2010 NCAA football preview: Arizona State
It was not that long ago that the Arizona State Sun Devils were one of the better football teams in the nation. In 2007, the team led by quarterback Rudy Carpenter (now with the Tampa bay Buccaneers) went on to post a 10-3 record and win a piece of the Pac-10 title. After losing a shoot out to the Texas Longhorns in the Holiday Bowl the team finished the season ranked 11th in the Coaches' Poll and 12th in the AP Poll.
After doing so well in head coach Dennis Erickson’s first year in charge, the expectations for the Sun Devils going forward were a little high. Instead of building on that success the team fell back a few steps. In 2008 they only managed to win five games; in 2009 even fewer, four.
What will be most troubling to the Sun Devils faithful will be the decline in Pac-10 play especially. After winning seven games in 2007 to win a piece of the title they have only managed to win six conference games the last two seasons and only two in 2009.
Such declining productivity is not something that would be expected from a Dennis Erickson-led team. In order to insure his job safety Erickson may need to at the least get the team eligible for post-season play in 2010.
Offense
Erickson has his work cut out for him if he is going to field an offense that can put up some points in the Pac-10.
The most promising prospect is their young running back, Cameron Marshall. As a freshman he ran the ball 64 times for 280 yards and two touchdowns with a long of 75 in mostly spot duty last season; in his final season in high school he ran for over 1900 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Marshall may have his work cut out for him with as bad as the quarterback situation is shaping up. Junior college transfer Steven Threet is penciled in to start in new coordinator Noel Mazzone’s offense. Threet started out his college career at Michigan under Rich Rodriguez and just could not seem to grasp the spread offense the way Rodriguez wanted. Samson Szakacsy and Brock Osweiler return, but are not exactly impressive players either.
Whoever does run the ball or line up behind center will need some help from an offensive line that has to fill some holes in 2010. Last season the group ranked 83rd in sacks allowed and did not open too many holes in the running game either (80th). Erickson and Mazzone will be counting two more junior college transfers to help out, Brice Schwab and Aderious Simmons.
Defense
Lucky for the Sun Devil faithful, the defense stands to be good enough to keep these guys in a few games next season. In 2009 they had the top ranked passing and rushing defense in the Pac-10. That goes to show how bad the offense was when the team had such a good defense.
The defense could end up being just as strong in 2010 as well. Lawrence Guy is a very large man and looks to anchor the front four again; in two seasons he has made 77 tackles and six sacks. James Brooks and Gregory Smith are a talented pair at the ends and Saia Falahola gives the Sun Devils a second big man to stuff opposing running games in the middle.
Where they could suffer is in the secondary; the team will need to find four new starters this year. One of them could be an easy choice, cornerback Omar Bolden, but that is only if he can return from injury without losing a step. Deveron Carr and Keelan Johnson are an athletic pair of young players (sophomores); if they can turn into every down players then the secondary could be in good shape for years to come.
Erickson has his work cut out for him; that is for certain. With so many holes to fill he will have a hard time not avoiding another losing season playing in the talented and tough Pac-10.
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