It’s all about the speed.
Since second-year offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone arrived on campus last fall, the ASU football team has run a fast, upbeat-style spread offense.
It often features a no-huddle scenario and very little time in between plays. But heading into the second game of the 2011 season, Mazzone is confident that the Sun Devils (1-0) can move even faster.
“It was so hot that game last week,” Mazzone said. “I have a hard time getting too pissed off at the kids because they weren’t going as fast as I want to go. But we continually try every day to keep our tempo as fast as we can go.”
Mazzone then said that the Sun Devils snapped the ball at an average of 16 seconds left on the play clock against the Aggies. Moving forward, he hopes to be in the 20 to 22 seconds range.
ASU posted 48 points in last week’s season opener against UC Davis, to go with 517 total yards and 24 first downs. Both of the team’s first two scoring drives lasted under 1:10. Additionally, the Sun Devil offense completed scoring drives of 1:17 and 1:33.
Junior quarterback Brock Osweiler finished at 19-of-26 in passing and threw for 262 yards and two touchdown passes. Junior running back Cameron Marshall ran for a pair of scores as well.
For the first game of the season, Mazzone was pleased with his offense’s overall effort.
“We were trying to establish some stuff in the run,” Mazzone said. “I thought that we could have ran the ball a little bit better. We kind of cut back on the game plan because there some guys that hadn’t played a bunch that were going to have to play so I was happy. We came out fast, played well then plateaued a little bit.”
ASU will have its hands full on offense on Friday night as No. 21 Missouri’s (1-0) defense surrendered just 76 rushing yards and 270 yards of total offense in their first game of the season.
“They’re a damn good defense,” Mazzone said. “They’re very athletic. They’re very well coached. They’ve got a good, solid simple plan. They make you make plays on offense. They don’t give you a whole lot so it’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Sun Devils own big game advantage
It’s no secret that ASU’s matchup against UM could serve as a defining point for the 2011 season.
The Sun Devils face the Tigers in Friday night’s nationally televised “Black Out” at Sun Devil Stadium.
This year’s squad features a gigantic senior class of 27 players. The wide variety of experience could bode well for the Sun Devils against the talented Tigers.
“These guys have been around, and they've been in games like this,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “We know how to win them, it's just a matter of doing it. Missouri is an awfully good team. They've been a lot of games like this and won a lot of games like this. They're there and we're trying to get there.”
Erickson went on to say that a packed Sun Devil Stadium should be beneficial for the home team.
“Any time you play at home and you have an atmosphere and the crowd's into it, it helps a heck of a lot,” Erickson said. “I've been in stadiums where it's pretty hard to play as an opponent. Our fans get cranked up, making noise in there, it's a great place for us.”
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
