House Of Sparky

Jamal Miles Named To Phil Steele's Preseason All-American 3rd Team, 4 Others On Pac-12 Team

2012-05-17T21:33:17Z

After taking home a fourth team spot on Phil Steele's final 2011 All-American squad as a kick returner, dynamic Arizona State wide receiver move one up and over on Steele's 2012 preseason All-American squad.

The 5'10", 180-pound senior took home the third-team spot as a punt returner on the squads that were revealed on Thursday. Last season, Miles was terrific on punts, posting a 16.6 yards-per-return average on his 14 returns, including a game-breaking 78-yard touchdown against Oregon State. He just barely missed the required number of returns to qualify for the national rankings, where his 16.6 mark would have ranked third in the country. Miles also was lethal on kickoff returns, averaging 26.3 yards per return and scoring two more touchdowns.

Miles is the Sun Devils' primary contender for preseason national awards, but several other Sun Devils were represented on Steele's All-Pac-12 teams...including a few more mentions of Miles.

All-Pac-12 1st Team

Jamal Miles - Punt returner

All-Pac-12 2nd Team

Cameron Marshall - Running back

Brandon Magee - Linebacker

Jamal Miles - Kickoff Returner

All-Pac-12 3rd Team

No selections

All-Pac-12 4th Team

Jamal Miles - Wide receiver

Evan Finkenberg - Offensive tackle

Will Sutton - Defensive tackle

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A Look At Brock Osweiler's First NFL Trading Cards

2012-05-17T19:50:04Z

Record-setting former Arizona State quarterback and presumptive Denver Bronco starter-in-waiting Brock Osweiler has been hard at work preparing for life on Sundays.

However, he's also found time to give back to the nations' veterans, as you can see here:

Rookies @RyanTannehill17 and @BrockOsweiler playing ping pong w veterans at @NFLPA #RookiePremiere #OneTeamOneCommunity twitter.com/AmandaShank/st…
— Amanda Shank (@AmandaShank) May 17, 2012

And to make Osweiler's ascension to the NFL ranks complete, Topps has issued the first trading cards featuring the no longer 6'8" signal caller. As you can see in the above photos from both Osweiler's and CNBC reporter Darren Rovell's Twitter accounts, he's looking mighty sharp...and his signature is certainly pro-athlete ready.

Speak Of The Devils Legends Series: The 1960s with J.D. Hill and Ron Pritchard

2012-05-17T15:45:08Z

If you love the Sun Devils, you can not miss this show.

We kickoff our summer-long Legends Series with a look at ASU football in the 1960s.

First, we give you a decade in review before having a fantastic talk with Sun Devil legend J.D. Hill. The former All-American shares his thoughts on a wide range of topics, from his glory days in Tempe, to how the game has evolved, the rivalry with UofA, his inspirational battle with personal demons and his thoughts on the present and future of ASU football.

We then unveil the Speak of the Devils All-1960s team, with some of the big names and others and you may not be familiar with.

We end the episode with another amazing interview with an ASU icon--Ron Pritchard. The College Hall of Fame linebacker discusses his career, his foray into pro wrestling, what position Vontaze Burfict should have played, Todd Graham, the importance of past players in today's program and much more.

Click here to stream or listen via iTunes

Midweek Memory: Derrick Rodgers Crushes Scott Frost in 1996

2012-05-17T01:45:03Z

The game is so legendary, this Midweek Memory needs little, if any, introduction. From the ASU photo archives comes this great shot of Derrick Rodgers cleaning Scott Frost's clock during ASU's 19-0 win over No. 1 Nebraska on September 21, 1996. We all remember what happened after that, right?

So here you go, Sun Devil Nation. Update your iPhone wallpaper accordingly.

Tommie Frazier? Yes. But Here's A Sun Devil Hall Of Fame Snub To Consider

2012-05-16T15:45:05Z

On Tuesday, the National Football Foundation announced the 2012 Football Bowl Subdivision College Football Hall of Fame class. While the 14-player, three-coach group is undoubtedly a list of some of the greatest to ever play the game, the announcement was most notable for the omission of Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier, due to an inane rule that prevents players from the same school being inducted in consecutive years.

Ultimately, there is no doubt that Frazier will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, where he will join six former Sun Devil players and three coaches.

Those players--Ron Pritchard, John Jefferson, Mike Haynes, Danny White, Randall McDaniel and Pat Tillman--and coaches Frank Kush, John Cooper and Dan Devine rightfully stand at the pinnacle of the ASU program, but there are many others who should receive consideration.

Three were on this year's ballot: linebacker Bob Breunig, defensive end Al Harris and head coach Darryl Rogers. Others like David Fulcher, Terrell Suggs and Woody Green are definitely worthy, but there is one overlooked name from an unlikely position that warrants serious consideration.

Currently, there is just a single placekicker in the Hall of Fame; Georgia's Kevin Butler. Coincidentally, it is a kicker whose career aligned exactly with Butler's--from 1981-1984--who should become the second enshrined.

Taking a look at the Arizona State record book; Luis Zendejas' name is everywhere.

Field goals made in a season - 28

Field goals made in a career - 81

PAT percentage - 99.3%

Consecutive games with a field goal - 15

Points in a career - 380.

It's that last number that really resonates. When he left ASU, those 380 points where the NCAA career record, 27 more than Butler. That number has since been surpassed, but the accomplishment of setting such a prestigious mark (one held by Tony Dorsett, at that) is the cornerstone of a Hall of Fame resume.

Not just one for stats, Zendejas has a shelf full of award and honors. He was an honorable mention All-American in 1981 and 1982, before securing the first-team consensus All-American spot in 1983. It should then be not surprising that he was a first-team All Pac-10 player in 1983, and a second-team selection in the other three seasons.

Yeah, kickers are perceived and treated differently than most other positions. It's the same in the NFL, where only three kickers (only one of which was strictly a kicker) have their busts in Canton. To be worthy of enshrinement as a kicker, you have to be the best of the absolute best, ankles and feet above your peers.

In the college game, Luis Zendejas was exactly that.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest on ASU football

Poll

Who should be ASU's next Hall of Famer?

Las Vegas Invitational: ASU Officially Earns Spot In Vegas Event

2012-05-16T15:11:30Z

The field for the 2012 Las Vegas Invitational has been officially announced, according to Andy Katz of ESPN: Creighton, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Arizona State will take the court at Orleans Arena just off the strip in Vegas.

According to The Cornell Basketball Blog, Longwood, Presbyterian, Florida A&M and Cornell will also be involved. It looks like ASU will play Cornell and another team at home before heading to Vegas.

The Las Vegas Invitational is a two-round event, where the winners of the semifinal round play each other in the championship game, while the losers battle it out for third place in a consolation game.

These four teams have been rumored for a long time, but the official announcement solidifies the plans for all involved. This year, the Las Vegas Invitational will take place on November 23 and 24, just before Thanksgiving.

ASU has the rare opportunity to be the home team for an event like this, and they will need all the support they can get: both Creighton and Wisconsin advanced to the Round of 32 in last year's NCAA Tournament, with Wisconsin advancing to the Sweet 16. Arkansas won 18 games last year and are a team to watch in 2012-13.

Will Jahii Carson and Jordan Bachynski be able to pull off an upset or two in Vegas this fall? Let us know in the comments.

ASU Football: Examining The Possible Impact Of The Tight Ends & H-Backs

2012-05-15T15:45:04Z

Eight receptions. 76 yards. One touchdown. Hey, good game dude.

Those numbers would make for a pretty good single-game performance for a player. However, that is the combined production from ASU's tight end position--in fact, all by Trevor Kohl--over the last two years. In former offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's spread offense, the tight end was rarely a thought beyond bringing extra muscle in the blocking game.

The tight ends of the UCLA Bruins will now have to deal with such limited production, as Mazzone has moved to Westwood, with Mike Norvell taking over the offense under Todd Graham. This will be the sixth straight season on Graham's staff for Norvell, which means that taking a look back may help shed some light on what to expect from the position going forward.

Most recently at Pitt in 2011, the tight end position did not post number that much better than Kohl. Of the Panthers' 263 receptions, 17 came from the tight ends, for just 173 yards and one score. During the final two years at Tulsa (2009 and 2010), true tight ends totaled 10 receptions for 122 yards.

Those totals don't bode well for ASU's new tight end, Darwin Rogers. Coming over as a juco transfer from Arizona Western, Rogers didn't factor too much into passing game for the Matadors, but he is a solid blocker and has good physical tools, standing 6'4" and having 4.6 speed at 240 pounds. Rogers had a solid spring and has a nice grip on the starting tight end job. With his tools, a new starting quarterback and more blocking-oriented players behind him, Rogers should be able to post a reception count in the upper teens and maybe the low twenties.

While the tight end position should see a mild-to-moderate lift, the really interesting aspect will be at H-back, if history is any indication.

The H-back is a hybrid position, combining aspects of tight end, fullback and wide receiver. Players often have similar size to tight ends, see plenty of blocking assignments, but are often in motion, either in or from the backfield or at the line, and sometimes will line up wide.

While at Tulsa, Norvell had an excellent player at this position--Charles Clay. A talented athlete with excellent size at 6'3", 235 pounds, Clay was exceedingly productive from the H-back spot. During his career at Tulsa, he ran for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns and hauled in 189 passes 2,544 yards and 28 scores. His versatility gave the Tulsa offense a dynamic element that would be in motion pre-snap and be a threat in a variety of ways.

The 2012 Sun Devils should be able to present similar threats thanks to two talented players.

Despite missing all of spring ball, junior Chris Coyle is listed on the post-spring depth chart as the starter at H-back. Like Clay, Coyle has great size at 6'3", 230 pounds. Coyle has played wide receiver and special teams during his first two years, but has the skillset to be a sure-handed threat downfield along the seams.

Should Norvell get the urge to run from the H-back spot, redshirt sophomore Marcus Washington may be the man. Washington moved to the position from running back this spring, and showed off some nice skills in the blocking and receiving games. At 5'11", 224 pounds, he doesn't have ideal size for the spot, but he plays hard and has been an effective runner when given the chance.

While talented, it seems unlikely that the combined production from the position will match that of Clay over his Tulsa career, but the versatility that Coyle, Washington and Rogers, should he slide over to H-back, present should be very intriguing to Sun Devil fans.

Many fans have heralded the return to a more run-first, smashmouth style, and there have been hopes that the tight end production will be resurrected as well. While hopes of Todd Heap and Zach Miller-type numbers simply aren't likely, the Sun Devils should be able to pose a threat from the spot for the first time several years.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest on ASU football

Poll

What production do you expect from the tight ends/H-backs?

ASU Athletics: Revenue & Expense Figures For 2006-2011

2012-05-15T02:05:05Z

On Monday, USA Today released their annual report detailing collegiate finance figures for 227 colleges and universities that are public institutions, therefore making their numbers available for examination.

As one may expect, the overall figures on both sides of Arizona State University's accounting ledger are modest, ranking somewhere in the middle among major schools. On many levels, considering the size and profile of the school, this could be considered a disappointment, but with several major initiatives in the works, the future has major potential.

Below are the revenue figures for ASU for 2006-2011 (click image for larger view):

The first thing that catches the eye is the nearly $4-million drop in ticket sales from 2010 to 2011, that offset contribtuions and other revenue increases.

However, on the whole, ASU saw an increase of over $5-million in revenue over this time period, largely built on the increase in the rights and licensing category. This includes media/broadcast rights, food/concessions, parking, and sponsorship. This area should increase greatly in the coming years with the additional funds from the Pac-12 Network media deal.

Another area that should see a lift is in the contributions, as Todd Graham and the Sun Devil Club have made tireless efforts to build bonds with fans and potential donors.

Overall, ASU's revenue of $55,294,113 was well below the conference median of $62.5-million (not including Utah or Colorado). Among the conference, Oregon led the way with nearly $86-million in revenue, and Washington State brining up the rear at just a shade under $40-million. The Arizona Wildcats totaled $59,663,128. Not listed were Stanford and USC. Texas led all 227 schools with $150-million in revenue, and Coppin State trailed with $3.48-million

Now let's take a look at the university's expenses for 2006-2011 (click image for larger view).

For the third straight year, ASU's athletic expenses outweighed their revenue. In fact, other than the $537,191 profit in 2008, the overall margins have been in the red for four of the last five years.

An ongoing increase in scholarship expenses, coupled with rising coaching costs starting in 2008 (when Dennis Erickson was given an extension, and his base salary increased) and facility costs that have nearly doubled.

Like their revenue, ASU's expenses were below the conference average of $60.6-million, and was third-lowest among the eight conference schools listed, ahead of only Oregon State and Washington State ($40.6-million). The Wildcats spent about $1.5-million more than ASU in 2011.

With major initiatives to renovate Sun Devil Stadium and share a new baseball complex with the Chicago Cubs, the financial future for the Sun Devils shows some promise, as well as significant near-term expenditures.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest on ASU sports