Hard hits, bad blood, and plenty of trash-talking are all trademarks of Pac-10 football and all three were in full effect Saturday night in Arizona State's 27-14 win over Oregon State.
The Pac-10 season opened with a bang for the Sun Devils, who scored 24 unanswered points to seal the win and a loud thud for the Beavers who dropped their third game of the still young season.
"We have a lot to work on but we feel we got better this week and to come out with a victory is great," said linebacker Jamar Williams
The Sun Devils were led by their defense in a conference known for its high-scoring, offensive style of football. Williams stole the show defensively for Arizona State with two interceptions and four tackles.
"There's a big difference between the Big 10 schools we've played, and I think we did a good job tonight holding them to 14 points," Williams said. "If we can hold other teams in the Pac-10 to 14, I think we'll win a lot of games."
The win over the Beavers was a vast improvement compared to last years' debacle in Corvallis. The Sun Devil defense was unable to stop quarterback Derek Anderson a year ago, who led Oregon State in a 28-point route of ASU. The tables have turned, however, as the Sun Devils have now avenged two losses from a year ago, including last weeks win over Iowa who defeated Arizona State by 19 last season.
Anderson appeared to have the Sun Devils' number again early in the game for Oregon State, leading his team to an opening series touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Arizona State's defense would quickly get back on track, forcing five turnovers, three of which led to 13 points for the Sun Devils. ASU was able to get pressure on Anderson, forcing him to throw three interceptions. Defensive tackle Jordan Hill played a huge part in getting to Anderson, recording half a sack, four tackles, and two fumble recoveries.
"He's a great quarterback and we've seen that," Hill said. "We noticed that if you can put pressure on him then you can get him out of rhythm, and that's what we really tried to do and in the second and third quarter I felt we did that."
While the Pac-10 season is only one game deep, but at 4-0 the Sun Devils are pumped to contend in one of the nations toughest conferences this season. With top-ranked USC just three weeks away and a fellow ranked opponent in No. 10 Cal also on the schedule, the Sun Devils have a golden opportunity to make some noise this season.
