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ASU football running back Demario Richard: 'We have to win' bowl game

After lofty preseason expectations, ASU settled with a 6-6 record and is preparing for the Cactus Bowl.

ASU sophomore running back Demario Richard takes the field prior the Sun Devils game against the Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on Nov. 14, 2015.
ASU sophomore running back Demario Richard takes the field prior the Sun Devils game against the Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on Nov. 14, 2015.

After coming into the year with two consecutive 10-win seasons, ASU football head coach Todd Graham was optimistic, saying it was the best team he has coached. The team had been hovering around the top of the Pac-12 South, and the program was gaining respect throughout the conference.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit predicted that the Sun Devils would not only have a successful year, but would make it to the college football playoffs.

Things didn’t go as predicted, and ASU had a disappointing season. It finished with a 6-6 record, sitting fourth in the Pac-12 South and ninth overall in the Pac-12. At times, ASU looked like a great team; they have a huge win on their resume after beating then-No. 7 UCLA 38-23 and holding running back Paul Perkins to 63 yards.

ASU has also looked abysmal. Remember when the team was up 24-3 over Cal but blew the lead and lost 48-46. ASU has shown the good, the bad and the ugly in an inconsistent football program this year.

Despite failing to meet expectations, the Sun Devils still has the opportunity to play in a bowl game. They will be taking on West Virginia on Jan. 2 in the Cactus Bowl. Though the site is neutral, the game will be played at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, just 11 miles from Sun Devil Stadium.

Redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici said this opens the opportunity for ASU to gain a home-field advantage.

“It’s going to feel good to finally end off on the right foot and in the home state,” he said. “It’s going to feel like home field advantage; Sun Devil Nation should be in full effect.”

Sophomore running back Demario Richard made the emphasis on victory clear.

“We have to win,” he said. “That’s been the tradition since Coach Graham got here — they have been winning. This wasn’t really a winning season for us, so we have to go out and win this bowl game and end on a winning season.”

Both the players and head coach Todd Graham aren't dwelling on their earlier, lofty expectations for the season.

“You don’t get whatever you want,” Graham said. “You have to work for it.”

The Sun Devils are going into this game confident. They are in good spirits and say they just want to have fun and capture the win, which would be the first time they won back-to-back bowl games since the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

“Winning is very important, and these bowls games give you momentum going into the offseason,” Graham said. “Our mindset is to go win, to be champion, we have a chance to be a bowl champion.”


Reach the reporter at chazfrazier909@gmail.com or follow @_chazf on Twitter.

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