third quarter the highlight of the 15 minutes was the goal line stand on Colorado’s second drive. With a first and goal from the ASU three, the Sun Devils held the Buffaloes to two yards o the first down and then stopped them cold on the next three downs.  A flashback of ASU defense from days of old, Vontaze Burfict was in on three of the four plays on the goal line.  Including the fourth down stop where he removed his helmet in celebratory fashion only to quickly put it back on, but it was to late and he was flagged for the shortest personal foul penalty in football history.  Estimated at 3 inches.

As expected the fourth quarter was left for the back-ups to get in some game time experience.  It was nice to finally see quarterbacks Mike Bercovici and Taylor Kelly get some experience outside of practice.  Often injured running back James Morrison even had a few nice runs to accumulate 30 yards on the ground and a late touchdown run.  10 different Sun Devils caught passes with wide out Kevin Ozier getting his first collegiate touchdown.  Josh Hubner averaged 40 yards a punt while place kicker Alex Garoutte made both his field goals in what has been a kicking roller coaster all season.  The 522 total offensive yards was impressive but has to tempered with the fact this Colorado Buffalo team is really not very good.  Especially with the inexperience coach Embree has to field week in and week out.

So with a firm grip on the Pac-12 South, the Sun Devils must head to Pasadena to take on the only team with a legitimate shot at catching them in the division, UCLA.  Will the same team mentality show up in the Rose Bowl as they did on this fall afternoon, or will complacency set in and allow a battered Bruin squad a fighters chance at the upset.  We keep hearing week in and week out from Coach Erickson and quarterback Osweiler the one game at a time thought process and learning from all their mistakes, next Saturday will be the true test. The other test will be how fast we can find the Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles for our post game meal!

ASU POSTGAME AUDIO FOLLOWING 48-14 WIN OVER COLORADO

ASU Postgame Audio – Colorado game by sparkyfan

The Sun Devils gave the Utes a continued rude welcome to the Pac-12 (Photo: Michael Kossett/Fanster.com)

With game time temperature around 48 degrees, the Devils looked like they just got off the plane .  The Utes were fired up and ready to hit.  The highlight early was TE Trevor Kohl’s first two catches of the year including a great one-hander for a first down.  Utah’s first possession featured junior college transfer John White and a 30-yard touchdown scamper.  Another slow start for the 22nd-ranked Devils. ASU’s only score in the first quarter came a few drives later, with the benefit of a Utah personal foul during a failed third down attempt during the drive.  ASU’s defense settled down nicely to end the quarter with the score 7-7.

The second quarter was a battle in the trenches as neither team could muster much offense.  That was until late in the quarter.  The Sun Devils managed to drive to the Ute 12 but were unable to punch it in and settled for a 27 yard field goal from Alex Garoutte.  With only 1:22 on the clock Utah freshman quarterback Jon Hays found his stride and pushed the ball down field in  a hurry to the ASU 16 yard line. Eddie Elder’s interception in the end zone put the kibosh on the Ute drive and the stymied offense of the Sun Devils went to the half leading 10-7.

It was obvious Utah had studied extensive film in preparation for this ASU offense.  Cameron Marshall was only able to muster 34 yards on 12 carries and the few swing passes the Sun Devils have become known for were all stopped for a loss or little gain.  Most of the half Osweiler was hurried and hit with little time to look past his 3rd option.  It was similar to watching a little chick breaking through its egg, pecking and punching with little gain but so close to a break out.

The 3rd quarter started just like the end of the second quarter for the Utes with frosh Hays leading his offense down the field to take the lead 14-10 on a Dallin rogers 2-yard touchdown pass.  The early 3rd quarter deficit seemed to be the kick in the pants the Sun Devils needed as the rest of the 3rd quarter and 4th quarters left the 45,089 in attendance amazed.  ASU took the kickoff and marched down to the Ute 17 were Alex Garoutte connected on his 2nd field goal of the day to pull ASU within one at 14-13.  Utah running back John  White fumbled on the first play of next Ute drive and ASU recovered and then quickly struck for 14-yard Mike Willie touchdown and then a Pflugrad 2-point conversion.  ASU 21 Utah 14.  In almost a mirror of the previous drive the Utes went 1 play and done as Clint Floyd picked off Hays for ASU’s third interception of the game.  Three plays later Cameron Marshall scored to put the Devils up 28-14, which the quarter ended with the same score.  With his 19th career touchdown Marshall moved into 11th place on the ASU all-time touchdown list.

In what appeared to be a little life coming back to the Ute offense was quickly extinguished as they turned the ball over for the third straight drive on the ASU 39 early in the 4th quarter.  Not wasting anymore time, Osweiler led his now unbridled offense down-field and connected with wide out Mike Willie for a 12-yard td pass and his second score of the game.  ASU 35 Utah 14.  This would be the final score as the energy from the crowd had dissipated in addition to what became a lifeless Utah squad, demoralized from the hurricane of a ASU defense.

Despite the ongoing depletion of players from the defensive side of the ball (Brooks, Bolden, Magee, Onyeali to name a few) the group seems to relish in the challenge.  Bending but not breaking and keeping games close until the offense finds it’s stride. The maturation of quarterback Brock Osweiler continues including his leadership amongst his teammates.  Overall this was a great win for the Devils.

Next up will be the biggest test of the year and the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon.  But before I start thinking about the battle between what possible could be a preview of the Pac-12 Championship game I’m going to enjoy the rest of the culinary treasures that Salt Lake/Park City and  SnowBird have to offer.

ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler gets a hug from receiver Aaron Pflugrad as time runs out in the Sun Devils' 35-20 win over Oregon State (Photo: Fanster.com)

There might be a plethora of reasons, or there might just be one, but to say the Sun Devils came out flat Saturday night is perhaps one of the biggest underestimations of 2011.  Brock Osweiler looked lost and vulnerable.  5 of 9 with two interceptions, one sack and one knocked down pass.  46 total yards in the first quarter.  The only redeeming value from quarter one, the defense held the Beavers to only two field goals instead of touchdowns.  The quarter mercifully ended OSU 6 -ASU 0.

Quarter two started with an OSU drive continuation from the first quarter but this time it ended in a touchdown.  ASU was now down 13 and a crowd of 57,437 were sitting on their hands.  Now this is the part of the game where a director or producer would walk out on stage and yell, “Cut!!!”

Whether ASU found the de-fibrillator, a case of Red Bull or they figured out they should be beating this Beaver team soundly, the offense erupted.  Two touchdown drives and a 78-yard punt return by Jamal Miles made this game ASU 21, OSU 13 at the half.

The 3rd quarter started with an exchange of punts before Osweiler gave up his 3rd interception of the game.  Two plays later James Rodgers caught a 5-yard pass to cut the lead to 21-20.  Although the temperature in Tempe was dropping, the stress level in Sun Devil Stadium was rising as ASU continued to struggle to put away this pesky Beaver squad.  But just like great football teams do, ASU quickly marched back downfield on the back of running backs Jamal Miles and Cameron Marshall.  The 37-yard touchdown rumble by Marshall to cap the 6-play drive in spectacular fashion was one for the highlight reels.  No less than 6 Beaver defensive players had a hand on Marshall as he shed all of them to put ASU up by eight.

Another Marshall run early in the 4th quarter put ASU up 35-20.  The Sun Devil defense tightened up the rest of the quarter twice picking off OSU quarterback Sean Mannion and the game ended with a battered Osweiler taking a knee.  ASU 35-OSU 20.  A look at the stats and or box score doesn’t give really tell the story of what a struggle this game turned out to be.  But 20 years from now, it’ll still be a victory with no one caring how it was won.   The idea that the Sun Devils would take the Beavers lightly was well discussed leading up to this game, and it was apparent through-out the contest, but ASU prevailed.  A glimpse of what great teams do under duress, win anyway possible and move on.  The defense continues to amaze as they continue to play great football with a severely depleted squad.  The offense has its moments (USC) and it has its struggles (OSU) but as Osweiler continues to mature, so will the consistency of the offensive unit.  As for the kicking game?  I’ve resolved myself that this will be a Tums moment every time a kicker takes the field the rest of the season.

Next up for ASU, a trip to the Beehive State and a game against Pac-12 newcomer Utah.  And with a victory in Salt Lake City, the Devils would be in a prime position to capture the Pac-12 South crown.  But I hesitate to talk about title games this early in the season.  I’d prefer to talk about the great nachos at Squatters Brewery or the flatbread at Red Rocks Brewery I’ll be enjoying  Friday night before the game.

Brock Osweiler awaits a snap from Garth Gerhart during ASU's 17-14 loss to Illinois on Saturday in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo: Michael Kossett)

It’s been a long time since I sat in a press box and looked out over a horizon and basically saw miles of endless miles of a flat level plane of green.  So this is where the Arizona State Sun Devils have landed to to take on the Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois.  The corn fields and vast areas of trees are a distinct contrast from the mountainous region of the Pac-12, and so was the 72 degree game time temperature.  And with the pleasant temperatures in Central Illinois, the Sun Devils came into this game with a quiet confidence, a slow but deliberate swagger.  A wry grin on most of them as they stretched pre-game.  But it didn’t take long to get that grin smacked off their faces, and smacked hard.

After ASU elected to receive the ball on the coin toss, they promptly went three and out with only one of the plays gaining yardage.  A 25 yard punt set the Illini up with a short field, which then led to a five play 38 yard drive for seven points.  Four and a half minutes into the game ASU had officially been kicked in the mouth on both sides of the ball.  Not the way the 22nd ranked team was suppose to start.  To make things worse on defense, sophomore defensive end standout Junior Onyeali was assisted off the field the first play Illinois had the ball.  A more settled Brock Osweiler took the Devils on their second possession down for a score to tie the game up at seven.  Let the track meet begin.  Once both teams got their ya-ya’s out and stabilized their emotions, the rest of the first and second quarter was entertaining but unattractive football, with turnovers, penalties and bad play calling.  The half ended, 10-7 Illinois.

As with most of my travels to ASU road games, I enjoy the different traditions, crowds and atmospheres of opposing stadiums.  With a plaque honoring Illinois alum, the great Red ‘Galloping Ghost’ Grange, overlooking a beautiful field turf surface, Memorial Stadium is as beautiful a Big Ten stadium you’ll find.  The student section clad entirely in orange filled the whole north end-zone stands and had all the usual hi-jinx of college students.  The hundreds of tailgates spewed palate tempting aromas from their grills sizzling with corn fed mid west beef, brats and burgers.    Also in attendance was a very large ASU contigent.  With Illinois having the largest ASU alum population of any state in America, it was expected Sun Devil fans would invade Champaign.  As a matter of fact, most even caught the Cubs game against the Astros in Wrigley Friday afternoon.  The southeast corner of Memorial Stadium had a strip of maroon and gold from field to upper deck amidst a sea of orange.

For the Sun Devils to get any kind of traction offensively in the second half, the protection of quarterback Brock Osweiler had to improve.  Sacked twice, harassed more times than I could count and at least two Illini in his face on every play, Osweiler ‘survived’ the first half.  When given a few moments to himself in the pocket, he was able to pick apart the defensive backfield of Illinois.  The couple of third quarter possessions ASU attempted were no different than the first half.  No protection for Brock.  Even when they got the ball back after a Jose Canseco-ish muffed punt by Illinois, the Devils weren’t able to do anything due penalties and lack of QB protection.  The third quarter was a game of field position with ASU winning the battle as they took the ball into the Illinois’s red zone to end the quarter.  Resulting in a 14 yard scamper into the orange Illinois end-zone by Brock Osweiler.  ASU’s first lead of the game 14-10.

With momentum finally on the side of Sparky and his Sun Devils, the defensive unit stepped up to stop the offense of Illinois. With a little more than 12 minutes left on the clock and momentum finally on their side, ASU had the game in their own hands.  But just when you thought the Devils had shaken their demons from the 2010 season, another ill fated play emerged for ASU.  With the combination of weak line play and holding onto the ball too long, Osweiler suffered his third turnover of the game when he was sacked and fumbled on his own 41 yard line.  Moments later the Illini punched it in to take a 17-14 lead with 10 minutes left.  Although they had two more attempts to score, the Sun Devils couldn’t come up with any kind of consistency to get close for a game tying field goal or game winning touchdown.  Final score, Illinois 17, ASU 14.

Besides a loss that should have been a realistic victory for the Sun Devils, my concern about the kicking game and penalty issues continues to grow.  Regression from week one to now is atrocious.  Missed field goals, short kick-offs, short and shanked punts are all brow curling moments.  And for the penalties?  Most of them are ill -timed and demonstrate lack of discipline.  The expectations put on QB Brock Osweiler are high, but the realization should be he’s still in his infancy when it comes to tight close game situations.  Growing pains are never comfortable.

Next up is the start of Pac-12 play and Pac-12 championship ineligible USC Trojans in Tempe. Every player interviewed post Illinois game echoed the same opinion, they will learn from their mistakes and build on them.  A win over the men from Troy would be a great cornerstone to build on for the rest of the season.

Photo: Michael Kossett/Fanster.com

Following the game, head coach Dennis Erickson spoke to the media about the loss.

Brock Osweiler was impressive for the Sun Devils during Friday's Blackout in Tempe.

My concerns with the Sun Devils last week have a shelf life of one more week. The kicking game, penalties, the defense and how the offense moves the ball.  You can only take so much from a game against a smaller and weaker opponent like UC Davis.  It’s a tune-up and a game to shake off any summer cobwebs.  But with the 21st-ranked Tigers of Missouri coming to Tempe,  the stakes get rapidly higher with little room for any error.

As much as I praised the kicking game last week, Friday’s effort was less than stellar.  Josh Hubner’s punt in the first half was perfect, a pooch punt to pin back the Tigers. The second half was a mixed bag, so we’ll just refrain from any solid conclusion for a few more weeks.  Alex Garoutte, well, showed he still is a freshman.  In the first half alone he missed a 42-yard field goal, had an extra point blocked and had kickoffs landing around the 10-yard line.  He is a redshirt freshman, so he’s got miles of leeway before I get too critical.

As for the penalties?  Unfortunately a flashback of last year.  Including one from enigmatic linebacker Vontaze Burfict.  You can say both teams had their penalty issues (Missouri had 11), but ASU led the country last year in penalties per game, and this was something that had to be addressed in the off season.  The 12 penalties ASU incurred were all over the board, facemask, pass interference, false start, roughing the passer…you get the picture. 2010 saw the Sun Devils lose a lot of close games and in order to win those close games this year, discipline on both sides of the ball must be attained.

I’m going to jump my defensive comments to discuss how well the offense moved the ball.  For only his fourth start, Brock Osweiler is truly becoming a star in the making.  Beautiful touch passes, laser throws when needed and a great knack to escape the pocket to pick up rushing yards.  37 points and 492 total yards are numbers that have been promised from this offense. And to be honest? The way the defense played, those numbers are a must.

Before spring ball, the ASU defense was being touted as one of the best in the Pac-12 and possibly the country.  With key loses of Omar Bolden, James Brooks and Brandon Magee over the summer, the defense must almost re-invent itself.  How players step up and prove themselves will determine how far this Sun Devil team will go.  Missouri quarterback James Franklin gashed the Devils defense for 109 yards on the ground, partially due to the fact the Tigers were down to their third string running back.  He also threw for 319 yards and spread the ball around to multiple receivers.  So despite the points (30), monster yards (501) given up and giving up the 14-point fourth quarter lead, the defense stepped up and took over the game in OT.  An endeavor they couldn’t do last year.

So with this close win, over a ranked team, this Sun Devil squad will make their first road trip of the season.  The confidence gained from this victory has to be immeasurable.  Last year’s debacle of  snatching defeat from the hands of victory obviously wore on the team and almost made up ways to lose.  On a night when the Pac-12 commish was in attendance and Sun Devil Stadium experienced its first blackout during a lightning filled sky, the ASU Sun Devils finally broke through.  

Next,  a visit to Champaign-Urbana to face the Fighting Illini.

Brock Osweiler has been very comfortable since taking over at quarterback for the Sun Devils (Photo: Vince Marotta)

The one major difference? The outcome.

Arizona State blew a 14-point 4th quarter lead and beat 19th-ranked Missouri 37-30 in overtime in front of a crowd of 70,236 at Sun Devil Stadium. It was ASU’s first win over a ranked opponent since October of 2007, when Erickson’s squad beat a stumbling Cal squad who was barely hanging on to their national ranking in the midst of a 7-game stretch in which they lost 6 games.

Brock Osweiler hooked up with Jamal Miles for an 11-yard touchdown pass on ASU’s first overtime possession, and then the defense, which got gashed for 501 yards by the Tigers held on, forcing an incomplete pass from Mizzou quarterback James Franklin.

Missouri had a chance to win it in regulation, but kicker Grant Ressel missed a 48-yard field goal wide left with :12 to go. Ressel had made 44 out of 47 field goals in his career at Missouri, but missed two attempts tonight. He also missed a 54-yarder in the 2nd quarter.

The Sun Devils (2-0) took a step in the right direction with this win. Yes, Missouri came in banged up with five starters out. But this is a game that Arizona State simply doesn’t win, or at least hasn’t found a way to win, in the last four years. With the win, they’ll break into the Top 25 for the first time since week two of the 2008 season.

And most importantly, they’ve found themselves a legit quarterback. Junior Brock Osweiler didn’t blink in the bright lights of a nationally televised game. He calmly completed 24 of 32 passes for 353 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran for another score in just his fourth collegiate start.

Since taking over the reins of the offense from an injured Steven Threet in the first quarter of the UCLA game last November, the Sun Devils are 4-0 and Osweiler has completed 92 of 143 passes for 1,262 yards, 10 touchdowns and only 1 interception. For those who follow such things, that’s a quarterback rating of 160.15.

He’s become quite polished in a short amount of time, and that bodes well for this program that was showered with expectations. So far, #17 has lived up to them and more, and seems completely unfazed by it all.

That could be bad news for the conference, as the first-ever week in Pac-12 play didn’t go too well. Oregon State lost at home to Sacramento State, a run-of-the-mill FCS team. Ouch. Oregon fell flat on their faces on the weekend’s most prominent stage in a 13-point loss to LSU. UCLA went on the road and lost to an average team from Conference USA. USC and Washington squeaked out wins over seemingly inferior opponents. And the more impressive performances belonged to Arizona State and Arizona, and those are hard to gauge because they came against overmatched FCS teams.

You get the idea. It was a bad week.

It wasn’t exactly a good week for the normally trusty Crystal Ball either–10-2 straight up and a woeful 2-4 against the spread (is it any wonder I’m not a big gambler?)

This week things get tougher, for both the members of the Pac-12 and the Crystal Ball. Here we go…

Thursday

Arizona (1-0) at #9 Oklahoma State (1-0) – This could be bad for the Wildcats. This is the same Cowboys team that dismantled the ‘Cats in last year’s Alamo Bowl 36-10. This should have been a matchup of two of the best passing combinations in the country with OSU’s Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon facing off against Arizona’s Nick Foles and Juron Criner, except Criner won’t play–he’s out with an undisclosed illness. Advantage, no check that, big advantage OSU.
Spread: Oklahoma State -14
Score Prediction: Oklahoma State 38…..Arizona 22
ATS Pick: Oklahoma State -14

Friday

#21 Missouri (1-0) at Arizona State (1-0) – There’s buzz in Tempe as ASU will take the field in this nationally televised game wearing black from head-to-toe. There’s also buzz because the Sun Devils looked pretty good in their season opener against UC Davis. Not impressive that they won by 34, but because they played a clean game with few mental errors and even fewer boneheaded penalties. Missouri wasn’t impressive in their season opener against Miami of Ohio and they’ve been hit hard by the injury bug. Tailback Kendial Lawrence is out with a broken leg–he’s one of four starters from last week who will miss the Arizona State game.
Spread: Arizona State -8
Score Prediction: Arizona State 24…..Missouri 20
ATS Pick: Missouri +8

Saturday

Oregon State (0-1) at #8 Wisconsin (1-0) – One week in, and already QB trouble in Corvallis? Ryan Katz was benched in last week’s loss to Sacramento State and will now split time with Sean Mannion. And freshman tailback Malcolm Agnew, who ran for 223 yards in his collegiate debut, is doubtful with a hamstring problem. Yikes.
Spread: Wisconsin -21.5
Score Prediction: Wisconsin 38…..Oregon State 13
ATS Pick: Wisconsin -21.5

California (1-0) at Colorado (1-0) – It’s that always popular non-conference game against a conference foe. This game was scheduled ahead of the Buffs entering the Pac-12, so it is what it is. Colorado did a pretty nice job on Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz–at least in the passing game. Jon Embree’s Buffs held Moniz to just 178 yards in the air, which is his 2nd-lowest yardage total since becoming the Warriors’ starter in 2009. The problem is CU let him run wild–121 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cal was pretty good in their opening win over Fresno, but has been questionable at best on the road in the last couple of seasons. Shouldn’t matter this week.
Spread: Cal -7
Score Prediction: California 20…..Colorado 17
ATS Pick: Colorado +7

#6 Stanford (1-0) at Duke (0-1) – The Cardinal hit the road to face the other FBS team to lose at home to an FCS foe, Duke. The Blue Devils lost at home to Richmond 23-21. Stanford, meanwhile, predictably did whatever they wanted against San Jose State. Expect that trend to continue for David Shaw’s team.
Spread: Stanford -22
Score Prediction: Stanford 49…..Duke 14
ATS Pick: Stanford -22

Hawaii (1-0) at Washington (1-0) – The Huskies almost lost to Eastern Washington on their home field in week one. Their defense was torched via the pass by EWU’s Bo Levi Mitchell for 473 yards and three touchdowns, so you know they’ve got to be concerned with Hawaii coming in. Warriors’ QB Bryant Moniz threw for over 5,000 yards last year and ran for over 100 and 3 scores against Colorado last week. Yet, somehow when the Huskies needed a play to stop a pass, they got it with Desmond Trufant picking off a pass in the end zone to preserve UW’s win with only seconds left in the game. I think they’ll have just enough to beat Hawaii in similar fashion.
Spread: Washington -6.5
Score Prediction: Washington 24….Hawaii 20
ATS Pick: Hawaii +6.5

Nevada (0-0) at #13 Oregon (0-1) – Was there a more disappointing performance than that of the Ducks’ a week ago? I think not. But they’ll bounce back against a Nevada team who hasn’t played a game yet and is searching for an identity after losing a lot of talent from last year’s squad that upset Boise State. Look for a bounce back game from Darron Thomas and maybe, just maybe, LaMichael James drank enough water this week to avoid cramping.
Spread: Oregon -27
Score Prediction: Oregon 42….Nevada 17
ATS Pick: Nevada +27

UNLV (0-1) at Washington State (1-0) – I’m not usually this intrigued by games featuring two seemingly bad football teams, but this is kinda interesting for me. Washington State scored 64 points in a win over Idaho State, playing its 2nd and 3rd-string quarterbacks for most of the game. You may be thinking “big deal it’s Idaho State”. When the hell has Wazzu scored 64 points on anyone? Glad you asked. The last time WSU had that kind of offensive output was all the way back in 1998 when they embarrassed Louisiana-Lafayette 77-7. The bummer is QB Jeff Tuel is out for at least the next few weeks with a broken collarbone. This should be a close game, and the Cougs should be 2-0. Weird, I know.
Spread: Washington State -14
Score Prediction: Washington State 28….UNLV 24
ATS Pick: UNLV +14

Utah (1-0) at USC (1-0) – Welcome to the conference, Kyle Whittingham. This game marks the first official Pac-12 matchup for the year and the first foray into the Pac-12 for the Utes. Neither team was impressive in week one, but Utah defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake has got to be losing sleep on how to slow down the Matt Barkley to Robert Woods connection that hooked up a school record 17 times for three scores a week ago. USC looked downright disinterested at times in their win over Minnesota–they can’t afford that against a much-better Utah team that will be playing with a chip on their shoulder.
Spread: USC -9.5
Score Prediction: Utah 23…..USC 20
ATS Pick: Utah +9.5

San Jose State (0-1) at UCLA (0-1) – Rick Neuheisel’s seat didn’t cool off at all after last week’s season opening loss at Houston, but if there was a positive, it was the play of his offense. The Bruins racked up 554 yards in the loss–the third most UCLA has had in a game in the Neuheisel era (and the most against an opponent not named Washington State). I think you’ll see a continuation of the offensive progress mixed in with a good defensive effort against a horrible Spartans team this week.
Spread: UCLA -21
Score Prediction: UCLA 35…..San Jose State 13
ATS Pick: UCLA -21

Colin Parker, Brock Osweiler and Cameron Marshall all played big roles in ASU's season opening win over UC-Davis (Photo: Michael Kossett/Fanster.com)

The inaugural Pac-12 football season started Thursday night for the Arizona State Sun Devils in the usual early September triple digit temperatures of Sun Devil Stadium.  Tonight’s sacrificial lamb on Sparky’s rotisserie were the Aggies of University of California-Davis.  One of only three schools in the UC system to field a football team. (Cal & UCLA others).  In direct competition for fans with the Arizona Cardinals who were playing cross town in an air conditioned dome against the Denver Broncos, the less than capacity crowd braved the heat for the first of seven home games in the 2011 season.

Tonight’s game is basically a no-win situation for ASU.  Win big and it’s something you’re supposed to do.  Play a close game, and you should be worried.  Lose, well, let’s not go there for Sun Devil fans.  But for this reporter, a veteran of almost 30 seasons of Sun Devil football, I had specific areas to look at and address.

First and foremost, the kicking game.  For any team  to lose one of their special team specialists is tough enough, but to lose both your punter and kicker in the same year can make the most veteran of coaching staffs grow a little more gray.  Especially after all the close and last minute losses they suffered last year.  Of course one game can’t determine a season, but the production of junior punter Josh Hubner and red-shirt freshman kicker Alex Garoutte should ease the stress of a new kicking game.  Hubner’s first quarter punt of 54 yards was a bomb which was fumbled and led to seven ASU points.  All Garoutte did was drill every extra point, stick a beautiful 49-yard field goal and place all his kickoffs inside the Aggies’ five-yard line.  As for punt and kick-off returns? The duo of Jamal Miles and Kyle Middlebrooks have this area well in control.  The 98 yard return for a score by Miles was a great example of that.

Next up was the brutal penalties the Sun Devils seem to take last year.  During off season workouts and the summer camp the team has specifically worked on playing hard and aggressively, but still maintaining control.  All three penalties tonight were from the offense.  Which leads me to how the enigmatic pre-season All America linebacker Vontaze Burfict played.  Stat line, three sacks, no penalties.  Hopefully this is just a start to a great final season for the young man.  I still maintain he has Suggs-type talent, but he must control himself to be the great weapon that T-Sizzle developed into.

On the topic of Burfict, there was a lot of blitzing thrown into the defensive scheme against the Aggies which disrupted Davis’ game plan.  The one troubling defensive issue I took note on was the inability to stop the run and manhandle the offensive line.  There were several times during the game (1st half mainly) when the starters were still playing that the Aggie runners had gaping holes to scamper through.  Its obvious the loss of Brooks and Magee hurts the Devils in this area.  Don’t doubt for a second that Missouri won’t try to put helmet on helmet on that line, focus on Burfict and try to grind on ASU next week.  Hopefully it was just a ‘first game’ thing that will get rectified by next week.

The offense almost did whatever it wanted tonight.  Osweiler looked crisp and its obvious his game has matured greatly in the last 8 months.  Although Cameron Marshall only had a few touches, his runs, receptions and blocking surely put him in the top-10 of running backs for 2011.  If ASU continues to throw the ball all over the field.  Marshall will find huge holes to run through every game.  And back-up Middlebrooks could be a starter for numerous other programs.  What the offense still can’t get away from is the fake hand off then quick throw into the flat, with the ball sometimes being a lateral.  Until the intended backs can get every ball thrown, this play continues to baffle me on its effectiveness.

Game one is in the books.  A dominating victory over a sacrificial lamb brought into Tempe for that specific purpose.  Next up, the #21 ranked Tigers of Missouri.  As Coach Erickson said during his post game comments, “We’ve got a lot of things to fix if we want to beat Missouri next week”.  Lets hope the first ever Sun Devil Stadium Black Out helps the cause.

Not exactly what you want to see in the preseason.

The team already had incumbent starter Tim Hightower, a steady and reliable player, on the roster. And just two years earlier they had invested a low first round draft pick on the über-talented Beanie Wells out of Ohio State. Add in third down specialist LaRod Stephens-Howling, and the addition of Williams would make for a very crowded backfield.

The Cardinals moved quickly to find some reps for Williams, trading Hightower to Washington early in training camp for a low draft pick and veteran defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday. This signaled that Wells would be the starter, but Williams would be counted on in a big way as a rookie.

That all changed on one play on Friday night.

Williams was injured on his first carry in a 28-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Officials and his Cardinal teammates immediately called to the Arizona sideline for assistance after Williams was dragged down from behind by Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings. Talk about your ironic initials.

Williams was carted off the field and head coach Ken Whisenhunt feared that his rookie running back had suffered a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee, ending his season before it ever got off the ground.

Williams himself confirmed the severity of the injury via his Twitter account on Saturday morning.

So now what? The Cardinals had an abundance of depth at the position three weeks ago, and now it’s a concern. Wells looked good on Friday, gaining 44 yards on 11 carries. Stephens-Howling could still be used as a change-of-pace type runner. The only other healthy runner on the roster is Alfonso Smith, a 2nd-year player out of Kentucky, who got 12 carries against the Packers, ran for 39 yards and scored on a one-yard touchdown run. There’s an obvious need to add someone at the position.

But what’s out there? Surprisingly, there are still some familiar names available in free agency. Among them: Brian Westbrook, the former Eagle and 49er, who ran for 340 yards on 77 carries last year in San Francisco. The downside? He’s injury-prone and he’ll be 32 years old on opening day.

Want a guy with fresh legs? Tiki Barber is still looking for a team, and he hasn’t carried a football in almost five full years. Oh, and he’s 36 years old.

There’s also Kevin Smith (the former Lion, not the robust film director). Smith is only 24 years old, but suffered a serious knee injury late in the 2009 season. He came back and played last season for the Lions, but gained only 133 yards on 34 carries in 6 contests. Remember Mike Hart, the mighty might from Michigan? He’s on the free agent list, but has already taken a job as the offensive quality control coach on Ron English’s staff at Eastern Michigan University.

Other recognizable available names are veterans Clinton Portis, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Julius Jones, Ladell Betts and Dominic Rhodes. The Cardinals may go the route of bringing in someone immediately from the above list of names. Or they might wait and see what the cut list around the league looks like. Or, there’s always Alfonso Smith.

Any way you slice it though, this is the first major bummer of the year for the Arizona Cardinals. Hopefully there’s not many more on the way.

At Arizona State’s annual Media Day in Tempe on Saturday, Osweiler kept his confidence at a high level when answering questions about his team’s 2011 outlook.

“If you guys had been in this building since we started our winter workouts from day one until the end of summer conditioning, you would all understand why we’re saying what we are,” Osweiler said. “The mindset of this team is unbelievable right now. The confidence we have, the energy, the family atmosphere that we’ve created around the building–there’s a lot of really special things going on around here. We’re not destined for a 6-6 bowl game. We’re not destined for a 7-5 bowl game. We know this team can do bigger things.”

Senior wide receiver Gerell Robinson was on the same page as Osweiler in the confidence department when making his comments to the media. “The only talk we’ve had is about working hard and getting to New Orleans,” Robinson said. “As much as everybody wants us to go to the Rose Bowl, I’ve been to California. I haven’t been to New Orleans yet.”

Confidence is a must for any football team striving for greatness, and the Sun Devils aren’t the only ones feeling that confidence heading into 2011. Experts around the country have made ASU a sexy sleeper pick to vastly improve and possibly contend for a BCS spot this season.

SI’s Stewart Mandel cited the Devils in that very category in an article written in May, pointing out that their 6-6 record in 2010 was not indicative of how well Dennis Erickson’s team played, and that their 2011 slate of opponents is, as he calls it, “manageable”.

ESPN Radio college football analyst Trevor Matich, on a show that aired just this Friday, also pointed to Arizona State as a team that very well could be in the mix to be one of the two teams left standing on January 9th in The Big Easy.

So, could it actually happen? History says that it could.

Four times during the Bowl Championship Series era (1998 to present), a team that lost 5 games one season went on to hoist the AFCA National Championship the very next season. Bob Stoops’ 2000 Oklahoma team that rolled to a 13-0 record and a BCS title were a 7-5 team just a year before. The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes won a championship by going 14-0 and beating Miami in a thrilling Fiesta Bowl in Tempe. A year earlier, they were 7-5. The 2003 LSU Tigers of Nick Saban that celebrated a title in New Orleans after beating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl did that a season after going 8-5. And last season, the Auburn Tigers rose to the pinnacle of college football a season after going 8-5.

Another interesting note on those four teams who rocketed to championships after mediocre seasons–three of them had new full-time starting quarterbacks, just as ASU will have this fall with Osweiler.

The last two times ASU finished in the top 5 in the nation were 1986, when the Sun Devils won the Pac-10, went on to beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and finish 4th in the polls. The year before, ASU was just 8-4. In 1996, Bruce Snyder’s ASU team was on the verge of winning a national championship after a perfect regular season. The year before, the Devils were 6-5 and didn’t play in a bowl game.

So am I telling Pitchfork Nation to start making travel plans to get to Louisiana in early January?

No.

The Sun Devils will contend for the Pac-12 South crown, although if you’ve read my conference preview, you know that I don’t think they’ll win it. What I think will happen in 2011 for Arizona State is vast improvement in several areas. They’ll get solid leadership from the quarterback position in Osweiler, who showed a lot of moxy in season-ending wins over UCLA and Arizona a year ago. And they’ll improve in the area of learning how to win close games. Four of their six losses last season (Wisconsin, Oregon State, USC and Stanford) came by a combined total of 9 points. Being that close to big wins only to fall short can rip the heart right out of a team’s chest. But such repeated “close but no cigar” moments can also serve as a powerful learning tool.

Head coach Dennis Erickson was much more understated when talking about his team’s goals in 2011–the first one being a Pac-12 South championship and a berth in the inaugural conference championship game and, as he put it, a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.

Although not as brash as his players, Erickson did speak highly of his squad. “I like this football team a lot,” he said. “I feel like we can win a lot of football games, but we’ve got to go out and do it. Talk is cheap.”