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.
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.
Herb Sendek got a big verbal commitment Saturday. Jahii Carson a star point guard from Mesa High has indicated his desire to attend ASU. I likes it. Herb Sendeks’ reputation as a recruiter has been unfairly questioned. I think this commitment from Carson addresses those concerns. From arizonastate.rivals.com
During an unofficial visit to the school Saturday, Mesa High School star Jahii Carson gave coach ASU Herb Sendek a verbal commitment. In doing so, he became the first elite point guard recruit from the state to elect to play for the hometown Sun Devils during the Pac-10 era. For Sun Devil coaches, the word exciting is probably an understatement. Point guard was far and away their biggest position of need in the 2011 recruiting class and Carson, by all indications, far and away their top target. “Since he came to ASU, coach Sendek has turned the program totally around,” Carson said. “Me being an Arizona native, it would be common for me to go to Arizona and be a really good point guard. But I can be the first one in a really long time to come out of Arizona and go to Arizona State and be a really good point guard. So that’s something that really appealed to me also.”
The kids are back in town. Mill Ave looked like it’s old self this weekend. It warms my heart to see all these young girls stumbling through town, completely wasted. God Bless Them. I wonder if I can take one of those Flip Ultra camera’s into Zuma? These girls might be surprised to know that Steven Threet might turn out to be their starting QB. From azcentral.com
Threet played like a quarterback who took ownership of the position. His numbers were almost identical to Osweiler’s but his confidence behind center stood out. “He was a lot more controlled today,” Mazzone said. “He’s finally realizing that every play doesn’t have to be perfect, which was his problem.” Threet seemed particularly confident with his reads and in this offense, that means everything. It’s tempo, tempo, tempo.
I have not been to pleased with the news coming out of ASU’s training camp concerning the QB position. It looks like the competition is down to Brock Osweiler and Steven Threet. Neither one of these guys is instilling confidence in coach Dennis Erickson. From houseofsparky.com
Neither Steven Threet nor Brock Osweiler were too impressive. “Like I told them today, we’re still missing too many things,” [Erickson] said. “We’re going to miss throws; that’s a natural thing. But we’re missing too many reads right now that we need to get better at.”
At least the rest of the team is fired up. I think that might have something to do with being picked to finish 9th. The team seems focused. Gotta love being the underdog. Right? From arizonastate.rivals.com
With heated competition at virtually every position on the field, players realize they aren’t afforded the opportunity to take plays off. If it isn’t the three quarterbacks vying for the starting position cranking up the energy barometer, it’s a deep pool of receivers scratching and clawing to impress coaches and earn more reps. “We’ve had the energy level out here pretty good the whole camp,” Erickson said. “Very seldom in the however-many days we’ve been out here have we had a bad energy level on either side of the football.”
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.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Keep working on it Devils. Practice is going good and the Offense is starting to make some improvements. Again, there is no where to go but up. And Steven Threet has been leading that climb up the ladder. From arizonastate.rivals.com
During Saturday’s scrimmage, the first of fall camp, coach Dennis Erickson believes the Sun Devils answered the bell. “Since I’ve been here it was probably the best overall [first fall] scrimmage that we’ve had,” Erickson said. While the offense still lacked consistency against a defense aiming to be among the nation’s best, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone‘s new quick-strike scheme illustrated creativity that kept its counterparts guessing during several stretches, testing the defense more than an in the recent past. Threet followed up his best practice of fall camp with a solid performance in the team’s opening scrimmage and was singled out by Erickson as the signal-caller who had the best day. Threet was, unofficially, 7-of-11 for 93 yards and and one touchdown, which came on a 15-yard strike on the run to junior tight end Trevor Kohl. “We did a good job of picking the tempo up,” Threet said. “[The offense was] just having positive plays and picking up first downs.”
I don’t want to give our awesome high powered offense all the credit, the defense showed up on Saturday as well. Like they always do, the defense was hustle’n. How could our offense Not improve after playing against these guys every day. From fanster.com
The defense, especially the front four, put pressure on ASU quarterbacks all day. Defensive end Jamarr Robinson wreaked havoc in the backfield, but Erickson pointed out afterward that a lot of that came against freshman reserve left tackle Jamil Douglas, who is inexperienced and undersized at this point. Currently, redshirt freshman Evan Finkenberg is starting at left tackle. Burfict was limited once again on Saturday with an ankle injury that has slowed him since early in Fall camp. Gerald Munns, the senior who’s competing with Burfict for playing time at the mike linebacker position did have an interception of Szakacsy during the scrimmage.
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!”
Its going to be a new-look Pac-10 when football season starts, so why not wear new uniforms? Right? Right. The Devils will be sport-in new unis, they look… Are those horns?? And whats going on in the mid section. Oh boy. From houseofsparky.com
Hello everyone. Our good friend Nick Trahan, who was kind enough to take pictures for us at the 2009 Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles, has mocked up a design for the ASU football jerseys. The look is very different, and I think it would give us a touch of street credibility during a time when we’re not winning very many games. What do you think? Feel free to comment on the design, but be nice! It looks like he worked hard on it.
Isaiah Mustafa has really made a name for himself. His Old Spice commercials have been a hit. I love telling my Wildcat friends that he is a Sun Devil! Those commercials have been so popular, they are up for an Emmy. I hope he wins. Go Devils!!! From tvsquad.com
It’s the Old Spice guy vs. Betty White in the Battle of the Ads. We didn’t even know they gave out Emmys for Outstanding Commercial. This year’s nominees include Betty White’s Super Bowl ad for Snickers and the Old Spice ad ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ that made a star out of the impossibly dashing Isaiah Mustafa. (I’d give the edge to Old Spice. White’s spot was hilarious, but Mustafa’s actually made me want to go out and buy the product.)
We got some arms baby! The Sun Devils have one of the best pitching staffs in the nation giving us an opportunity for a great run in the College World Series. From azcentral.com:
No. 1 ASU (52-8) could get by with two starters in Omaha by winning its four-team bracket in three games and sweeping a best-of-three championship series. But that best-case scenario rarely unfolds, and more often the national champion is the team with the deepest pitching staff, which on paper is ASU or UCLA. The Pac-10 rivals are in opposite brackets and would meet only in the championship series. ASU is 47-0 when leading after seven innings, speaking to the back-end steadiness of Lambson (8-2, 2.10 ERA, 3 saves) and Swagerty (2-0, 2.06 school record 14 saves). Mix in three starting pitchers with double-digit wins and role pitchers such as Rodgers, Patterson and Jake Barrett, and the Sun Devils are perhaps better armed for Omaha than at any time since the Floyd Bannister era (1975-76).
So I happened to be out & about over the weekend and didn’t get a chance to listen to any of the Sun Devils games (keeping score over my phone) which means I missed out on hearing Morgan Ensberg do the color commentary for the games on ESPN. Not everybody is a fan of his work, especially on twitter. From phoenix.fanster.com:
ASU Basketball has had a successful recruiting season so far. So successful that Herb Sendek mentioned he might have a tough time getting a tickets for future Sun Devil home games. Sounds good, what kind of talent have we got coming. From rivals.com:
After seeing four younger, lightly contributing members of the roster transfer this spring, Sendek’s staff rebounded by signing two of the most heavily recruited recruits still available following the conclusion of the April signing period. Kyle Cain, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Chicago who took an extra year at New Hampton Prep in Hew Hampshire, had offers from Alabama, Illinois and West Virginia, among others, after receiving a release of his letter of intent with Rohde Island. Carrick Felix, a 6-foot-6 College of Southern Idaho wing forward, appeared headed to being Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski‘s first junior college addition ever, before electing to instead re-open his recruitment. Felix received over 30 offers in a single day according to his coach, but the Goodyear Millennium product tripped only to ASU before reaching a decision. ”We are very excited about our team going into next year,” Sendek said. “We have a cast of returning players who have experience and who have continued to get better every step of the way. So we look forward to their continued progress. And then we have an injection of talent into our program with a really important recruiting class for us. I think we have a group of guys who have tremendous character. I think we have made our team more athletic and I’m really looking forward to working with this group.”
Speaking of recruiting, the talent pool just expanded with the expansion of the Pac-10. Its was officially announced today that Colorado will join the Pac-10. And before its all over the Pac-10 could expand to 16 teams total. From sportingnews.com:
The Big 12 is also expected to lose Nebraska to the Big Ten, and those two losses will be the beginning of the Big 12′s breakup. Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are also expected to announce their plans to leave the Big 12 for the Pac-10 as soon as today. Even if Nebraska doesn’t leave for the Big Ten, Colorado is still committed to the Pac-10. If the Big 12 somehow stays intact –- without a Nebraska defection — CU still would be part of a two-team Pac-10 expansion, possibly including Utah.
At first glance this sucks for my generation. I grew up watching USC, UCLA roll into town to play the Sun Devils as well as the Washington and Oregon schools. That may be a thing of he past with Pac-10 expansion and realignment. For the future of the Pac-10 this is awesome. If we expand to 16 teams we cold rival the SEC in terms of talent and national championships. We would become a super conference and that is a good thing. Bigger is better right? Right.
