Morning Mates...
Today's Topic = Sun Devil Fever
I have it again even though it is hotter than the Devil and the season is still over a month away...I wonder why more Sun Devils don't catch it like me but realize that when I first caught the fever in he late 60s, the Sun Devils were starting to dominate the WAC and were just about the only game in town...
We were probably a lot like Boise St is today, doing well in a conference that didn't have an Ohio St, Alabama, Texas, USC or Florida St in it...Tempe isn't off the beaten path the way Boise is up in Idaho but they are drawing as many fans to their games as we do these days, I guess because there really isn't much of anything else to do there plus they win and win big often...
Maybe we should paint our field either maroon or gold or paint it a new color for each home game based on what color the students want, as that seems to be the direction of the social media culture these days...I'll be interested to see what a difference having stadium wide WiFi makes for those in attendance...
I know there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this year's team but absolutely no uncertainty, in my mind at least, that this will be the most talented and deepest team Graham has put on the field since coming here in 2012...
For starters, I cannot remember a time over my 50 years of following ASU football, where we've had this much talent at the all important QB position...it is almost mind boggling if you think about it...we've got four guys, including our true freshman recruit, that have the tools to excel at this position, so I'm not concerned about the "uncertainty" surrounding this spot at all...
Throw in a really good, proven backfield, beefed up TE position, some excellent WRs and a high ceiling OL and, I think, you have a recipe for a lot of success on the field...the line may be green but they don't lack talent as gauged by their size and skill sets...I wouldn't be surprised at all if several of them don't become all-conference type players in the coming months and years...
Add a new offensive coordinator to the mix and I have to believe that our QBs will shine even brighter as he will elevate their play, the way our past coordinator was not able to, given his somewhat lack of experience as a teacher of QBs...
If defense wins championships, then I have to think that the potential is there, at the very least, to really shine this year, even with the secondary issues we still have...Gump Hayes has talent and, perhaps, he will excel in the secondary, with his great speed and coordination and, what about a new guy like Deion Guignard, who is really big and skilled and only needs some experience, and then we have Echols who played at Texas...
Orr was a FR AA and now has a year's experience under his belt and A Perry returns from injury and was very good as a true freshman, and we all know how good Moeakiola is and, if he can avoid injuries this season, he should provide the leadership that may help elevate everything back there...
We also know that our front seven are very talented and that there is a lot of quality depth there as well...the only question remains at the D-backer position, where we're all waiting on the Subtyl to make his appearance after getting his Associates Degree this summer...we also have a couple more guys that could fit the bill there as well...
But, the real ace I think we have in our hand is our special teams led by our returning punter and placekicker, so there isn't a lack of talent or experience there...
I think we start the season 4-0 before playing the LA schools and suspect we split those games, which makes us 5-1 heading into the second half of the season...I think we take 2 of 3 from Colo, WSU and Oregon, which takes us to 7-2 after nine games and then we finish off by winning 2 of 3 from Utah, Wash and AU to finish with a 9-3 record and, with a bowl win, we go to 10-3 for the season...
To deal with "the fever" a lot of kool-aid is required and I'm drinking it in copious quantities these days and, why not, as we are undefeated right now...
If talent and depth equal wins then why can't we do that...because the pundits say we can't..??
What do they know anyway..??
I've got news for them...Washington is not going to win the conference and Wazzu stands a better chance of doing that than the Huskies...
Stanford isn't going to win the PAC either this year, as they have just as much or more uncertainty as the Devils...
I don't think Oregon is going to win it either but if their new QB shines then they will certainly have a chance...
I think it comes down to USC, UCLA and the Sun Devils...yes I do...
I know the fever makes one crazy but I'm still going with that...
G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!
Today's Topic = Sun Devil Fever
I have it again even though it is hotter than the Devil and the season is still over a month away...I wonder why more Sun Devils don't catch it like me but realize that when I first caught the fever in he late 60s, the Sun Devils were starting to dominate the WAC and were just about the only game in town...
We were probably a lot like Boise St is today, doing well in a conference that didn't have an Ohio St, Alabama, Texas, USC or Florida St in it...Tempe isn't off the beaten path the way Boise is up in Idaho but they are drawing as many fans to their games as we do these days, I guess because there really isn't much of anything else to do there plus they win and win big often...
Maybe we should paint our field either maroon or gold or paint it a new color for each home game based on what color the students want, as that seems to be the direction of the social media culture these days...I'll be interested to see what a difference having stadium wide WiFi makes for those in attendance...
I know there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this year's team but absolutely no uncertainty, in my mind at least, that this will be the most talented and deepest team Graham has put on the field since coming here in 2012...
For starters, I cannot remember a time over my 50 years of following ASU football, where we've had this much talent at the all important QB position...it is almost mind boggling if you think about it...we've got four guys, including our true freshman recruit, that have the tools to excel at this position, so I'm not concerned about the "uncertainty" surrounding this spot at all...
Throw in a really good, proven backfield, beefed up TE position, some excellent WRs and a high ceiling OL and, I think, you have a recipe for a lot of success on the field...the line may be green but they don't lack talent as gauged by their size and skill sets...I wouldn't be surprised at all if several of them don't become all-conference type players in the coming months and years...
Add a new offensive coordinator to the mix and I have to believe that our QBs will shine even brighter as he will elevate their play, the way our past coordinator was not able to, given his somewhat lack of experience as a teacher of QBs...
If defense wins championships, then I have to think that the potential is there, at the very least, to really shine this year, even with the secondary issues we still have...Gump Hayes has talent and, perhaps, he will excel in the secondary, with his great speed and coordination and, what about a new guy like Deion Guignard, who is really big and skilled and only needs some experience, and then we have Echols who played at Texas...
Orr was a FR AA and now has a year's experience under his belt and A Perry returns from injury and was very good as a true freshman, and we all know how good Moeakiola is and, if he can avoid injuries this season, he should provide the leadership that may help elevate everything back there...
We also know that our front seven are very talented and that there is a lot of quality depth there as well...the only question remains at the D-backer position, where we're all waiting on the Subtyl to make his appearance after getting his Associates Degree this summer...we also have a couple more guys that could fit the bill there as well...
But, the real ace I think we have in our hand is our special teams led by our returning punter and placekicker, so there isn't a lack of talent or experience there...
I think we start the season 4-0 before playing the LA schools and suspect we split those games, which makes us 5-1 heading into the second half of the season...I think we take 2 of 3 from Colo, WSU and Oregon, which takes us to 7-2 after nine games and then we finish off by winning 2 of 3 from Utah, Wash and AU to finish with a 9-3 record and, with a bowl win, we go to 10-3 for the season...
To deal with "the fever" a lot of kool-aid is required and I'm drinking it in copious quantities these days and, why not, as we are undefeated right now...
If talent and depth equal wins then why can't we do that...because the pundits say we can't..??
What do they know anyway..??
I've got news for them...Washington is not going to win the conference and Wazzu stands a better chance of doing that than the Huskies...
Stanford isn't going to win the PAC either this year, as they have just as much or more uncertainty as the Devils...
I don't think Oregon is going to win it either but if their new QB shines then they will certainly have a chance...
I think it comes down to USC, UCLA and the Sun Devils...yes I do...
I know the fever makes one crazy but I'm still going with that...
G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!
