Looking ahead to ASU
by John Berkowitz on Oct 13, 2009 6:46 AM PDT
41 comments
Dennis Erickson is in his third season as head coach at ASU. He blew the Pac 10 away during his first season by putting together a squad that came close to competing for the league title. During his second-year with ASU in 2008, the team under-performed and fell to the league's second division. This season, despite a 3-2 record, the Sun Devils are still performing under the level one would expect of a Dennis Erickson team.
Most of the problems are on offense. Danny Sullivan isn't getting the job done at QB and the offensive line is among the weakest in the Pac 10. The same offensive woes that haunted ASU in 2008 are hitting again in '09, but are magnified because Sullivan isn't close to being the same type of QB as the departed Rudy Carpenter.
Fans in Tempe would like to see more of true frosh Brock Osweiler under center. He played three series last week against WSU, but didn't give any indication that he is ready yet, despite going 3-4 for 21 yards and a fumbled snap to his credit. Official word out of Tempe is that Sullivan will start again this week, with Osweiler continuing to wait in the wings. Expect Erickson to give the 6'8 frosh QB from Montana at least a few series this weekend.
Sullivan threw three interceptions against the Cougars last weekend. Husky fan ought to find this music to their ears, as the Cougar secondary doesn't exactly resemble that of USC. Turnovers are a big part of any win, and if the ASU offense turns it over six times to a team like Washington, it will be lights out Sun Devils. Expect Erickson to watch the UW vs. UA game film and concentrate on spreading Washington out with a high percentage short passing game.
The saving grace for the Sun Devils is a defensive front seven that is one of the very best in the conference. I wouldn't say that it is the best Washington has seen so far this year but these guys know how to put pressure on a QB. Jake Locker's speed will be needed in this one to avoid the pass rush that will be coming. Make no mistake about it. ASU has painted a big red X on Locker's chest and they will be blitzing.
The secondary is the weakest point of ASU's defense. Washington can pass on these guys all night if Locker has time and the Husky WR's get a little separation. In contrast, Arizona had a much tougher defense with likely the best defensive backfield UW will play for the rest of the season.
That said, ASU is no pushover. Washington isn't going to win this game by much. Playing in Tempe isn't easy if a decent crowd shows up to watch. The oddsmakers have installed ASU as a three point favorite, which has already inflated up to seven.
Washington didn't impress anyone against Arizona except the scoreboard. Arizona dominated this game; the only reason the Wildcat's lost was because they couldn't convert in the red zone, and for some strange reason Mike Stoops kept passing the ball with five minutes left in the game. It is nice to win one you shouldn't coming off the tails of losing one you shouldn't. You can't count on luck every week; Washington needs to play better on offense and special teams to beat ASU on the road.
An obvious key to winning the game is avoiding the turnovers and special teams miscues that almost buried the Huskies last week in the third quarter. Defensively, the Huskies need to take advantage of a sloppy team that makes a lot of mistakes. If WSU can force six errors the Huskies should be able to do something similar this weekend.
I expect to see Jake Locker continue running the ball this week. ASU is very aggressive with its pass rush, setting up a lot of things for a guy as versatile as Jake. Whenever Jake steps up in the pocket or rolls out wide he has the ability to make people miss and take it to the house. If ASU overruns a play, Jake will make them pay.
Locker was responsible for 90% of the Washington offense against Arizona. That is never a good thing. Up to that game, the Huskies were able to get good balance from a strong running game. Tempo, injuries, coming from behind, and simple time of possession never allowed Washington to get that going last week. We have all seen what Chris Polk can do when he gets in a rhythm, but he will be going up against a very tough run defense this week. UW needs to establish the run early in this one to control the clock and keep the red X off the front of Locker's jersey.
What the heck is a Sun Devil anyway?
You would think that some inventive person at ASU just made it up, but a Sun Devil is actually a weather phenomenon many of you know as a whirlwind, or a dust devil without the dust. The mascot character, the much beloved Sparky, was drawn by the late Bert Anthony, a minion of Walt Disney. Rumor has it that Sparky was illustrated to resemble Disney, and if you look at them side by side it’s kind of creepy.
Torches and Pitchforks
Danny Sullivan threw the ball a whopping 58 times in the loss to Oregon State! He completed over 50% of his passes and ended up with over 300 passing yards.
Chris McGaha is Sullivan's main target. He caught a career high 15 balls against the Beavers.
Dennis Erickson was knocked unconscious during a play on the ASU sideline lat week against WSU. He felt pretty woozy but was able to keep coaching once he took a few minutes to recover.
The ASU defense held WSU to minus 54 rushing yards on 32 attempts!
Arizona State committed six turnovers and botched two extra points against WSU.
The ASU defense sacked WSU a total of 12 times on Saturday which is only three short of the NCAA record of 15.
Kyle Williams is another ASU receiver to keep an eye on. He grabbed 13 receptions against the Cougars. Williams had 211 all-purpose yards: 126 receiving, 53 rushing on a reverse and 32 on punt returns.
ASU is averaging 10.7 yards per reception which is third lowest in the Pac 10.
Only No. 3 Texas (46.2) is allowing fewer rushing yards per game than ASU (49.6).
Dennis Erickson played football at Montana State under a guy named Jim Sweeney whose grandson Nate Fellner may be the starting safety for Washington this week.
Kibbles and Bits
Mason Foster has been named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week.
Foster had 11 tackles in the Dawgs 36-33 victory over Arizona and, of course, keyed the victory with his 37-yard interception return for a touchdown that proved to be the winning score.
Johri Fogerson, Nate Williams, and D'Andre Goodwin are all expected to be back this week.
Cameron Elisara is back after suffering from stingers in last weeks game.
Chris Polk is fine to practice this week and will get the start at ASU.
Coach Steve Sarkisian said that Chris Polk will continue to receive kickoffs next week. "In a perfect world, you don't want your starting tailback returning kicks," Sarkisian said. "But no one else has seized the opportunity."
Jason Wells is expected to get his first playing time of the season this week. He hasn't played in a game in over two years because of injuries.
Nick Wood is the new starter at guard. Mykena Ikehara and Drew Schaeffer will be the primary backups.
The Huskies have the nation’s 106th-ranked defense out of 120 NCAA Division I-A teams, which is actually an improvement over last season. The key is scoring defense rather than total yards. The Husky defenses performance in the red zone has kept them within striking distance of each opponent they have played. In 30 trips into UW’s red zone, opponents have scored a mere 11 touchdowns this season.
Year to date NCAA schedule rankings:
UW .810, Georgia .808, Virgina Tech .763, Florida St. .704, Nobody else is even over .700
The Oregon is set for ABC at 12:30 a week from Saturday. The Huskies then will enjoy a much-needed bye week after the Oregon game.
Quote of the Week
"To me, luck is when preparation meets opportunity," Steve Sarkisian said at Monday's press conference.
0 recs |
41 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
I'd love to see Osweiler
Of course I’d rather see him in a Gonzaga Basketball jersey, but whatever.
by zeeehjee on Oct 13, 2009 7:43 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
quote of the week....
is one of my favorites.
heard it first in 1987 when sir fay richwhite was accused of being lucky, making to the america’s cup challenger finals.
didn’t win it all that year but for a first time challenger put the yachting world on notice.
did win it in 1995.
wonder the origin of the quote……..
another favorite is, flexibility of adaptability is the true measure of intelligence, from emerson.
our defense fits that quote imo.
WOOF!
by PandG on Oct 13, 2009 8:26 AM PDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs
quotes
“flexibility of adaptability is the true measure of intelligence”
To me, this personifies Sarkisian. This guy has adapted to numerous situations in life to succeed. Things have never been handed to him and yet he always seems to come out on top through adaptability and hard work. The same can be said of many successful people.
by PhinneyDawg on Oct 13, 2009 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
when i thought of a coach it was how i think of what holt is doing.
we may be not the most efficient defense but he’s changing it up and moving personnel around, trying different things. i would not of having thompson in at a dt at the beginning of the year.
of course it does start at the top……
by PandG on Oct 13, 2009 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good point.
I really like how they are being flexible with personnel, move guys around to see where everybody is at their best. I just wish they’d show the same flexibility with their schemes.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Much as was the case with AU.....
ASU has not been tested nearly as much as we have. It is awesome to be 3-3 at this time! With brand new coaches, worst team in Husky history just 10 months ago, lots of young and not-any-too-well experienced players on our team, and having played the toughest schedule in the Nation….. it is tremendous to be considering a bowl game season now.
Almost every week we see evidence that we evolve and grow tremendously.
If ASU does take advantage of our young team for a quarter or so, as I think all our competiion has done at least once per game, we are getting better at boucing back w/ tenacity.
One game soon, and it might as well be this one, we are going to kick-ass from beginning to end against a D-1a team.
by Go Viks! on Oct 13, 2009 9:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
When we do that, play well from beginning to end . . .
We are going to be a force to be reckoned with. These guys are showing some real flashes of brilliance, once they put it together for 4 full quarters, watch out!
GO DAWGS!
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 6:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
johnb, if I may add to your torches and pitchforks
As a college coach, Dennis Erickson has never had back to back losing seasons, last year they were 5-7.
We are currently on a 5 game losing streak to ASU, our last win 2001 (RN coach) Gilby didn’t play ASU.
Last 2 games played in Tempe, lost by exact same score 20-44.
Overall series record UW leads 15-13, includes the forfeit win in 79 for ASU ineligible player.
Last 4 losses (all Ty) score totals are 82-143 (or 20.5- 35.75
by prrbrr on Oct 13, 2009 9:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nice research
I will have to add those factoids to the ASU preview game notes on Friday.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 13, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Old Saw: "The harder your work, the luckier you get"
It’s all about hard work, preparation, and being ready when opportunities arise. That sure feels like what Sark is preaching, and rightly so. What an inspiring difference this staff has made.
by NY85Dawg on Oct 13, 2009 9:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The Sark quote is originally attributed to Seneca...
not Seneca Wallace, but the 1st century A.D. Roman philosopher and politician.
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
by lowermainlanddawg on Oct 13, 2009 11:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Are you sure that wasn’t Seaneca Wallace? : o)
by Snostrebla on Oct 13, 2009 1:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Another favorite quote
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
I think this one could easily apply to the Typano combo which ran out offense last season.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 13, 2009 2:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
So True!
And here’s one of my favorites that I learned from my Dad, “If you educate and Idiot, and you get is an educated idiot.”. That came up many times when talking about our most recent, past coach. I swear: I will never say his name again!
Go Dawgs! Go Sark! WOOF!
by Go Viks! on Oct 13, 2009 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You could say the same thing about our attempts to stop the bubble screens.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Combined record of UW opponents so far is 25-7
One of you posted this stat last week and I thought it was worth keeping up to date on. One respected blogpoll even thought about putting Idaho and/or Notre Dame in the top 25. Let’s keep building on the challenges of the past and finish this season with a bowl game!
I'm tired of next year. Win now!
by wishfulthinking on Oct 13, 2009 3:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Idaho
5-1, who would have guessed that??? If it continues, Rob Akey should get some serious consideration for coach of the year.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Splits are still intact for bowl eligibility
And that is what we are playing for. We beat Arizona to make a clean split of the Arizona schools. If we beat ASU- it’s gravy.
I think we are ripe to get our first win on the road. We’ve succomed to early road losses. Now that everybody is back healthy we should be okay in Tempe.
But at this point I am content with the split. WSU is a win, so that means we need two more victories besides WSU to get bowl eligible. 6+ wins baby! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
by crazidawg on Oct 13, 2009 5:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
this one is a better matchup for us than oregon at this point and you have to think cal will get a bit more competitive by year end.
by PandG on Oct 13, 2009 5:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Oh I think we'll be up for the zero game!
Every player and coach is going to want to get some zero. That is going to be a big game and if I predict anything- I think if we continue to stay healthy, the zero game might be the one that brings everything all together for us.
Not sure if you all see it or not, but our offense is not in complete sync yet. The Notre Dame game was close, but it wasn’t perfect. I think our defense has outplayed our offense up to this point, regardless of what Lear tries to tell you. We’ve made big play after big play on defense so far, but the offense is just starting to come together. I think by the time zero nation comes to town, the Sark offense will be a thing of beautty.
Go Huskies! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
by crazidawg on Oct 13, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really???
I think our defense has outplayed our offense up to this point
I’m completely speechless . . . . .
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 6:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Keep reading into the stats Lear...
I don’t know what to tell you my friend, college football is not about stats. They are NOT comparible in college football. In the NFL you can bank on stats because you don’t play outside the league (NFL). Look at college football. You have the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, Big East, Pac 10, Mountain West, WAC, Conference USA- am I missing anybody?
We (Washington) just got off the toughest 6 game schedule in the goddam land fella- TOUGHEST! And the best you can do is throw out freakin’ stats? I’m completely baffled by your lack of scientific view on this. Where do you suppose we’d be with Boise State’s schedule? How do you think our defensive stats would look with a BSU schedule? You cannot use stats and compare programs nation-wide on the same scale in college football because the variables (schedules) differ in strength. I would think a person as astute and articulate as yourself could open your eyes and see that college football is not played in a freakin’ vacume nor on an even playing field.
The only way to gage our stats and compare them to others is in Pac 10 league play. Throw out the non league games because playing LSU and Notre Dame is much more difficult then playing N. Arizona and San Jose State.
Yes our defense is outplaying our offense! How many turnovers has our defense created? How many points has our offense scored when the defense set them up with a big play turnover? I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but in 6 weeks I’m willing to bet that our offense has been only good for 14 points per outing. Translation: This means that our offense has scored that many points without any assistants from what the defense created, i.e. turnovers. You add in all the turnovers and our offense is putting up bigger offensive numbers.
Offensively we aren’t that good yet. The very first sign of big play offense came last weekend vs. Arizona. The 55 yard Locker TD run and the Locker/Augilar TD pass/catch play. Other then that the offense has been dinkin’ and diving for scores. But the defense has made big play after big play since LSU buddy. Where are you Lear? Cloud Nine? Come back down to earth and try to put a deaf ear to freakin’ stats. You can’t judge non league outcomes the same in college ball- it doesn’t fly and you should know that!
Our defense may not be putting up good numbers, but 3 wins in six games is a damn fine number in my book! And to be quite honest, I could careless how many yards an opposing team gets on us- just don’t letem’ score (redzone D) and win BABY!!! The only thing that matters is winning.
I’m wagering you play fantacy football don’t you? Good grief!
All I saw was purple
by crazidawg on Oct 14, 2009 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Get off your high horse and come back down to reality.
I know you can read, you are here on the blog, I’m not the one make an assinine assumption based on blowing smoke up one’s own ass. Read the Times, PI, ESPN, ANYTHING, everybody is saying that our offense is vastly improved and our defense is minorly improved. I’m not the person making the ridiculous claim here, take a peek in the mirror.
Secondly, how about some consistency Crazi? You flip flop worse than John Kerry. Before the season you wanted an offense that would chew up the clock, all you talked about was T.O.P. and running the ball. Now you give the offense crap for “dinking and driving for scores”. Then you only give the offense credit for the big plays that don’t eat up clock. Make up your mind, which way is it?
Earlier on this posting they were commenting on favorite quotes, well here is mine: "It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 14, 2009 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Time of Possesion
Our defense is KILLING our TOP, we can’t win games when we get less than 50 offensive snaps per game.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 14, 2009 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but in 6 weeks I’m willing to bet that our offense has been only good for 14 points per outing.
I’ll take that bet. We’ve scored 161 points on the season, with 21 of those coming from defensive scores. That means the offense has been responsible for 23.3 points per game.
You lose significant credibility by continuing to claim the defense has outplayed the offense this year. The biggest difference between this team and last year’s is the return of Jake Locker from injury, the emergence of Chris Polk as a legitimate RB, the change in offensive schemes and play-calling by Steve Sarkisian and the complete turnaround in team attitude brought about by the change in coaching staffs. The defense has only improved marginally.
by kirkd on Oct 14, 2009 9:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Crazi - Are you related to Coach Holt?
You joined the blog shortly after Sark was hired, you “predicted” that Sark would get Holt to be the D-coordinator, and have been in a constant love fest with Holt ever since he was hired. I’m guessing you are his brother or cousin or something similar.
FYI – I’m just having a little fun with you, trying to lighten things up.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 14, 2009 10:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
that must be a "relative to expectations" comment ...
… because on an absolute basis, our D has not been good at all.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 13, 2009 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
our D has not been good at all
It may not be up to your expectations but compared to last year it is like the difference between night and day. Playing a lot of frosh too.
They are very strong against running teams and mediocre to poor against passing teams. Should expect some improvement this year but we are awfully thin at almost every position.
by Purpledawg on Oct 13, 2009 8:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is it???
The stats don’t agree with you. I agree that there is definitely a toughness, and a never say die attitude that is a night and day difference from last year. They are night and day better in the redzone, but as a whole the defense is not nearly as improved as I would have expected, and I’ve been known to have cautious expectations.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is redzone success a stat?
It may not be but it’s enormously important and there is absolutely no comparison to last season.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Oct 13, 2009 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll amend my previous post
The majority of the defensive stats don’t agree with him.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
by Lear Pilot on Oct 13, 2009 9:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even Redzone...
…may not be that good. I looked into the NCAA statistics and they appear marginal. Condotta was saying they might be 4th of so. I don’t know if he was talking in the Pac-10 or nationally but the national statistics show the Huskies as (if I recall correctly) 70th. Not anything to really write home about. The only game that I thought was outstanding was $C. In that game the Husky Defense carried the team.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Oct 13, 2009 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The stats don't bear out your assertion that there is much difference...
… between last year’s and this year’s D in terms of performance. I think we can agree that the D this year is more emotional, engaged and committed.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 14, 2009 5:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gekko I suggest you start adding up all the turnovers and scoring opportunities our defense has set up for our offense. Right now we are considered a big play defense- and with three wins under our belts I’ll take it!
Go Defense! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
by crazidawg on Oct 14, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah I don't really care what formula we use...
…as long as we keep on winning!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Oct 14, 2009 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
turnovers have an element of chance in them ...
… but the stats that most often correlate to scores for an offense are yards per play, total offensive plays and time of possession. Along those dimensions, we are not much better than last year although our schedule certainly has something to do with that. The fact that our kids are finding ways to pull out these games despite giving up massive amounts of yards and yielding poor field position to our offense (will we return another punt this week?) speaks to the motivation and effort of our team.
This doesn’t change the fact that our Defense has room for significant improvement.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 15, 2009 7:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Red zone defense nationally
may not look good because the opposition gets there too often; but once they get there its tough sledding for the TD.
by dawgdude on Oct 14, 2009 4:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah I asked...
…BC about that. He said the NCAA doesn’t differentiate between TDs and FGs. The Huskies have been forcing a lot of field goals and that’s been the an important aspect of them competing in these games.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Oct 14, 2009 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If we can...
…keep doing that and keep forcing a few turnovers we can stay competitive. We need to find a way to turn it up a notch against the devils. GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
by dawgfan22 on Oct 14, 2009 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on UW Dawg Pound
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
