This photo says it all.

“Vontaze Burfict: What you get when you kick Ray Lewis’ dog.”

It wasn’t necessarily a pretty game for the Sun Devils, but it was enough of an effort to knock off #22 Missouri in a nationally televised and highly anticipated matchup.

The Sun Devils took control of the game in the fourth quarter, only to squander a 14-pt lead late and survive overtime. The win, which broke Missouri’s long streak of out-of-conference wins and gave ASU’s its first win over a ranked team since its 2007 Pac-10 co-championship year, lived up to the hype of the Blackout.

The sellout crowd was in it from beginning, had a great showing of black to match the new uniforms on the field, and rejoiced when Jamal Miles scored a touchdown in overtime and the defense held Mizzou on fourth down to secure the win.

For those of you who wanted to relive the thrilling overtime period, check out the video below:

I cannot wait for tonight’s game—this has been a very long offseason.

Expectations for the season

Dennis Erickson needs to win at least 8 games to save his job. He’s been building this team for too long.

The defense will be generally solid, especially against the run. We have enough talent on the offensive side of the ball to really challenge opposing teams. Team speed will be on display all season long.

With high expectations, new uniforms, and some experience, this team may return to the swagger of 2007.

Prediction for the season:

We will win 8 games this season. I was solidly in the 9-win camp until the rash of offseason injuries and departures. I think that the injury bug could easily steal at least one win from the team this year, so now I’m down to 8. If Brock plays well and doesn’t make too many critical mistakes, and if our pass rush makes up for the injuries in the secondary and at linebacker, I think we can easily win nine games, maybe even ten. The early stretch is going to be key. If the Devils can come out of the first four games at 3-1, we’ll be well on our way to a good to great season.

Other concerns:

• Net turnovers. That includes our turnover margin, as well as stupid penalties and dumb mistakes that stall offensive drives and give opposing offenses a second chance. ASU has not excelled in this area since Erickson’s arrival.
• The kicking and punting game – new punter, new snapper, new holder, new kicker. Hey, what could go wrong here?
• Depth, particularly on defense: starters Lawrence Guy, Omar Bolden, James Brooks, and Brandon Magee all gone, with additional injuries to backups such as Devon Spann. On offense, we’re missing experienced backups in Threet and Sakacsy, and significant contributors TJ Simpson and Deantre Lewis. Does this team have enough depth to overcome the string of bad luck we’ve had? If Brock goes down, it’s hard to think we’ll be able to compete for a South Division title.

It’s Time. Go Devils!

Last year was a tough year for Sun Devil fans. So many hard fought and close games, each lost in frustrating fashion: botched extra point, an unfair penalty at a critical moment, a missed field goal, a shoestring tackle inches short of the goal line. So close.

Ending the season with two wins, including a dramatic double overtime win over Arizona that finally saw the Devils win the close one, however, sparked some momentum. Along with a host of returning starters, a new logo and uniforms, and some high media expectations, the Sun Devils finally feel like they may have some momentum heading into the 2011 campaign.

Leading up to its big rebranding announcement, ASU’s been celebrating its past. Here’s a recap of all of the videos they’ve released thus far.

I’m excited to see ASU put together another marketing campaign—I enjoyed the Sun Devil Laws and the 2007 football season videos.

UPDATE: The new uniforms are here. Check out some the official announcement, and a photo gallery. The video below does a good job of recapping today’s announcement event.

Go Devils!

——–

Big changes are coming to ASU Athletics. We’ll find out exactly what they are on April 12, 2011 at 2pm [event details], but some in the Sun Devil Club will get a sneak preview on April 9 at 5pm at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort [update: the event was reportedly sold-out]. I’ll miss both of those events, but I’m curiously awaiting the official unvieling (you can watch the webcast of the April 12th event on http://foxsportsarizona.com“>Fox Sports Arizona).

The leading rumors are that Sparky will be de-emphasized and that the pitchfork will become a recognizable symbol for Arizona State University. Most notably, that means that you won’t find Sparky on the football helmet. Speaking of helmets, it sounds like we may have three of them: a gold one, a maroon one, and a black one. That’ll provide some gameday options with the five new uniforms we’re expecting to see: gold, maroon, black, white, and pro-combat. Nike is leading the redesign, though some have confirmed that Disney has also been involved (which may help cool the backlash when Bert Anthony’s Sparky design goes missing).

It also sounds like there will be some additional information provided about the athletic department’s fundraising efforts, namely the Sun Devil Club. Some of the conjecture around a new Sun Devil Stadium and the Olympic Village concept doesn’t appear to be part of the announcement next week.

So far, none of this has been confirmed—but there’s plenty of insider speak and conjecture, and it’s great to have some excitement around ASU football this time of year. ASU’s done a great job so far of creating a buzz while keeping things under wraps until the announcement. I think Sparky is one of the most original mascots out there, but I’m waiting to form an opinion until I see the new designs.

Here’s a good local news interview about the upcoming changes:

By the way, if you haven’t purchased or renewed season tickets for our first year in the PAC-12 conference, maybe you should go ahead and do that right now.

UPDATE: And for those of you who read all the way to the bottom, here’s a momentary sneak peak at some of the leading rumors. And follow the official #ASUIt’sTime hashtag feed.

Fear the Fork — Go Devils! ——E

The ASU Athletic Department has been touting a major announcement on April 9. A few days ago they posted this revised video (note the James Brooks PAT block against Arizona and the new pitchfork logo). Fan message board speculation has been high, and there seems to be a growing consensus that the announcement will focus the future of Sun Devil Stadium, which needs major renovations in the coming decade.

Update: It appears the announcement will focus on the new uniform branding, and not the stadium. Work is underway on a new stadium, but it’s not yet ready for release. Rumor is that Sparky will disappear from the football helmets.

Every rivalry needs some jokes. The annual Duel in the Desert is no different. Here are a few I collected prior to the game:

Q. Why can you never end an argument with an AU fan?
A. Because they’re always trying to make an extra point!

Q. Why doesn’t U of A have ice on the sidelines?
A. The guy with the recipe graduated.

Q. How do you keep U of A football out of your yard?
A. Put up a sign that says “Rose Bowl.”

Q. What’s the difference between a dead coyote and a dead Wildcat?
A. There are skid marks near the coyote.

It’s being reported that Arizona head football coach Mike Stoops will only be dressing twenty players for the Arizona State game.
The rest of the players will have to get dressed by themselves.

Q. Why do birds fly upside down over UA?
A. There’s nothing worth crapping on.

Q. What’s more difficult than arguing football with a UofA grad?
A. Getting them to make your Big Mac right.

Q. What do you call an Arizona football player with a Rose Bowl ring?
A. Thief.

Q. Did you hear about the fire in U of A’s football dorm that destroyed over 20 books?
A. The real tragedy was that 15 of them hadn’t even been colored in yet.

Q. What does the average UofA football player get on his SAT?
A. Drool.

Q. What do you get when you see a groundhog in Tucson?
A. Six more weeks of bad football.

Q. Why do they throw manure at wildcat weddings?
A. To keep the flies off the bride.

Q. What are the longest three years of a U of A football player’s life?
A. His freshman year.

Q. How many U of A freshmen does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. None. It’s a sophomore class.

Q. Why can’t you find a cockroach in Tucson?
A. Because even a cockroach has an ounce of self-respect.

Q. What’s the difference between Cocoa Pebbles and U of A’s football team?
A. The Cocoa Pebbles belong in a bowl.

Q. What do you do when a Wildcat knocks on your door?
A. You tip ‘em $5 and enjoy your pizza!

Q. How do you ruin a UA tailgate party?
A. Flush their punch bowl.

Q. What do Wildcat fans use for birth control?
A. Their personalities.

Q. What is the difference between a U of A jersey and an onion?
A. No one cries when you cut up an U of A jersey.

Q. Why do AU chicks wear high heels?
A. To keep their knuckles from scraping the ground.

Q. What do you get when you put 32 Arizona cheerleaders in one room?
A. A full set of teeth.

Q. How do you know Jesus is not from Tucson?
A. You’ll never find a virgin there much less three wise men.

Q. How do you get to U of A from Tempe?
A. You go south until you smell it and east until you step in it.

Q. What’s the only sign of intelligent life in Tucson?
A. Tempe, 112 Miles.

Q. Why are rectal thermometers banned at the University of Arizona?
A. They cause too much brain damage.

Q. How do you keep a Wildcat from playing with itself?
A. You paint its willie Maroon and Gold knowing it will never beat it!!!!

Q. How do you castrate a U of A football player?
A. You hit his sister in the jaw.

Q. How do you get a Wildcats cheerleader into your dorm room?
A. Grease her hips and push.

Stoops went into the locker room on Monday and told Brooks Reed, “You’re failing MAT 101. In order to remain eligible, you’re going to have to answer a couple questions correctly.”
“What is four times eleven?”
“A hundred” Reed said.
“Give him another chance, Give him another chance!” the rest of the team said.
“OK, said Stoops, what is two plus two?”
“Four” beamed Reed.
“Give him another chance, Give him another chance!” the rest of the team said.

Q. How come whenever it is time for them to pick their Jim Click-furnished car, AU players never choose a Japanese car?
A. They’re afraid they won’t understand what’s on the radio.

Q. What do Wildcats and pot have in common?
A. They both get smoked in a bowl.

Q. What do you call a good looking girl on the University of Arizona campus?
A. A visitor.

Q. How did the Wildcat player die from drinking milk?
A. The cow fell on him.

A guy in a bar leans over to the guy next to him and says, “Wanna hear a good Arizona joke?”
The guy next to him replies, “Well before you tell that joke, you should know something. I’m 6′ tall, 200 lbs., and I am an Arizona grad. The guy sitting next to me is 6′ 2″ tall, weighs 225, and he’s an Arizona grad. And the fella next to him is 6′ 5″ tall, weighs 250, and he’s an Arizona grad. Now, you still wanna tell that joke?”
The first guy says, “No, not if I’m gonna have to explain it three times.”

Q. How do you make Wildcat cookies?
A. Put them in a big bowl and beat for 3 hours.

Q. What do you say when you see an Arizona graduate in a suit?
A. Will the defendant please rise.

Q. How many U of A players does it take to screw in a light blub?
A. One, but it never gets done. They just hold the bulb up and wait for the world to revolve around them.

Q. What should you do if you find three UA football fans buried up to their neck in cement?
A. Get more cement.

Q. How do you know the toothbrush was invented in Tucson?
A. Because had it been invented anywhere else, it would have been called the “Teethbrush.”

A U of A fan, a USC fan, & an ASU fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves his team more. The USC fan insists he is the most loyal. “This is for the Trojans,” he yells and jumps off the mountain. Not to be outdone, the ASU fan is next to profess his love for his team. He yells, “GO DEVILS” and pushes the U of A fan off the mountain.

The media picked ASU to finish 9th in the conference in 2010.

In frustrating fashion, ASU has improved on that prediction, but not by much. ASU could finish as high as 5th in the conference depending on how it does against Arizona on Thursday. It won’t finish worse than 8th, but could also ring in its third consecutive losing season—something Sun Devil faithful haven’t borne in their lifetimes.

My preseason prediction was pretty close—we’ll end the season with either 5 or 6 victories and fall just short of a bowl game. It’s another disappointing record for a team that was supposed to be on the cusp of competing annually for conference championships by firing Dirk Koetter.

Instead, the team has seen unprecedented losing streaks and the first back-to-back losing seasons since WWII. While the team clearly has upgraded its talent—particularly its speed—in the last few years and shared a conference championship in 2008, it’s also suffered from its share of near-misses.

In 2009, the Sun Devils lost 4 games by a combined 13 points without its Lou Groza Award-winning kicker. Thus far in 2010, ASU has lost 4 games by a combined 9 points with a suddenly-mediocre Lou Groza Award-winning kicker. Adding to frustration of fans, ASU had a chance to pull off upsets of Wisconsin, Oregon and Stanford but came up just short, often on weird or unusual plays.

In spite of the reassurances from the athletic department, Dennis Erickson is on the hot seat of fans. Many believe that he’ll need at least an 8-win season in the new PAC-12 next year to retain his job. Given the youth of the team (how many teams have you heard of that only start one senior?), the close-but-not-quite losses, and the resulting turmoil a coaching change can have, I’m willing to give him another year. But he has no excuses for next year.

My 24th year of season tickets

It’s early fall in Phoenix, and that means another season of ASU football is upon us. After a shared PAC-10 championship in his first year, fan approval of Dennis Erickson was off the charts. Following two disappointing seasons — the first back-to-back losing seasons in 60+ years — there’s open discussion amongst fans of who ASU should pursue for the head coaching job in 2011. In what is otherwise a wide-open year for the Rose Bowl, the media has picked ASU to finish ninth in the conference.

What to expect

While the team will be returning what is expected to be a stellar defense, the questions all center around the offense. New offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has installed an up tempo, spread ‘em out and throw offense. That’s excited some fans, even though it resembles the quick strike offense so many of them came to despise about Dirk Koetter. However, this defense just may have enough depth for this philosophy to work. That is, however, if the offensive line stays healthy and manages to play above expectations, the quarterback position remains stable, and the wide receivers make consistent plays.

My prediction

The offense will be improved, but not stellar. The lack of offensive line depth will remain a problem. The defense will not be quite as good as last year, but will be a solid and formidable force. After losing 4 games by a combined 13 points, we should see far better special teams play with Weber’s return. Erickson will pull out the stops when necessary; he’d better, his job is on the line.

This will be a better team than the 2009 team. Will it be enough?

Unfortunately, I think we’ll still end up a game or two short from a bowl game. We’ll win 5-6 games, but unless the offense improves significantly, I don’t think that we’ll be bowling again this year. There are still too many questions on offense, a challenging schedule, and a disinterested fan base. However, if the offense can get it going, this team will not finish 9th in the conference and will remain in the bowl mix.

Go Devils!

On the heels of the disappointing news that ASU was unable to replace one of its nonconference games next year with an FBS opponent (opting for FCS Portland State), Devils Digest posted some great discussion from the news conference.

Here’s a snippet of the original article, which is definitely worth the read.

Question: Can you explain the process behind scheduling non-conference opponents for ASU?

Answer: “The process has changed drastically over the past 3-5 years and three major things have contributed to that change in the landscape.

“One, the downturn in the economy coupled with the large guarantees that some schools are now paying — in excess of $1 million dollars.

“Two, the fact that more BCS schools are scheduling non-BCS school in home-and-home series. You didn’t see that five years ago. Now they’re getting Pac-10 schools to come to their stadiums which decreases our chances of getting those schools for guarantee games. So now when we call those schools to ask if they’ll come to Arizona State they say, “We will, but we want a return.”

“Third, more FBS schools are scheduling FCS schools for one of their annual non-conference games. I believe there are only three schools which have never played an FCS school. At least one of those schools is going to do that in the future and probably two of them. So 5-10 years ago where you had maybe 10-20 FBS schools playing a 1AA school per year, now almost everyone is doing it.

”So as a consequence, those opportunities for the FBS schools to play FBS opponents are gone. There are approximately 120 FBS schools now, but when 117 of them play a 1AA every year, that means 117 opportunities gone.

“So those three things have completely changed the scheduling landscape today and it’s basically happened over the last 3-5 years. So what we’ve had to do is adjust with that. We are no longer scheduling under the philosophy of A, B, and C (games). That just does not work anymore. It just does not apply to the new realm of scheduling.

It’s difficult to paint this as anything but a bad deal for ASU, but it seems like they did everything they could to try to replace the game. Jeff Metcalfe had a follow up today about Cincy’s role as ASU’s last chance—I agree that it’s going to be tough to get fans in the seats next year, which as pointed out by a commenter, could have some serious spiraling ramifications.

Another week, another disappointing Sun Devil loss.

It’s getting tough to figure out what’s wrong here, except that things have simply gotten progressively worse with this team since Erickson took over. He had a great 8-0 start to his ASU coaching career, but it’s been downright atrocious since then. I refuse to believe that it’s the talent.

Two stats tell the tale:

ASU will have its first back-to-back losing seasons since 1946-47. That was the third longest streak in major college football.

ASU set a school record last year of 6 consecutive losses. It could match that again this year.

Boy has it been frustrating.

The program squandered a great opportunity this season. It had a winnable schedule. It had a great defense. And there isn’t a truly dominate team in the conference this year. This was a great year for an above average team to make a run for the Roses.

Sure, there have been injuries. Many, many injuries. But, it’s not the injuries that have spelled doom for the Devils.

It’s been the coaching.

Erickson is a better coach than he’s shown at ASU thus far. But unless he makes some wholesale changes this offseason, which begins earlier than it should for a program like this, he should find himself on the hot seat in 2010. He knows that something is broken; let’s see if he can fix it.

And quick.

The State of ASU football in November 2009 is in disarray.

Sure, we know that we’re playing a ton of young players – for the second year in a row – and that Dennis Erickson has only been here for three seasons. That recruiting is generally better than it’s been and that we’re landing some players, like Vontaze Burfict, that this school hasn’t before. That Dennis Erickson is not a loser, and that he’s won everywhere he’s coached. Except for the pros, of course.

In short, we know that things won’t always be this way. Or at least, that’s what we’re told, and what we tell ourselves.

But it’s not clear that a better future is ensured. A few thoughts:

There is no way we will win with Rich Olsen

Since arriving on campus, offensive coordinator Rich Olsen has been downright offensive. Known for its proliferation under Dirk Koetter, ASU’s offensive has simply gotten worse and worse under Erickson’s tenure. I think we generally have better players than we did five years ago. Unfortunately, we just don’t have better coaches. Rich Olsen tops the list of duds.

The scheme the team is able to run continues to decline, and Erickson’s to the point that he needed to run down to Texas for a refresher course on being an offensive coordinator. Then he told Olsen go sit in the booth and pretend to do something. Of course, Erickson calling the plays hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire either, but then again, that’s not supposed to be his job. Olsen is simply dead weight.

Erickson needs to right this ship and fast – and the clear and obvious path towards that is firing Olsen and finding a young and innovative young coach to replace him. Or at least one that can recruit.

Dimitri Nance

I’ve never been much of a fan of Dimitri Nance, but I think he’s made some serious strides this year. He dances in the hole much less than he used, and his vision has been a pleasant surprise. At times, he can run very hard and pick up those extra yards. He’s done a fabulous job of blocking for a running back. But finally, he just has some balance troubles. He often goes down when there was only minor contact, and often mindboggingly easily. It’d be great if he could turn on some afterburners, too, as the tv looks like it’s on slo-mo while Nance is running the ball.

Penalties, penalties, penalties

It’s sickening how many penalties we get each game. You can’t beat the other team if you’re always beating yourselves. This needs to stop. Period.

Developing the younger players

The most annoying thing about this season is that we’re only half-heartedly playing the younger guys. Sure, we’re taking our lumps with their inexperience, but the problem is that the players we have been playing don’t seem to be getting any better. The only two players on the team that seem to have gotten better since Erickson has arrived are Trevor Hankins and Mike Nixon. Nance and others have made some minor strides, but it’s clear that few of them are developing in line with their potential. Some other coaches in the conference (I’m looking at you, Mike Riley and Jim Harbaugh) routinely get more from their players. Our coaching staff seems to get far far less.

The coaching hot seat?

So is Dennis Erickson on the coaching hot seat? No.

But fans are getting very concerned, and while Lisa Love may not be considering a change, she definitely knows that fans aren’t happy. Ticket sales are way down, there’s little excitement around the program and the boos rain freely down in the first quarter of home games.

To survive and prosper, Erickson needs to make some serious changes. And before a third straight disappointing season begins.

For only the second time in my 23 years as a season ticket holder, I will not be at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday to watch the Arizona State Sun Devils take on the USC Trojans.

Even though USC will likely be huge favorites, it won’t be an easy game for me to miss.

Trust me.

Instead, I’ll be at the Rendezvous of Friends in Santa Fe, an annual gathering the organization I work at hosts for Friends groups from across the West. While I’ll be working during the game, it’ll be recording back home, I’ll get frequent score updates on my iPhone, and I’ll definitely be doning some maroon & gold.

Go Devils!

It was one of the most baffling plays to win a game. Embattled quarterback Danny Sullivan, who was booed by the home crowd during the video introductions, connected with flu-stricken but wide open Chris McGaha for a 50-yard touchdown to take the lead with only :05 seconds left to play.

What a night of elation Danny Sullivan must have had. It’s not redemption, at least not in the eyes of the fans, but it sure must have felt good to celebrate with the stadium and hear the “Dan-Ny, Sulli-Van” chant from the student section.

Other notes:

• Chris McGaha is the only person I want making that catch. The ball hung up there for days, long enough for fans to imagine Chris tripping on the goalline or some other calamity before returning to reality – this is Chris McGaha. He makes the impossible catch look routine. Touchdown.
• Vontaze Burfict is a beast, but an uncontrolled beast. Mike Nixon needs to mentor him on being a leader on the field. Burfict’s penalties really hurt the team. His post-play rowdiness and antics get old quickly. And his cheap shot against Locker was, dare I say it, classless.
• The Devils allowed an inferior team to hang around, even when they clearly seemed to be dominating. This team lacks a killer instinct. Nonetheless, a win is a win.
• The referees continue to amaze. Several horrendous calls out there, including a defensive pass interference call that was beyond ridiculous.
• Dennis Erickson is the king of quotes after a game like this.

To say it was a frustrating, disappointing and ultimately futile night is a substantial understatement. The first half was one of the most tragic of recent memory, the officiating downright mind-boggling, and the quarterback play saddening.

Danny Sullivan has worked hard. He’s does all that he can. But it’s just not enough. Sullivan simply doesn’t have the accuracy necessary to make this offense go, and the defense can’t be expected to carry the team game in and game out. He doesn’t make costly mistakes, but he also doesn’t make the plays that you need him to. The quarterback position is clearly the weakest link on the team and unless we can play small out-of-conference schools like Louisiana-Monroe every week, Erickson’s going to have back-to-back losing seasons. He needs to give Brock Osweiller a shot – and at least get him some experience for the future.

Nonetheless Erickson manages to land a highly touted five star JC defensive end, Bruce Irvin. Irvin switched his commitment from Tennessee to ASU during the weekend – the only piece of good news to come out of the weekend.

After the Georgia game, I was cautiously optimistic that we might be able to exceed my 5-7 prediction for the season, but after the performance on Saturday, I’m just hoping we can attain that low bar.

Another lower tier opponent, another win.

There wasn’t much drama in this one. ASU’s Omar Bolden returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and there wasn’t any looking back. That’s probably a good thing, because it wasn’t much closer to halftime that the Devils had actually put the game out of reach.

It wasn’t as clear of a victory as Idaho State had been, but ASU did what it needed to in what could have been a dangerous trap game. Danny Sullivan looked much crisper, the running game – especially Dimitri Nance – was effective, and the defense continued to show that they can be something special.

Nonetheless, the stands were pretty empty and there’s still very little buzz about the Sun Devils this year. I’m still predicting a season ending record around .500, but given the two victories and a first-ever roadtrip to Georgia on the horizon, you’d expect a bit more from fans.

Hell, they should be showing up just to see true freshman phenom Vontaze Burfict step onto the field. He’s been stellar – better than advertised, actually, which is pretty amazing feat given the hype that surrounded his signing.

Dennis Erickson seems to be doing fine calling plays, with what’s seemed like a slow rollout of the playbook. Chris McGaha is back to making his circus catches. It’s hard to tell given the competition level thus far, but the offensive line hasn’t been overly offensive, an improvement over the previous two years.

That being said, the pass rush needs to improve. With such a heralded defense, and plenty of depth in the line, you’d expect ASU to have been setting sack records against the likes of ISU and UML. The pass protection still needs to improve. And while Sully has done a great job of managing the game – throwing the ball away and failing to turn the ball – he still has some growing to do. I’d especially like to see him connect on the deep ball with one of the talented receivers.

All in all, it’s about what you’d expect from an ASU team that’s likely to finish in the middle of the pack.

Über-recruit Vontaze Burfict accelerates to the QB during one of the first plays as a true freshman.

1. The Defense will lead the team. It’s painfully obvious that the offense is not the strength of the 2009 team. The defense will clearly carry the team – something we’re not used to seeing from an ASU team. However, for all of the ways that Erickson has failed to field a really competitive offense (at least since Ryan Torain went down), he’s done a stellar job of upgrading the defense. This is the fastest defense we’ve seen from ASU in quite a while.

2. Danny Sullivan and Dimitri Nance shouldn’t be the starters. Both have been in the program long enough to get the nod if talent levels are the same. However, at least on the field tonight, neither were tops in their respective positions. Nance had a difficult time finding the hole but looked better than he actually was given the competition. The other backs wowed on several plays; they’re the future and we need them to play.

Also assisted by a lesser opponent, Sullivan ended the night with somewhat respectable numbers, despite looking much worse in person. He seemed either quickly flustered in the pocket or slow to react to oncoming pressure. He zipped the balls when a bit more touch was necessary, making several attempted catches much harder than they needed to be. Brock, on the other hand, seemed very composed in the pocket and completed several passes in spite of pressure that would have resulted in a sack with Sullivan. His touchdown pass was a top-quality pass, anticipating the hole and lofting it perfectly in between two-deep coverage. He is clearly the future and it would be best for Sun Devil football to get him as many reps this season as possible.

3. Mike Nixon is still a stud. He’s smart – football smart, and very mature. He’s not the fastest, not the strongest, not the largest, but he just makes plays after plays. He has that Tillman/Archuleta quality of just being in the right place and doing the right thing at the right time.

4. Vontaze Burflict is the real deal. First play from scrimmage, he lays a big hit on the quarterback. Second play, he recovers a fumble. Let the hitting begin, this guys going to be catching the eyes of lots of people. He is a stud.

5. There’s a lot to be tightened up. And it all starts with the pregame, which the stadium crew flubbed. The kick return coverage seemed effective, but at times, dangerously close to losing the returner to a long long gain. Receivers dropped countless passes. Hell, even Weber missed a short FG attempt. In order to win some PAC10 games, we’ll need to tighten things up.