If ASU’s 42-0 win against Washington State were a movie, call it a laugher, like an Austin Powers flick. But as the Sun Devils head to Southern California, just five miles from Hollywood, they face a challenge sure to make James Bond pause.
The Sun Devils mission, should they choose to accept it, is to win three of its last four games and automatically qualify for a bowl.
ESPN’s Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller recently projected the Sun Devils to finish with six wins and make the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl by an NCAA waiver that would allow them to finish with just six wins and still qualify.
Seven wins would guarantee a bowl berth, but that means ASU needs to win three of its last four games, which include the Trojans, UCLA and Stanford at home and UA on the road.
“We know what we have to get done to get to the bowl game obviously,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said Monday. “But what it comes down to is trying to prepare for this weekend.”
Erickson, like his redshirt junior quarterback Steven Threet, is sticking with coach and player speak for now. Perhaps it is out of necessity however, as the road to seven wins will be treacherous one, and any look ahead is sure to compromise their ability to face the task at hand.
Not that any matter of words has mattered in years past; ASU hasn’t beaten USC since 1999. Breaking the unwritten rule of athletics and looking beyond, however, and the sight of looming Stanford ranked No. 10, and Arizona No.13 in the country, respectively, is not easy on the eyes for Sun Devil faithful. The Bruins aren’t a slouch either, upsetting Texas 35-13 earlier in the year.
“We know what we have to get done if we want to get to a bowl game,” Threet said, echoing Erickson. “That’s a goal of ours, but when it comes down to it, we are focused on trying to prepare for the game this weekend.”
Should ASU split its last four games instead of winning three, they have an outside chance of making a bowl in large part due to its strength of schedule.
According to sports statistician Jeff Sagarin’s NCAA rankings, the Sun Devils play in the toughest conference in football — the Pac-10. Sagarin’s rankings have ASU ranked 25th in the country overall.
After close losses to Oregon, Oregon State, a win against Washington and despite the blowout against California, the Sun Devils have reason to believe they are capable of puling off the improbable.
“We feel like we can compete with any of the teams we have left [in our schedule],” Erickson said. “We just have to go out and do it.”
Onyeali honored
ASU freshman defensive end Junior Onyeali was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week after collecting three sacks in the Sun Devils 42-0 win over the Cougars on Saturday.
Erickson said on Monday that Onyeali reminds him of current Indianapolis Colts reserve defensive end Jerry Hughes, who was acquired out of TCU in the 2010 NFL draft.
Erickson offered up this scouting report of his newfound and much-needed pass-rusher on Monday.
“He is a defensive end that is a little undersized, maybe not even a little undersized,” Erickson said. “He can run around and fly and he is starting to get better and better all the time the more he has learned. He gets one the edge and you are talking about a guy that probably runs a 4.6 [second 40-yard dash].
“His best deal is when he is a speed rusher and he just gets on the edge outside and just runs by that guy. He just has to learn how to play the run right at him better and that get better as time goes on.”
Injury update
Redshirt junior defensive tackle Bo Moos sprained his medial collateral ligament and will be out two weeks. Redshirt junior special teams ace and safety Mike Callaghan is doubtful with a sprained ankle.
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
