The ASU football team made a statement with its stunning win over then-No. 21 Missouri last Friday.
But that’s now a thing of the past.
The No. 22 Sun Devils (2-0) look to avoid a hangover effect this weekend when they continue their 2011 nonconference schedule against Illinois.
With plenty of national attention and in front of a sold-out crowd, ASU claimed a dramatic 37-30 victory over the Tigers. The Sun Devil win snapped MU’s 22-game nonconference regular season winning streak, and gave ASU its first win over a ranked opponent since 2007.
While the win was exciting, ASU knows it has to move on.
“You don’t have much time to celebrate anything,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “We’ve got a tough team on the road this week. It was a good win for us. We’re fortunate to win it, but we won it.”
Erickson and his staff quickly transitioned into preparation for ASU’s week-three matchup against the Fighting Illini (2-0).
“It was a good win, but we’re facing a football team that’s awfully talented in Illinois,” Erickson said. “They’ve been building that thing for quite a while. They have some really good athletes, probably faster and more athletic than most teams in that league. It’s the first game on the road and we’ll find out what we’re all about.”
Sun Devils anticipate first road test
After back-to-back victories at Sun Devil Stadium to kick off the new season, ASU faces its first road test of the 2011 campaign.
The Sun Devils will face off against Illinois on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champagne, Ill. ASU is 2-0 all-time against the Fighting Illini but just 3-9 all-time in Big Ten stadiums.
Last season, ASU posted a 2-4 record on the road including crushing losses to Wisconsin and USC. Illinois notched a 4-2 mark on its home turf at Memorial Stadium a season ago.
It will undoubtedly be a challenging task for ASU in what is sure to be a hostile environment.
“We are going to a place where it is going to be a loud, energized environment, but nothing changes from the day-to-day basis,” junior quarterback Brock Osweiler said. “We just have to be locked in when we get on that plane Thursday and understand what we are going to Illinois to do.”
Pflugrad’s move to outside paying dividends
Heading into his senior season, wide receiver Aaron Pflugrad made the move from inside to the outside wide out position.
If the first two games of the season are any indication, then it’s been a stellar transition for Pflugrad. He tied his career-high with eight receptions for 180 yards in last week’s game against Missouri. Pflugrad also caught two touchdown passes, and was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week by Rivals.com for his standout performance.
Although there have been just two games, Pflugrad has enjoyed the move to the outside.
“In the offense it gives you a little bit of an ability to run some more routes,” Pflugrad said. “The inside I still enjoy, and I like playing the inside, but in this offense the outside is a lot of man-to-man routes and that’s where I feel my strength is at.”
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu
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