Running back Deantre Lewis (5) and quarterback Mike Bercovici (2) react during ASU's 62-27 loss to UCLA on Sept. 26. (Photo by Fabian Ardaya)On Aug. 26, ASU coach Todd Graham said he'd "much rather play in the big games" than play Weber State. Yet, on Sept. 26, when the big game arrived, the Sun Devils didn't show up.
As Graham put it, ASU's performance against UCLA on Thursday night was "embarrassing" or "frustrating" or "atrocious" or "disappointing."
MORE: See all UCLA game day coverage.
It was hardly the first time the Sun Devils have laid an egg in key games since Graham arrived on campus. To his credit, though, big games were far and few between before he showed up.
What quantifies a "big game"? I tried to think of a methodology, but no rules gave the stat justice. Is it when both ASU and its opponent are top-25 teams? That eliminates Graham's entire first season and a handful of games in which a team was just outside the rankings. What if it's just ASU's opponent in the top 25? That puts an unfair bias against Graham's teams when they weren't in the top 25.
So you're going to have to trust me. I'm a junior, so I've been at ASU for as long as Graham has. I've seen first-hand the environment and felt the vibe around campus before every game ASU has played under Graham, and these games have undoubtedly been the big ones.
2012
Oct. 18 vs. No. 2 Oregon: Loss, 43-21
Oct. 27 vs. UCLA: Loss, 45-43
After that, most seemed to have given up hope for a magical season. For the sake of college football, I'm including bowl games from each season, too, so Graham gets his first big win here.
Dec. 29 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Navy: Win, 63-29
2013
Sept. 14 vs. No. 20 Wisconsin: Win, 32-30
Sept. 21 at No. 5 Stanford: Loss, 42-28
Sept. 28 vs. USC: Win, 62-41
Oct. 5 vs. Notre Dame (in Dallas): Loss, 37-34
Oct. 19 vs. No. 20 Washington: Win, 53-24
Nov. 23 at No. 14 UCLA: Win, 38-33
Dec. 7 vs. No. 7 Stanford (Pac-12 championship game): Loss, 38-14
Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl vs. Texas Tech: Loss, 37-23
2014
Sept. 25 vs. No. 11 UCLA: Loss, 62-27
Overall: 5-7
Doesn't seem to be the performance of a team with national championship and Rose Bowl aspirations. Admittedly, 5-7 was a better record than I expected to find, but winning less than half of your big games, the ones that you like the most, isn't the way to reach lofty goals.
Graham and the Sun Devils have had the luxury of playing the majority of these games at Sun Devil Stadium, too. Seven of the 12 games listed were played in Tempe; ASU went 3-4 in those matchups.
From Will Sutton's sack, his injury and Oregon's subsequent massacre of ASU to Taylor Kelly's two key interceptions against Notre Dame to Stanford's 517 yards in the Pac-12 championship to Thursday, big games have been an ugly trend for the Sun Devils.
FOX Sports' Stewart Mandel put it perfectly in what was the tweet of the night from Thursday.
https://twitter.com/slmandel/status/515357354108284928
The Sun Devils will have numerous chances to right their path going forward. There are at least two more big games on the horizon, with USC on Oct. 4 and Stanford the following week.
If Graham really wants to bring a championship culture to ASU football, it starts here. In the big games. Teams don't get chances to win championships without winning the big games first.
Morning after links
State Press: ASU football unable to overcome turnovers, loses to UCLA 62-27
State Press: ASU football QB Mike Bercovici, in first career start, puts up rollercoaster performance vs. UCLA
State Press: No. 11 UCLA football dismantles No. 15 ASU
azcentral: ASU spoils chance on big stage with epic collapse
azcentral: Tackling woes plague ASU football's loss to UCLA
FOX Sports AZ: Defense fails first big test in blowout loss to UCLA
SI: UCLA's rout of Arizona State shows importance of healthy Brett Hundley
ESPN: UCLA makes a statement against ASU 2014 season in photos [slideshow_deploy id='149980']
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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