The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Arizona State – INSIDE SLANT
Arizona State has one of the most disruptive defenses in the nation, and it all starts up front with junior defensive tackle Will Sutton.
At 6-1 and 267 pounds, Sutton isn’t exactly the prototype for an interior lineman, but his footwork and quickness often have made him unblockable. Sutton has 34 tackles through five games, including 10 for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Next up for Sutton and Arizona State is a Thursday night game at Colorado. For sure, Sutton has the Buffs’ attention.
“He needs to go ahead and start getting paid,” Colorado coach Jon Embree said on last week’s Pac-12 teleconference with reporters.
“He’s the best D-lineman I’ve seen by far in our conference. Love the kid’s motor and the passion and he plays the game like you want him to play.”
Sutton leads an ASU defense that is second nationally in tackles for loss (9.8 per game) and third in sacks (4.2). The Devils would have to like this matchup against 1-4 Colorado, which ranks 119th in sacks allowed at 4.4 per game.
Colorado quarterback Jordan Webb might soon get an up-close introduction to Sutton.
Said Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee last month about Sutton: “Will Sutton is a monster. Point blank.”
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NCAAF Team Report – Arizona State – NOTES, QUOTES
–Senior James Morrison could be the second ASU running back converted to defense this season. Morrison worked out last week as a pass rusher off the edge. “It’s a way to get on the field,” Morrison told the Arizona Republic. “I’d like to be running the ball, but we’re pretty good in the backfield right now, making positive things happen. Any way I can get on the field, I’ll try to take advantage of it.”
A few weeks ago, coach Todd Graham moved sophomore Deantre Lewis to defensive back. ASU still has ample depth in the backfield with Cameron Marshall, D.J. Foster and Marion Grice.
–ASU landed commitments from twin linebackers — Viliami and A.J. Latu of Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) High — on Oct. 5. They are each three-star recruits.
–This will be ASU’s second game ever in Boulder — and the first on the road at Colorado as Pac-12 rivals. The Sun Devils beat the Buffs 21-3 in 2006 in Boulder.
SERIES HISTORY: ASU leads Colorado 3-0 (last meeting: 2011, 48-14 ASU)
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Arizona State has had a balanced attack, with a mix of savvy from sophomore QB Taylor Kelly and the three-headed tailback committee of D.J. Foster, Marion Grice and Cameron Marshall. Kelly has decent wheels and is also involved in the run game, as well as being effective on rollouts. Redshirt freshman QB Michael Eubank will continue to be used as the “running quarterback” in short-yardage situations and as a changeup for opposing defenses. ASU is 34th nationally in total offense (456.2 yards per game) and 23rd in scoring (38.4 points per game).
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Coach Todd Graham, as he usually does, has put together an attacking, aggressive defense that is averaging 9.8 tackles for loss per game. Senior LB Brandon Magee has been a rock, as expected, and junior college transfer OLB Chris Young has been a revelation, leading the team with 36 tackles, including 9.5 for loss. The game against Colorado isn’t expected to be a major test, as the Buffs rank last in the Pac-12 in scoring (21.6 points per game) and are having trouble protecting QB Jordan Webb.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I found guys who were ready to embrace the things that we’re about. They just needed some discipline, they needed some structure and they needed a system that fits them.” — Coach Todd Graham, on what he inherited from former coach Dennis Erickson
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NCAAF Team Report – Arizona State – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
THIS WEEK’S GAME: ASU at Colorado, Oct. 11 — Going on the road on a Thursday night is often tricky, and this matchup precedes an already-hyped home game against Oregon, so this has all the makings of a trap. The Sun Devils continue to knock on the door of the Top 25 (ranking sixth among others receiving votes) but can’t afford to lose focus while they sit atop the Pac-12 South with a 2-0 league mark.
KEYS TO THE GAME: Don’t give it away. QB Taylor Kelly has been efficient and has taken good care of the ball, playing four or five games without a turnover. He has thrown only two interceptions in 136 passes, both of those coming at Missouri. He overcame any road jitters by winning at Cal and should be able to turn in a clean performance vs. an outmanned Colorado defense that has only three interceptions in five games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB D.J. Foster — ASU is sharing the carries among three running backs, but Foster, a true freshman, leads the way with 208 yards on 36 carries. The Devils are working on getting multiple tailbacks in the game at the same time, and Foster can also be split out. He has 14 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown.
TE Chris Coyle — Wideout is not an ASU strength, so Coyle has stepped up and into that void. He leads ASU with 26 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns.
DE Junior Onyeali — This has been a bounce-back season for the junior, who was suspended late last season by then-coach Dennis Erickson and had to work for several months to get into the good graces of Todd Graham. Onyeali has four sacks and six tackles for loss, providing an outside rush to DT Will Sutton’s inside push.
ROSTER REPORT
–Junior DT Mike Pennel was suspended indefinitely on Oct. 2 for a violation of team rules. It’s the second suspension this season for Pennel, a highly touted junior college transfer who missed the team’s game against Illinois on Sept. 8. Pennel has three tackles in three games.
–Senior DT Corey Adams, who missed most of preseason practice because of back problems, has not played this season and might have to call it a career. He does have a redshirt year available.
–Freshman LB Carlos Mendoza is out for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury suffered against Illinois on Sept. 8. He is eligible for a medical redshirt.
–Sophomore CB Rashad Wadood (torn labrum) is out for the season and will be able to redshirt this season.
–Sophomore Mike Bercovici, who fell to third-string in the quarterback race, will try to redshirt, coach Todd Graham said.
–LB Israel Marshall, a redshirt freshman, will sit out this season because of back and spine problems.
–Freshman S Viliami Moeakiola suffered a hamstring injury in the season opener and is expected to miss a couple more weeks.
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