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The Sun Devils offense will have a new look to it. Noel Mazzone has a big task to get this offense back on track. Actually, just getting a few first downs would be a huge improvement from last year. From azcentral.com

Since his hiring in January, Mazzone, 53, not only has installed a four-wide, no-huddle offense, but also an energy that extends from the film room to the practice field. It comes in various forms. One day Mazzone is delivering a leaping chest bump to Steven Threet after the junior quarterback completes a long pass. The next he’s ordering sophomore quarterback Brock Osweiler to run two laps for making a bad decision. “He is very innovative, and I have known him a long time,” said ASU coach Dennis Erickson, who also worked with Mazzone for a season at Oregon State. “He is always staying with the trends . . . always looking for an edge.” Mazzone brought a wealth of experience to ASU. He worked as offensive coordinator at Mississippi, Auburn and North Carolina State. He also spent four years with the New York Jets as wide receivers coach and personnel consultant. But grooming quarterbacks long has been considered his forte.

Coach Erickson like the progress of his ASU Sun Devils. The defense looks great, and he has settled on a starting quarterback. Nothing to do except sit back and wait for the season to start, right coach? From statepress.com

Although nerves are typically common during the first game of the year, the Sun Devils are shrugging off questions on their mental state heading into the opener against Portland State. “We’ve been waiting a long time,” Erickson said. “Ever since that Arizona game and now we’ve made a commitment to get this program going in the right direction and so all the talk is gone now, we got to out and start playing every week.” Threet made an interesting comparison while describing his outlook on the season opener. “Football is a game I love, anytime you’re playing on Saturday you get excited and try and go out and make plays and put points on the board,” Threet said. “It’s football. People that go shopping all the time don’t get nervous shopping. We’ve been running the plays [during practice] and now we have to go out and execute them.”

I am happy Steven Threet is excited to get in the game and show Sun Devil fans what he’s got. Threet sounds a little more mature than Brock Osweiler, he’s older and been through a little bit more in his career. From arizonastate.rivals.com

After a year of sitting on the sidelines watching, followed by a heated quarterback battle that lasted the better part of six months, Steven Threet breathed a sigh of relief this week. Addressing the media for the first time since being named Arizona State’s starting quarterback, Threet said Tuesday that he appreciates the payoff for the work he’s put in since arriving in Tempe. But the junior, playing at his third school, is clearly aware his work is far from over, especially with a capable backup in sophomore Brock Osweiler still pushing to start. “I was definitely excited,” Threet said of being told he’d won the job. “It was something I’ve been working hard for, but that’s just an announcement. You’ve got to go out on the field and win football games now.”

So now we got the QB question answered, what about the O line? This was the question last year as well. Does it matter who the quarterback is, if he is on his back all the time? From statepress.com

Erickson said that he would have the starting line decided on Thursday, but even that won’t matter a whole lot.  He plans to get a look at a lot of his linemen during the course of the game. “We will probably play eight or nine guys on Saturday,” Erickson said. “I don’t know (who will start for sure); we are going to talk about it tomorrow.” It seems as if junior Dan Knapp will get the start at the left tackle position and junior Garth Gerhart will be the starting center.  After that, little is known.

It seems like I have been talking about quarterbacks all summer. The Cardinals made their choice in Derek Anderson. Now the Sun Devils have settled on Steven Threet. Threet a transfer from Michigan, showed a lot of potential last season, he just couldn’t play. He has opportunity to shine this season. From fanster.com

So Threet, a transfer from Michigan, wins the hotly contested battle between himself and sophomore Brock Osweiler that started all the way back in the spring. But that doesn’t leave Osweiler completely out in the cold. He’ll get some playing time against the Vikings. “In our decision making it was just that basically he (Threet) was the most consistent through all of Fall camp, although Brock had a great camp too,” Erickson said. “The biggest thing is I saw great improvement from both of them.” Threet played as a redshirt freshman at Michigan under then-new head coach Rich Rodriguez in 2008, starting 8 games while going 2-6 as the starter. He completed 51% of his passes for 1,105 yards and 8 touchdowns and ran for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns. He sat out last season after transferring from Ann Arbor.

I know the questions surrounding the starting QB position have left Arizona State fans a little apprehensive about the upcoming season. I would just like to say the rest of team seems to be improving. Take the receivers for instance. This group is looking to step it up after a lack luster 2009. From arizonastate.scout.com

One of the biggest improvements seen since spring practice has been in a group that took much criticism last season – the wide receivers. Under their position coach Steve Broussard, this unit has dedicated their focus to the notion that blocking is essential. “That’s the biggest improvement I’ve seen maybe on this whole football team is how well they’re blocking out there and how committed they are to doing it,” Erickson said. “Coach Broussard makes it a must because you’re not going to play if you don’t block that’s just his philosophy and our philosophy in what we’re doing offensively, you got to with all those things we throw out there and then improvement, as you guys can tell between night and day. “Our routes are a little bit different and there’s some difference, there’s more reading coverage’s and underneath stuff and crossing stuff and obviously we’re throwing a lot more to the back when we can get it to them and that makes a little difference too.”

Kicker Thomas Weber is coming back. I really think this guy could have made a difference in some of those losses last season. Weber is a solid kicker and if we are going improve we need this guy in close games. From seattletimes.nwsource.com

The Sun Devils finished 4-8 in 2009, marking the first time in Dennis Erickson’s 20-year tenure as a college coach he has had back-to-back losing seasons. ASU had four losses of five or fewer points, so it can be argued that the absence of 2007 Groza Award winner Thomas Weber for much of the season with a groin injury had a serious impact not only on the Sun Devils’ fate, but how they might be perceived for 2010. “It shows you what happens when you don’t have a kicker,” says Erickson. “You don’t realize how valuable they are until you don’t have one.” Weber is back for his senior year, and if he’s anything like he was early in his career, ASU has that part of its game buttoned up. He made 24 of 25 field-goal attempts in 2007 as a redshirt freshman.

Everybody just wants to forget about the last two seasons, nothing but bad memories. That means there is a lot of pressure on Coach Dennis Erickson to perform well and get us North of .500 and into a bowl game. And it looks like that is going to be a steep hill to climb. From azcentral.com

“It’s not my first time (on the hot seat),” Erickson said. “I’ve been on the hot seat a lot. I don’t pay any attention to that. If I’m a fan, and I’ve seen two seasons of what we’ve had, I wouldn’t be very happy with me, either. I’d put something on my seat, for sure. I’m not sure what.” Erickson never has been cut from Joe Paterno cloth, and the high-risk, quick-fix approach seems to play to his strength. The ongoing drama with Vontaze Burfict, who landed in some kind of doghouse during the off-season, gives the program a combustible persona. The team feels like the kind of horse Erickson likes to ride: volatile, fast, disrespected and destined for a lot of 15-yard penalties.

Adding to that task is the loss of left-guard Matt Hustad, depleting the offensive line yet again. From azcentral.com

“It’s a sad thing for him,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “(We) had a long conversation and he just felt that coming in he was going to see how it was, and then it swelled up on him and was too painful to play. The game’s hard enough. He’s done a lot. He’ll always be a Sun Devil. I feel bad for him because he could’ve contributed and helped us but that’s how it goes.” The loss is the latest blow for a line that has battled injuries the past two seasons. In the spring, ASU lost three-year starter Jon Hargis to an ACL injury, although Hargis could return later this season. Zach Schlink, talented enough to play as a true freshman, decided to end his career before camp because of knee issues. With Hustad out, the Sun Devils changed their line Tuesday, moving 6-foot-7, 345-pound junior Brice Schwab to right guard. Junior Adam Tello was at left guard Wednesday, with junior Dan Knapp and red-shirt freshman Evan Finkenberg at the tackles. If that line stays in tact, ASU’s front will open the season with just 14 career starts, 10 coming from center Garth Gerhart.

The Sun Devils backfield is going to need to carry some of the burden this year. Nobody sounds too confident about any of our choices for starting QB, so the running game is going to have pick up the slack. From arizonastate.rivals.com

The Arizona State backfield isn’t exactly loaded with experience. Sophomore Cameron Marshall is the leading returning rusher from a season ago (294 yards), and the other running backs vying for time during fall camp have a combined three carries at the collegiate level.Speed, though, has a way of quickly making up for shortcomings, and despite the group’s inexperience, running backs coach Bryce Erickson is optimistic about his talented unit’s potential in ASU’s new quick-strike offense. In addition to Marshall, sophomores Jamal Miles and James Morrison and freshmen Deantre Lewis Kyle Middlebrooks have shown flashes of promise that have their position coach licking his chops. “We haven’t really had a problem figuring out a way to get all those guys ? involved in our offense,” Erickson said. “That’s a real good problem to have. Each and every one of those running backs bring something different to the table. and

Yes, starting the training camp focused as opposed to clueless is a good thing. I guess we need to take the upcoming campaign serious since we haven’t had a winning season in like two years. From azcentral.com

“I don’t know if it’s just me going into my senior season, but I really do sense something different,” defensive tackle Saia Falahola said. “Were a tight-knit team. We know each other more on a personal level. Guys are starting to get each other’s back. They’re starting to push each other.”

Redemption should be on the minds of these Sun Devils! Give us something to be proud of fellas. This team needs to be fired up as much as Junior cornerback Omar Bolden. From statepress.com

“I’m so excited to start and get rolling,” said junior cornerback Omar Bolden, who missed most of last season with a knee injury he suffered during a practice. “I’m ready to get back out there again.”
Bolden has taken charge as one of the team’s vocal leaders — a role he occupied even as he spent most of his time on the sideline last season — but the California native said he’s elated for an opportunity to lead on the field again, adding he’s “eager and hungry” after so much time away from the game.

Yes the defense is going to be strong again. Maybe even better. What about that offensive line? It’s been nothing to write home about. There needs to be some improvement on that end to avoid another cluster-fuck of a season. From azcentral.com

Then there’s the line, a trouble spot for the past two seasons, a main reason ASU hasn’t played in a bowl game since the 2007 season. It’s already beat up. Left guard Jon Hargis, the team’s most-seasoned lineman, tore a knee ligament during spring drills and likely won’t return. Still, Erickson is encouraged. “We finally got some depth on the offensive front,” he said. “Guys that had to play as freshmen and sophomores are bigger and have more experience.”

I like this. Cardinals up North in camp, Devils in their futuristic blow-up dome in Tempe. Football is just around the corner baby. I am excited to see the Sun Devil defense take the field. The defense is expected to be even better than last season’s. At the heart of that defense is Vontaze Burfict. The middle linebacker had a great season as a true freshman. But his temper got the best of him more than a few times last year. To be honest, I am glad someone out there was showing some emotion. That losing record was depressing and I am glad Burfict didn’t take it lying down.  Coach Erickson expects a more mature Burfict this season. From azcentral.com

“He’s a heck of a football player,” said Erickson, adding that Burfict’s intensity doesn’t just affect the defense, but the entire program. Last season Burfict had 69 tackles, second on the team. He also posted seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles. His energy was noticeable nearly every time he walked onto the field. Even on special teams, Burfict made his mark. But the main topic last week wasn’t so much Burfict’s talent or potential, but rather his style, which at times was reckless. “He’s young,” Erickson said during lunch. “We’ve all seen him play but we forget in that body is an 18-year-old. People forget that. There’s some immaturity issues with all young players, and that’s kind of what happened with him last year. He’s worked his rear end off this summer and has done a good job. He’s maturing.”

What about the offense? Man, we don’t even know who the starting quarterback is going to be. Hopefully this new system run by Noel Mazzone is going to help the offense improve. That won’t be to hard. There is now where to go but up. From arizonastate.rivals.com

Quarterbacks Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler began a competition to replace last year’s primary starter Danny Sullivan, with fellow signal caller Samson Szakacsy unable to practice fully as he recovered from surgery to address arm troubles which have persisted for several years. As a true freshman last season, Osweiler played in six games with one start and completed 24-of-55 attempts for 249 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. There were moments which hinted at potential greatness, but even more moments which demonstrated an underdeveloped understanding of how to play the position successfully at the highest college level. Threet, a well put together 6-foot-5 pro-style passer, has earned rave reviews for his year-round work ethic and football IQ. But the junior signal caller was relatively hit-or-miss in the spring, displaying a tendency at times to throw balls into too much traffic and force the issue with his primary target. Erickson said at Pac-10 Media Day Thursday that he’d like to have a quarterback in place by the season opener but that it’s possible one could be declared the starter as soon as a week into camp. Our guess is that won’t happen, especially if Szakacsy is able to squeeze into the middle of the picture.

Woo Is it humid out there! Better get some rain in return for all this ass sweat. This kind of weather can make you lose your temper real quick. The Sun Devil football team is sounding real upset about the lack of respect they are getting from the media. No nobody has them ranked higher than 9th place. Last season was bad. Wait.. last season was a disaster. The team has improved in some areas. Do we really deserve to be ranked so low? From azcentral.com

If ASU is predicted to finish ninth, as expected, it will mark its lowest spot in the poll since the hated scribes picked the Sun Devils ninth in 2002. It’s a steep drop for a program trying to rev its engines. Over the past five years, ASU hasn’t been picked lower than fifth. “Whatever the critics say, let them say it,” senior defensive tackle Saia Falahola said. “We haven’t gotten any love the past two years anyway. We just need to keep our heads on straight.” Sophomore cornerback Deveron Carr also sees it as a point of motivation. “It just gives us another reason to work even harder,” he said. “You take all that negative energy and you put it into yourself. You turn it into something positive.” In other words: If you can’t fight the underdog’s role, embrace it. “That’s always the fun part, sneaking up on people,” sophomore running back Cameron Marshall said. “That’s what’s exciting for us, because we get to, in a sense, shock the world.”

You know who has a lot of respect right now? Isaiah Mustafa. This guy is gold right now. That Old Spice campaign blew up and now Mustafa is going Hollywood. From eonline.com

Already set to appear on Chuck and an upcoming Tyler Perry movie thanks to his phenomenally successful TV spots, the “I’m on a horse”-spouting pitchman has confirmed that he’ll be appearing in the Jennifer Aniston-Jason Bateman comedy Horrible Bosses. “It’s a smaller role, but who wouldn’t want to be in one of these funny, irreverent comedies?” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “The cast is great. I’m playing a cop, because I play these authoritative characters well. I don’t know exactly who I’m in the scene with—maybe Jennifer Aniston!”

Thank you Randy for that headline. What does the #1 seed get you? A big bulls eye on your back, that’s what. The Clemson Tigers came out strong and dealt the Arizona State Sun Devils a 6-3 loss. Now the Devils face an elimination game against South Carolina on Tuesday. Oh Boy. From azcentral.com:

Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year Seth Blair struggled for a second consecutive game Monday, an outing that No. 1-ranked Arizona State — unlike in the super regional — could not overcome at the College World Series. The Tigers (44-23) knocked Blair out after 4 1/3 innings (seven hits, five runs) in a 6-3 win that already puts ASU (52-9) on the brink of elimination.

That was a tough game to watch. A lot of missed opportunities. Poor defense and poor pitching cost us this game. From statepress.com:

“He just didn’t pound the zone,” Esmay said of Blair. “This time of the year, whether it’s Clemson or Arkansas, if you’re down in the count, their offense has done some things to get here, and you can’t keep pitching from behind, behind, behind.” Blair seemed to find his groove in the middle stages of the game, retiring six straight in the third and fourth innings to keep ASU in the contest. But Clemson, which tallied 14 hits that were all singles, continued to drive up the right-hander’s pitch count — Blair left after 4 1/3 innings and 110 pitches — and used three straight RBI singles in the fifth to jump to a 5-1 lead. One of the run-scoring singles came on a lazy fly ball to left that sophomore Drew Maggi lost in the sun.

This Sun Devil team just keeps on rolling. It was a 12-3 victory that sealed the series sweep of the number 5 ranked Bruins in LA. The Devils are now 38-5! From azcentral.com:

“Arizona State used a 17-hit attack, including three home runs, to up their record to 38-5, 14-4 in Pac-10 play. It was the first Sun Devil sweep at Jackie Robinson since 1994. Zack MacPhee, Raoul Torrez and Kole Calhoun all had two-run homers, pacing Sun Devil starter Jake Borup to his ninth win of the year. Borup (9-1) went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four, outpitching UCLA starter Rob Rasmussen.”

Man when it rains it pours. This post is full of the negative, sorry. The worst news first. Fifth year senior Jon Hargis, left guard, has a torn ACL. Horrible news because it means he is out for the season. From azcentral.com;

“Jon Hargis, Arizona State’s most seasoned offensive lineman, likely will miss all of next season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The projected starter at left guard, Hargis hurt his knee at Saturday’s scrimmage. He said he felt a pop, but he wasn’t alarmed because he had felt such things before. He limped to the sideline and ran back and forth, testing the knee. He thought everything was fine, but Tuesday’s MRI revealed the tear. Depending on the date of surgery, Hargis faces six to nine months of recovery.”

That hurts, up until now all the news concerning this upcoming season was so positive. We can only hope for a speedy recovery. And then there is this nonsense concerning self imposed sanctions on the Sun Devil baseball program. What’s the deal we already fired a damn good coach. What more do we need to do? From houseofsparky.com;

“ASU has imposed sanctions on themselves for a host of recruiting violations that occurred under former head coach. These include: Vacating 44 of 49 wins in 2007, Vacating postseason honors in 2007, Prohibiting recruiting phone calls in July of 2010 and 2011, Reduce the number of permitted prospect visits from 25 to 9, Reduce the number of scholarships by 2 by 2011 and Collect annual audits of all phone calls.”

So I guess you can really forget about that 2007 season. Another thing I would like to forget is the 4-2 loss to Arizona. Its been awhile since Arizona State has lost at Packard Stadium. From azcentral.com;

“Daniel Workman, a late substitution as No. 17-ranked Arizona’s starting pitcher, threw a career high 6 1/3 innings Tuesday in a 4-2 win over No. 1 Arizona State. ASU (31-4) lost for the first time in 23 games at Packard Stadium. It was the first of five rivalry games. Another non-conference game is at ASU on May 4 with the Pac-10 series in Tucson on May 15-17.”

I got this weird feeling Mike Montgomery is going to win it just because he has coached a lot of years in the Pac10. Make no mistake, I want and think Herb Sendek should win it hands down! The Sun Devils were picked to finish nowhere near the top of the conference after losing their two star players to the NBA. From azcentral.com;

“Yes, Mike Montgomery led Cal to its first Pac-10 regular-season title in 60 years, but the Golden Bears starting four seniors, were supposed to be good from the start. In fact, you could even argue they have underachieved. Arizona State is a different story. Herb Sendek has the Sun Devils competing for a conference title in the Pac-10′s final week. No one saw that coming. This is his award.”

It sure is. it would be a travesty if Sendek does not get it. Ok, how about some baseball news. ASU swept Towson (Towson?) in a double header at Packard Stadium. They won the first game 9-1 and the second 11-6. This team may have one of the deepest rotations in the Pac10! Annnnd lets finish with some football news. ASU has hired Trent Bray as the new linebackers coach. From Fanster.com;

“Former Arizona State University graduate assistant Trent Bray has been named Linebackers Coach for the Sun Devil football team, Bray will assume the full-time role of coaching the ASU linebackers, a task he is no stranger to as he served as graduate assistant for the linebackers/defense in 2007 and 2008.”

Looks like this coaching staff is going to look a little different than last years. I wonder if there are more changes to come.

Dude check out Rich Eisen’s 40 yard dash, hilarious

Ok. The Pac10 is weak this year. I concede that. Everybody is in the same boat the Devils are, but the Devils are taking full advantage of it. From fanster.com; “There’s simply no precedent for what we’re currently observing during the 2009-10 Pacific-10 men’s basketball season. The pundits have been quick to jump all over The West Coast’s Premier Athletic Conference ™ this season and with due cause. Let’s face it: the 10 teams in this league have combined to lose to or have close shaves with the likes of Lipscomb, Portland, Montana, Idaho State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Sacramento State, UIC, Seattle, Oral Roberts, James Madison, CS-Fullerton, CS-Bakersfield, Long Beach State, Wright State, Eastern Washington and Nicholls State.” This season has provided the Sun Devils with a perfect opportunity to build on the success they have already had under Herb Sendek. They sit alone on top of the Pac10, a conference without a team in the top 25. ESPN/USA Today Poll gave us 15 votes, not enough to crack the top 25.

Ty Abott is taking advantage as well, he is having a great season after struggling early last year. From azcentral.com; “Abbott found his shot three games later. By the postseason, he was a different player, scoring a season-high 20 points in an NCAA Tournament loss to Syracuse, taking momentum into this, his junior season. After a slow start because of a Knee injury, Abbott enters Saturday’s contest against rival Arizona as perhaps the biggest threat in ASU’s rejuvenated offense. Abbott said overcoming last season’s shooting struggles – he missed 51 of 59 from 3-point range during the Pac-10 season – helped him deal with his knee injury. It also made him a more-rounded player, focusing on defense and rebounding. Overall, he’s averaging 10.1 points for the Sun Devils and shooting a team-best 42.5 percent from 3-point range.” We’ll need that kind of production against Arizona on Saturday.

Yes we do have some offensive talent on this team but it is the team defense that is winning games. From statepress.com; “ASU defenders have been straight up bullies during the 2009-10 campaign. I’m talking the beat-you-up-and-take-your-lunch-money variety. ASU (14-5, 4-2 Pac-10) leads the nation in scoring defense (54.6 points per game) and has held eight different opponents to their respective season lows in scoring this season. In the team’s last five games (4-1), ASU opponents have shot just 36.5 percent from the floor, and 13 of the 19 squads the Maroon and Gold has faced have converted field goals at a sub-40-percent clip. Boards are being crashed, shots are being contested, screens are being run through and the hardwood is being mopped up by Sun Devil players hustling after every loose ball.” I love Sendek’s commitment to defense, it makes me confident that the Sun Devil basketball program will continue to be competitive during his tenure as head coach. Go Devils!!