ASU head coach Todd Graham directs practice on Wednesday, Sept 10. Graham's team opens conference play on Saturday. (Photo by Alexis Macklin)After a bye week, the ASU football team will take the field again Saturday against Stanford. Coach Todd Graham hosted his weekly press conference Monday and opened it by saying how much the team's week off helped his players.
"One of the things that's so important as you move through the season is that your guys are getting better every week," Graham said. "It seems like we've been off for quite a period of time and I think we made a lot of progress fundamentally and we're really coming into our own."
The Pac-12 has displayed that it has some of the most talent in the country, resulting in the most parity of any major conference. Graham credits the overall quality to the depth of that talent, as well as the hard work of the players and coaches.
"This is one of the best coached (conferences) and what makes it difficult is the athletes and the players that you have in the league," Graham said. "You have to bring it every week. Any team in this league can beat the other one and the key is those components and focus and getting better and improving."
Graham said the main priority for his players is to put in the right work to maintain a level of excellence for the entire season in a conference like the Pac-12 and he believes this level of preparation has led to the success of his teams over the years.
"You reap what you sow and that's why we believe in that values that we believe in," Graham said. "I believe that our teams steadily get better and this is the time of year when it has to happen. This is where you get into the meat of the season and you have to be better fundamentally each week."
In the current scope of the Pac-12 South, the Sun Devils have the edge. If they win out, then they will earn their second straight trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game. Despite the fact that there is a lot of football to be played, Graham feels good about his team this weekend.
"Every week is a single elimination tournament," Graham said. "Obviously we're in control of our own destiny and we've got Stanford coming in here, a very, very good football team, but I'm real confident in my guys and real confident in where we're at as we continue to get better and continue to improve."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger
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