The ASU football team had its bye this past weekend and, as a result, was given a chance to try to improve and to evaluate the surrounding Pac-10 terrain.
On Monday, ASU coach Dennis Erickson spoke with the media on a myriad of ASU football topics, including what the team wanted to accomplish in the week off.
“We just wanted to get better as a team,” Erickson said. “We spent a lot of time against ourselves in the bye week. That’s the only way we can improve. We got a lot of our young players more time.”
Given the bye, Erickson also had a chance to watch some pigskin, presumably on TV, including much of the Pac-10 competition.
The analysis? It grouped him in with the rest of the college football world, from commentators to computers, trying to make sense of it all.
“It’s amazing,” Erickson said. “You can look at it every week. This last weekend we didn’t play there were some great football games out there. Washington beating Oregon State was one of them. It just happens every week. How does UCLA beat Texas and now all of a sudden Texas beats Nebraska? You can go on and on in this league. It is really, really interesting.”
The Sun Devils committed just four penalties and one turnover in their last game, a 24-14 win over Washington. Given their struggles in those two areas previous to the victory, it would seem that ASU’s winning formula goes without noting. But what goes into that winning formula could be different for each Pac-10 team and subject to many factors, some differing from those of the Sun Devils.
“If you are ready to play, or if you’re not ready to play, I don’t think anybody has that answer, or else we’d bottle it and sell it,” Erickson said, commenting on just what wins or loses games. “Preparation and being ready to play is such a key. I see talent as being fairly even so anything can happen. Turnover, penalties are obviously things that can win or lose football games.”
Sticking with the discipline theme, Erickson said he was pleased with the recent improvements from the defense, citing better gap integrity and sound assignment compliance from the secondary.
ASU’s upcoming road opponent Cal, a 48-14 loser to Southern California last weekend, will test the Sun Devils’ improved defensive discipline on Saturday.
“Cal will lull you to sleep and then all of a sudden throw play action pass; and that guy will run a post and shoot, he will be by himself because the safety has stepped up trying to help the run,” Erickson said.
Erickson said there were many reasons the Golden Bears lost by such a large margin to the Trojans and that those factors, external to the teams, are not likely to be replicated on Saturday.
“They have a whole lot of talent, and it’s a difficult place to play, and we have been traveling quite a bit as of late,” Erickson said. “What you saw Saturday against USC you won’t see this Saturday against us. I promise you that.”
Freshmen suspended
Defensive end Lee Adams and offensive lineman Jamil Douglas, both freshmen, were suspended indefinitely by ASU on Sunday, Erickson said. Erickson could not comment on the reasons for their suspensions because of privacy laws.
Notes
Erickson said that sophomore quarterback Brock Osweiler has not thrown much the last two weeks due to a bad back, which he said was getting checked … Erickson said that redshirt sophomore corner Deveron Carr could undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder soon. It’s assured that because of the surgery, whether it occurs during the season or after, that Carr will miss spring practice. Carr was originally ruled out for a month after he re-aggravated the same shoulder he tore last year … Redshirt junior quarterback Steven Threet was not available to the media Monday because he was reading books to elementary school children … ASU’s homecoming game against Washington State on Oct. 30 will not be televised and was moved to 4 p.m.
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
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