The ASU football team finished its preparation for its matchup with Cal on Thursday morning with its defense as complete as it has been all season.
Redshirt senior linebacker Salamo Fiso returns from his three-week suspension Saturday, and junior linebacker Christian Sam is the only key player whose status for the game is uncertain after missing last week's game.
"He's one of the smartest players," Graham said of Fiso. "He's just a guy that calms everything down and our players kind of look to him as a communicator."
Fiso's return takes some pressure of a linebacking corps getting key contributions from players like oft-injured redshirt senior Carlos Mendoza.
"I've been really proud of Carlos," Graham said. "Carlos has really played hard and done a great job. He's got a lot of heart — his teammates really like him too. He has a great spirit."
But the component that needs to improve the most on a play-to-play basis is the secondary.
Despite Graham saying that sophomore Kareem Orr has been the most consistent player, ASU's defensive backfield has made some, in the words of its coach, "critical errors."
"Our biggest thing on defense has been blown coverage," Graham said. "35 of the total points we've given up have been off a blown coverage."
That is over one-third of ASU's 96 total points allowed and the difference between a tight game and an easy win in some cases.
Graham insists those coverages have been due to correctable mental lapses and not scheme issues, meaning ASU should improve as the season goes along.
"The things we've given up vertical have been busted coverages," Graham said. "Like we're playing cover three and they throw a home run post and we don't have a middle of the field safety, stuff like that. Things that shouldn't happen."
And mistakes like that are the fuel to Cal's Bear Raid offense, which operates through quick passes and keeping a defense honest up and down the field.
"The ball's out in one-point-five to two seconds," Graham said. "So you can play off or bump (coverage) up, so then you're going to have to defend the fade."
Graham noted that the Sun Devils played off Texas Tech's receivers two weeks ago and let up some plays underneath.
"We've played well at times," Graham said. "The key is consistency."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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