We have a talented, deep and veteran team compared to what we put on the field during Todd's first year at ASU in 2012, so my expectations are much higher than what they were for that season...
The 2012 team started Taylor Kelly at QB who had not really played much prior to that season and was a complete unknown as a RS Soph vs us now having a RS JR QB who started for us last season and played in most of the games...
At RB, we had Cam Marshall, D Lewis and JC transfer M Grice, so we were pretty darn good there but we now have Ballage and Richard along with Ralston and newcomer sensation E Benjamin so we are every bit as good at RB this year, I believe...
At WR, we had Miles, Ross, Middlebrooks and Agwuenu, while we're serving up Harry, Harvey, Humphrey, Newsome, Chatman, Williams and Darby these days, which is a substantial upgrade over the 2012 edition...
At TE, Chris Coyle was the man and what a man he was back then, while we finally have another player that may end being as good or better in Jay Jay Wilson and his backup Tommy Hudson has a lot of potential as well, so compared to the past couple of seasons we are way ahead at this all important position, IMO...
The 2012 OL had Koebensky, Sampson, Douglas, Schwab and Finkenburg which was good and we now have Cabral. Jones, McCollum, Miller and Bailey plus Zach Robertson, so I would give the nod to the 2012 team but this year's team has as much or more potential as that OL had, IMHO
OC...Billy Napier has more experience than Mike Norvell did when he first coached at ASU so it will be interesting to see how BN does this year with a talented and experienced offense compared to what MN did his first year at ASU...
The DL in 2012 had Davon Coleman, Gannon Conway, Jake Sheffield and the great Will Sutton, while our current DL has T Smallwood, Jo Jo Wicker, AJ Latu along with R Wren and G Lea in place, plus some others like true FR S Forman...so I think it is about a wash between the two teams, although Will Sutton was very special as we all know...
The past LB corps had Chris Young, S Martin, B McGee, Junior Onyeali and Carl Bradford while our current LBs include K Crump, C Sam, DJ Calhoun, and J Rhodes...so I think this is about a wash as well, although with Bradford at Devil back then, they may get a very slight nod...
There is no comparison using our present secondary to what we had in 2012 when the starters included D Carr, R Nelson, A Darby, O Irabor and K Johnson...
So, IMHO, aside from the secondary, the 2017 team has as much or more talent and experience than the 2012 team and I also feel that the overall coaching staff is better than what we had in 2012, as well...
Therefore, I expect our offense this year to at least equal, if not surpass, the 2012 offense that averaged 38.4 ppg, 465 ypg, 205 rush yds pg, 260 pass ypg with a 67% completion %...
However, I do not expect our defense this year to be anywhere close to the 2012 D, even with a better DC in place because the 2012 defense only allowed 24.3 ppg and were very good against both the pass and the run...
As I've said before, the only teams with more talent than us are USC, Stanford and Wash so in the nine other games we have at least as much or more overall talent as the other teams we play...
Graham has a veteran team that is both talented and deep at most positions so there shouldn't be a lot of excuses for anything other than a winning season culminated with a bowl game...
I'll be very, very disappointed if we don't handle NM State easily...we should be far enough ahead at half-time so that players like Blake Barnett get a lot of playing time...if we struggle then that is on Todd and his veteran team and it will not be acceptable...
What say you about my team 2012 to 2017 comparisons and to my no excuses conclusion..??
Go Devils!!!
The 2012 team started Taylor Kelly at QB who had not really played much prior to that season and was a complete unknown as a RS Soph vs us now having a RS JR QB who started for us last season and played in most of the games...
At RB, we had Cam Marshall, D Lewis and JC transfer M Grice, so we were pretty darn good there but we now have Ballage and Richard along with Ralston and newcomer sensation E Benjamin so we are every bit as good at RB this year, I believe...
At WR, we had Miles, Ross, Middlebrooks and Agwuenu, while we're serving up Harry, Harvey, Humphrey, Newsome, Chatman, Williams and Darby these days, which is a substantial upgrade over the 2012 edition...
At TE, Chris Coyle was the man and what a man he was back then, while we finally have another player that may end being as good or better in Jay Jay Wilson and his backup Tommy Hudson has a lot of potential as well, so compared to the past couple of seasons we are way ahead at this all important position, IMO...
The 2012 OL had Koebensky, Sampson, Douglas, Schwab and Finkenburg which was good and we now have Cabral. Jones, McCollum, Miller and Bailey plus Zach Robertson, so I would give the nod to the 2012 team but this year's team has as much or more potential as that OL had, IMHO
OC...Billy Napier has more experience than Mike Norvell did when he first coached at ASU so it will be interesting to see how BN does this year with a talented and experienced offense compared to what MN did his first year at ASU...
The DL in 2012 had Davon Coleman, Gannon Conway, Jake Sheffield and the great Will Sutton, while our current DL has T Smallwood, Jo Jo Wicker, AJ Latu along with R Wren and G Lea in place, plus some others like true FR S Forman...so I think it is about a wash between the two teams, although Will Sutton was very special as we all know...
The past LB corps had Chris Young, S Martin, B McGee, Junior Onyeali and Carl Bradford while our current LBs include K Crump, C Sam, DJ Calhoun, and J Rhodes...so I think this is about a wash as well, although with Bradford at Devil back then, they may get a very slight nod...
There is no comparison using our present secondary to what we had in 2012 when the starters included D Carr, R Nelson, A Darby, O Irabor and K Johnson...
So, IMHO, aside from the secondary, the 2017 team has as much or more talent and experience than the 2012 team and I also feel that the overall coaching staff is better than what we had in 2012, as well...
Therefore, I expect our offense this year to at least equal, if not surpass, the 2012 offense that averaged 38.4 ppg, 465 ypg, 205 rush yds pg, 260 pass ypg with a 67% completion %...
However, I do not expect our defense this year to be anywhere close to the 2012 D, even with a better DC in place because the 2012 defense only allowed 24.3 ppg and were very good against both the pass and the run...
As I've said before, the only teams with more talent than us are USC, Stanford and Wash so in the nine other games we have at least as much or more overall talent as the other teams we play...
Graham has a veteran team that is both talented and deep at most positions so there shouldn't be a lot of excuses for anything other than a winning season culminated with a bowl game...
I'll be very, very disappointed if we don't handle NM State easily...we should be far enough ahead at half-time so that players like Blake Barnett get a lot of playing time...if we struggle then that is on Todd and his veteran team and it will not be acceptable...
What say you about my team 2012 to 2017 comparisons and to my no excuses conclusion..??
Go Devils!!!
