Sidebar by Fabian Ardaya on the wing player who has so far exceeded even the most optimistic preseason expectations

Via Justin Toscano

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Postgame comments following ASU's 96-74 win over Cal Poly via Justin Toscano

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He is announcing on Wednesday - anyone have a read on him?
I know we're in the mix for a while but I haven't heard anything lately.
Hod, I am going to go out on a limb and guess you have some sort of overall recruiting synopsis or overview due out soon.....true?

Story by Fabian Ardaya

ASU, Cal and USC

ASU hockey rebounded from a 4-2 deficit in the third period to beat UNH 5-4 in OT. ASU tied the game with a goal with 1:30 left and scored off a nice rebound in OT. Robert Levin got the start in goal and Jordan Masters was back for the first time this season. He has been out for some team violations and I didn't know if we would see him this year. He was on the third line and looked good. Quick turnaround as they get #3 BC tomorrow afternoon. Go Devils!!!

The result may have been expected but that doesn't soften the blow of last night's loss

Utah at ASU Postgame Thoughts

Hod
I have seen the start time for the men's basketball game tomorrow night at 600pm and 700pm. Which is it???
Pops

Game recap by Justin

I don't know how you give up a sack to a two man pass rush like what happened last night to the Sun Devils on one play against Utah...their two man pass rush, because the Utes dropped nine guys into coverage, beat how many "blockers" for ASU and sacked Wilkins as a result..??

What an embarrassment, as is the continuing woeful performance of our defense, and our offense wasn't much better, either...

You all know that I'm a Talent Is Destiny guy but our coaching has really left a lot to be desired as well this season and last...

That aside, this is Whittingham's 12th year at Utah and, although they never seem to have highly rated recruiting classes, they do have a lot of continuity with what they are doing that includes molding the players they do recruit into good, solid players and their teams generally are greater than the sum of their parts, it looks like to me...

The Utes had at least nine upper-classmen starting on offense and another nine upper-classmen starting on defense and both of their lines are much better than ours, as is their whole defense and their starting safeties are built like linebackers that is a huge plus...

We should not have this many defensive breakdowns, game after painful game, that give up big plays to our opponents that lead to demoralization and losses and has to stop, although the coaches seem at loss as to how to do that...

A lot of it has to do with a lack of adequate talent, as I've repeatedly pointed out, but it has also become painfully obvious that it also has to do with coaching and a lack thereof, on that side of the ball...

We've also had a lot of injuries but so has Utah and look at the difference in the programs right now...ours is in disarray while their program is not...

There needs to be a lot of soul searching going on by Graham, both now and after the season...

I know we don't have enough talent and depth, which shouldn't be a problem in your fifth year, but you should also have a better staff in place and it's obvious at this point that we don't right now...

I know renewal of my season tickets is going to depend on what Graham decides to do with his program in the coming weeks and months and I don't say that lightly for the Sun Devils are not "lovable losers"...

Is Utah really that much farther along than us because Whittingham has been in SLC for 12 years while Graham has only been in Tempe five years..??

What say you..??

Go Devils!!!

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In this episode Ralph Amsden brings in DevilsDigest.com publisher Hod Rabino to talk recruiting questions and concerns regarding the 2017 class, as well as Hod's memories of this year's group of seniors. He also talks with DevilsDigest staff writer Fabian Ardaya about the type of offense that Utah runs, and about Arizona State's chances of knocking off the ranked team.

At the half he was 15-26 215 yards 3 TDs. That was more passing yards than he averaged per game and a career high for TD passes.

In the 2nd half they only ran 24 total plays and that includes the victory formation.

So he only went 5-11 for 81 yds and 1 TD but that was enough to set his career mark for yards in a game and TD passes.

I continuously hear CTG blaming 'Blown Coverage's" for giving up the big plays. So who's at fault with that? I can't help but think that our defense is either too complex or the system we have of communicating what we want run is too ineffective. I can understand the 'blame' going to a player if it's early in the year or it's a player that you eventually have to replace. But hearing this time and again and this late in the season (again) is a Coaching issue IMO.

Also, I have a hard time understanding all the love for CTG yet hate for the side of the ball that he is most responsible for: The Defense. Anyone that watches the games and CTG orchestrating every minute detail on defense and thinks that this is Patterson's D is not paying attention IMO.

I wonder if this D is CTG's brainchild and he just can't see the inherent weakness in it so can't even fathom scrapping it for a system that actually has proven to consistently work; but the data doesn't lie. Our D sucks and has for some time now and it is CTG's direct responsibility (more than just "he's the head coach so he's responsible" this is his D in every detail).

Hoops season starts tonight. We are going to be a pretty decent team. We can no longer complain about the coach, a weak schedule, recruiting, or athleticism. We need to support this team and Hurley by showing up and talking about it on this forum. I know football rules here. But we can do both.

ASDE

What are the chances that a 5 star prospect at ANY position, (let alone WR or CB) that some had rated as the top WR in the 2016 class was going to:

1) arrive in the Summer (not an early enrollee) and grasp the playbook enough to start the 1st game of the season when there were redshirt juniors (and others with multiple years of experience in the program) that had been given tons of reps with the 1's in multiple camps at the WR position?

2)become a go-to guy as a tru frosh against some of the best defenses we face

3)Be a very hard worker

4)Be humble

5)Be a good blocker as a tru frosh
?????

6)Have that rare combination of soft but very strong hands

There aren't many like N'Keal

That said, for the first time last night I watched him stand there and do absolutely NOTHING.on a play very similar to his 31 yard TD run where someone (I think Ballage) made a lot out of nothing. Can't recall the period of the game, the play or much but I watched it a couple times at 1AM. It could be argued that the action was on the opposite side of the field and that just staying on his side would occupy at least 1 defender and create space....but at some point he needed to give some effort and never did.

Nobody ever has a perfect game

As I said, this is the first time I have seen this all season. He is a great player and a lead-by-example teammate that may become a vocal leader as well

The 16th ranked Lady Devils open up against Illinois State at 4pm today. Your ticket will get you into the men's game for free.

59 offensive plays by Utah
We rushed 3 on 3 plays
We rushed 4 on 28 plays
We rushed 5 on 14 plays
We rushed 6 on 14 plays

On the big gainers:
64 yd TD over Orr-rushed 4
27 yd TD in corner of endzone on Chandler-rushed 4
22 yd completion to Patrick who beat Perry-rushed 3
17 yd TD wide open in endzone-rushed 5
82 yd TD run by Williams-rushed 5
31 yd run by Williams-rushed 4
15 yard completion to Patrick beating Echols-rushed 4
22 yd TD to Singleton who had Echols on top of him-rushed 4
40 yard TD run up the middle by Williams-rushed 6
11 yard completion to Patrick past Calhoun & Perry-rushed 4
10 yd Williams run-rushed 3
10 yd Williams run-rushed 4
16 yd completion behind LOS to Butler-Byrd-rushed 6
11 yd scramble by Troy Williams-rushed 4

Story by Justin Toscano

One thing I love about that guy is .....watch the play early in the 1st drive of the Q3 when he gains about 6 on a ball he caught behind the LOS. He absolutely destroys a safety who had a head of steam towards Ballage and the sideline and KB and knocked him backwards and out of bounds by 7 yards. Ballage does not stand there and taunt or high step or throw a fit. Just heads back to the LOS and gets lined up.

He is just a baby in terms of really learning how to play football, how to be patient and wait for holes, how to block and how to catch...........and he still has work to do on pad level although it has drastically improved with each game............but his effort is always 100% and as intense as he is, he never lets it negatively impact his performance.

Thanks to videographer Nicole Walker

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