After being a preseason favorite in the Pac-12 South and ranking in the Top 25 to start the year off, it is easy to say that the year has not gone well for Todd Graham and the Sun Devils. Implying that the next game against Oregon is their last chance to get back into the race for the Pac-12 title would also not be considered an understatement. With the loss against Utah at Salt Lake City it really makes the chances for ASU to make it into the Rose Bowl conversation all the more impossible. The first step in achieving the impossible and saving what could be counted as an abysmal season would be besting the Ducks in Tempe.
Adams Still Adjusting In Oregon
Vernon Adams entry into the Oregon program did not go as magically as once thought. The young transfer has battled many injuries on his way to establishing himself as a the next great Oregon quarterback. There are those who assumed the former FCS MVP from Eastern Washington would simply carry Oregon back to the promised land, though that idea was more so built on the overall dominance that the Ducks have established over the years as being the crowned jewel of the Pac-12 as a whole. Suffering a broken finger in his first week under center, Adams has not played a fully healthy game this year up to last week’s game where he led his team to a victory over a strong performance by Washington. In that game the quarterback did not dazzle on the stat sheet but he got his spots and found the targets he needed to in order to bring back a victory on the road. Back to back road trips for the Ducks would be a tall order for other squads with a still adjusting quarterback, but head coach Mark Helfrich will no doubt be preparing his team with the two weeks of prep they had to work with.
Big Play Versus Big Blitz
To say that Todd Graham likes pressuring the backfield of his opponents is laughable. It’s about the only thing Graham does with his defensive play calling. It honestly would come as a shock whenever he drops back eight players and only sends four pass rushers on any given play. The Sun Devils send blitzes after quarterbacks and to stuff the run on a whopping 55 to 60 percent of their defensive snaps. That hasn’t been as bad as one might think as the defense has totaled 23 sacks already with a few games still left to play. The reason why it might be an issue this week is because Oregon normally doesn’t hold the ball long enough behind the line of scrimmage to allow you to hit their quarterback or running backs. Plus, when the Arizona State defense has given up 38 plays of 20 or more yards this year it makes the sweat form on the brow due to the obvious speed and athleticism that an Oregon team usually fields every year. If Oregon finds a few seams in the defense and if the safeties are split on quick slants often enough, look to see Graham finally take the foot off the pedal and put extra backs in to watch out for those quick home run plays.
Return of Richard
Against Utah the Arizona State running game was, in short, anemic. Kalen Ballage strugled to gain 49 yards on the day individually, but as a team the Sun Devils left Utah with a depressing total of 15 total yards gained on hand offs and scrambles due to the large amount of negative yard carries the team had to swallow against the swarming Utes defense. Demario Richard coming back and being a presence in the backfield for ASU opens the chance for the team to play more of their clock chewing style and tire the defense of Oregon out with their tough run blocking. This might serve as a great return game for Richard as well as he will not only be returning at home where the turf is familiar to him so he will be able to get his footing far more quickly but the Oregon defense finds itself at a point where they can’t seem to stop the run. Giving up 155 rushing yards a game it could be a big game for Richard and allow him to further try to stamp himself in as the best running back in the Pac-12
The game will be played in Tempe this Thursday at 7:30 PM on ESPN.