Devils and Wildcats final match
After falling behind 17-0 in the first quarter, the Sun Devils rallied back to dominate the UCLA Bruins in a 55-34 win. ASU will close out the regular season with a trip to Tucson for a meeting with Arizona. The Territorial Cup will be on the line when the Sun Devils take on the Wildcats on Thursday, December 2 from Arizona Stadium. ASU was led by back-up QB Brock Osweiler, who threw for four TDs filling in for the injured Steven Threet. Arizona is 7-4, 4-4 in the Pac-10 after losing 48-29 to Oregon in Eugene. Brock Osweiler will start at QB for Arizona State against the Wildcats.
ON THE AIR: The ISP-Sun Devil Sports Network will carry all 12 of ASU's football games live on their 10-station radio network, including flagship station Sports 620 KTAR AM. Tim Healey (play-by-play) and former Sun Devil quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst (color analyst) will call the action. The Arizona game will air on 92.3 FM. The game can also be heard on Sirius/XM radio. The Touchdown Radio Network will also cover the game nationally.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: ESPN will televise the Sun Devils match-up with the Wildcats. Rece Davis, Craig James and Jesse Palmer will call the action, with Jenn Brown patrolling the sidelines.
SUN DEVILS VS. WILDCATS: This will be the 84th Duel in the Desert, with Arizona leading the all-time series 46-36-1. ASU fell last season 20-17 in Tempe. The Sun Devils are 17-29 against the Wildcats in Tucson all-time. Arizona has won the past two meetings after Arizona State had won the previous three.
STATE FARM TERRITORIAL CUP SERIES: The winner of the Arizona/Arizona State game will earn a point for its school in the State Farm Territorial Cup Series. The schools compete in 17 common varsity sports, and the school that accumulates the most points over the course of the school year will win the competition.
THE TERRITORIAL CUP: The Territorial Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the football game between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. The NCAA has certified it as the oldest award given for a rivalry game.
#250: Arizona State's win over the Bruins was the 250th regular season victory at Sun Devil Stadium for the Sun Devils.
CAPTAINS: Jon Hargis, Omar Bolden, Thomas Weber and Gerald Munns have been named the captains of the 2010 Sun Devil football team.
UCLA RECAP: Brock Osweiler came on in relief of the injured Steven Threet to lead ASU to a huge comeback win, overcoming a 17-0 first quarter deficit to beat the Bruins 55-34. Osweiler threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another in the victory. Cameron Marshall ran for 147 yards and Deantre Lewis had 106 yards receiving to pace the ASU offense.
BROCK AND ROLL: Entering the game against UCLA, sophomore back-up QB Brock Osweiler had thrown for 399 yards and two touchdowns in nine career games under center. But after taking over for the injured Steven Threet with ASU trailing 17-0 late in the first quarter, Osweiler put on a passing clinic. The 6-8 signal caller went 27-36 for 380 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for another score, leading ASU to a come-from-behind win. Osweiler is the first Sun Devil QB to throw four scores in a game since Rudy Carpenter did it against Oregon State on September 22, 2007.
SECOND START FOR BROCK: Against Arizona, Osweiler will be making his second career start. His first game last year on November 14, when he started under center at Autzen Stadium against #14 Oregon. He was 5-10 for 14 yards and an interception before leaving the game in the second quarter with an injury.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS: When Jamal Miles returned a UCLA kickoff 99-yards for a touchdown on Friday, it marked the third time an ASU kick returner has taken a kick to the house. That sets a new school record for kickoff return touchdowns in a single season, breaking the previous mark that was set in 1968 and 1996. Miles became the third different Sun Devil to return a kickoff for a touchdown, joining Omar Bolden and LeQuan Lewis.
100 BY LAND, 100 BY AIR: Against UCLA, sophomore running back Cameron Marshall had a career day, gaining 147 yards on the ground and scoring a touchdown. It was Marshall's second career 100-yard rushing day and the 147 yards is a new career high. It is the fifth time this season a Sun Devil running back has collected a 100-yard day. ASU is now 253-55-5 all-time when a Sun Devil runs for over 100 yards. Lewis, who ran for over 100 yards in three straight games earlier this season, caught six passes for 105 yards, his second 100-yard receiving game of the season. He is the first Sun Devil since George Montgomery in 1993 to collect a 100-yard receiving and rushing game in the same season. His trifecta of 100-yard games marked the first time since 2003 that an ASU running back has totaled three straight 100-yard games, and the sixth time since 1992.
NINE ACADEMIC ALL-PAC-10 PICKS: Nine members of the Sun Devils were honored as Academic All-Pac-10 selections, headlined by First Teamers Steven Threet and Dean DeLeone. This is the 12th straight season that ASU has had at least one First Team selection. Joining Threet and DeLeone were honorable mention selections Grandville Taylor, Brandon Johnson, Cameron Kastl, Mike Marcisz, Aaron Pflugrad, Colin Parker and Thomas Weber. Parker also earned honorable mention in 2008, while Weber earns a selection for a fourth consecutive year. He was a First Team choice in 2007, Second Team in 2008 and honorable mention last year.
THE QUAN: Against USC, senior LeQuan Lewis etched his name into the ASU record book, returning a kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown. It was the first career kick return for touchdown for Lewis, and he became the fourth Sun Devil in history to take a kick back 100-yards. He joins Terry Richardson (vs. Oregon, 2006), Tom Pace (at UCLA, 2001) and Whizzer White (vs. Pepperdine, 1948) in the 100-yard KO return club.
THE TASMANIAN DEVIL: Freshman Junior Onyeali is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with on the ASU defensive line. With his Tasmanian Devil like spin move, Onyeali harassed Washington State QBs to the tune of three sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. On the season he has made 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Onyeali has 17 tackles on the season, and his 10.5 tackles for loss have a total of 67 yards. Onyeali was named the Pac-10's Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against WSU. Onyeali became the first true freshman in 26 years to earn a Pac-10 weekly honor. The last one was Anthony Parker, who was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week on October 20, 1984 after a game against Oregon. Parker's son Colin is a current Sun Devil.
O'S ISLAND: Junior Omar Bolden picked off a Matt Barkley pass and returned 66-yards for a touchdown against USC. It was Bolden's seventh career interception and the second he has returned for a touchdown. His other INT return for a score was during his freshman season of 2007, a 29-yard Pick Six at Stanford in his first collegiate start. Bolden has now scored four touchdowns in his career, including two kickoff returns.
BLOCK THAT KICK!: Arizona State has blocked four kicks this year, three punts and an extra point. The four blocked kicks are the most since 1996, when the Pac-10 Champion Sun Devils also blocked four kicks. That season, Brent Burnstein blocked three by himself. This season, Colin Parker (punt), Mike Callaghan (punt), Derrall Anderson (punt) and LeQuan Lewis (PAT) have each blocked a kick.
KERRY THE LOAD: Senior Kerry Taylor is turning in a standout senior season. Having already established a new career high in receptions and receiving yards, Taylor has made a team-leading 48 catches for 587 yards and three touchdowns. He has also tied his single game career high in receptions four times with six against NAU, Wisconsin, USC and UCLA. Taylor also had six receptions at Oregon State on November 1, 2008. Taylor's previous career high for single season receptions and yardage was 27 catches for 405 yards, set in 2008. Taylor caught his 100th career pass in the game against Stanford, a touchdown strike from Steven Threet.
THREE AND OUT: The 2009 ASU Defense was one of the top teams in the nation to force opposing offensives into three-and-out possessions. The Sun Devils averaged 3.75 three-and-outs a game, for a total of 45 in their 12 contests. The D picked that right back up in 2010, forcing opponents into 43 three-and-outs through eight games, in the top 20 in the nation for average per game.
PUSH `EM BACK, PUSH `EM BACK: In 2009, the Sun Devil defense routinely made tackles for loss or for no gain. The defense finished 2009 with 120 plays that went for negative or no yards, totaling 292 yards lost for the offense. The Sun Devils were a negative play machine against Washington State on October 10, recording 26 Cougar plays to go for a loss or for no gain. The defense has continued that trend in 2010. Against UCLA they forced 11 plays of negative or no gain for 16 yards in losses.
RUN, SPARKY, RUN: Last season, the Sun Devil rushing game totaled 24 runs of 10 yards or more, including two of 50 or more. Through 11 games in 2010, ASU has surpassed that total. There have been 47 runs of 10 yards or more this season, including Cameron Marshall's 71-yard touchdown run against UCLA. Marshall owned the longest run from scrimmage in 2009, going 75-yards against Washington.
MORE ON THE GROUND GAME: ASU has rushed for 18 touchdowns this season after running for 14 all of last season. Cameron Marshall has eight TD runs in 2010 after Dimitri Nance had six last season to lead the team. Delvon Flowers had 11 in 2001, the most in the past decade. A Sun Devil running back has also rushed for 100-yards five times this season (Cameron Marshall against Portland State and UCLA and Deantre Lewis against Wisconsin, Oregon and Oregon State). ASU had a 100-yard rusher three times in 2009, twice in 2008 and six times in 2007.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The 2010 Arizona State offense has many weapons, and through the first half of the season it is showing all of them off. ASU has completed 213 passes so far, with 16 different receivers making catches. Kerry Taylor leads the team with his 38 catches for 495 yards, while Mike Willie and Gerell Robinson are tied for the team lead with four TD grabs. Even center Garth Gerhart has gotten in on the action, making his first career reception against NAU off a deflection. 15 different people caught passes for ASU all of last season. The Sun Devils have nine receivers with 10 or more receptions, after having five all of last season.
DEBUT DEVILS: 26 student-athletes have seen their first action at Arizona State in 2010: Brice Schwab, Aaron Pflugrad, Steven Threet, Mike Willie, Junior Onyeali, Kyle Middlebrooks, Eddie Elder, Shane McCullen, Max Smith, Chris Coyle, George Bell, Deantre Lewis, Osahon Irabor, Brandon Johnson, Alden Darby, Lee Adams, Evan Finkenberg, Matt Tucker, Aderious Simmons, J.J. Holliday, Cameron Kastl, Kody Koebensky, Jarrid Bryant, Grandville Taylor, Chris DeArmas and R.J. Robinson.
BROUSSARD HONORED: Wide receivers coach Steve Broussard was named to the Seattle Seahawks' 35th Anniversary team, making the squad as a kickoff returner. Broussard played for the Seahawks from 1995 to 1998 under Dennis Erickson, amassing 3,900 return yards with a touchdown.
HARGIS MAKES IT BACK: On April 17, 2010, senior offensive lineman Jon Hargis suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during spring practice. Projected to miss the entire 2010 season, Hargis defied the odds and made his 2010 debut against the Washington State Cougars on October 30. One of the team's four captains, Hargis returned from the injury in almost exactly six months. Following his surgery, the doctors anticipated a six-to-ninth month recovery period.
FIRST STARTS: 21 Sun Devils have made their first career ASU starts during the 2010 season: Brice Schwab (RG), Aaron Pflugrad (WR), Steven Threet (QB), Mike Willie (WR), Colin Parker (LB), Jamarr Robinson (DE), Mike Marcisz (RT), Jamaar Jarrett (DE), Shelly Lyons (LB), Eddie Elder (S), Evan Finkenberg (RG), Bo Moos (DT), Oliver Aaron (LB), Deantre Lewis (RB), Kyle Middlebrooks (RB), Aderious Simmons (RT), George Bell (WR), Max Tabach (S), Junior Onyeali (DE), Osahon Irabor (CB) and Trevor Kohl (TE). In addition, Dan Knapp made his first career start on the offensive line, lining up at left tackle. Knapp started 9 games at tight end over the past two seasons. Of those 19, three are true freshmen (Lewis, Irabor, Onyeali).
GREAT START: Quarterback Steven Threet made his first career start for ASU against Portland State, and what a debut it was. The Michigan transfer, who started eight games for the Wolverines in 2008, was 14-21 for 239 yards and two scores in just under two and a half quarters. The 239 yards was the third highest total for a Sun Devil QB making his first ASU start since 1993. Only Rudy Carpenter (401) and Sam Keller (370) threw for more, and they both played all four quarters. Threet's QB rating of 184.17 was the second highest, second only to Carpenter's 207.6. Threet's 239 yards in his first career action at ASU also set a new ASU record for most passing yards by a Sun Devil QB in his first ever game action at ASU.
NO SMALL CATCH: Wide receiver Brandon Smith caught a nine yard pass from Brock Osweiler in the fourth quarter against Portland State. While it may seem insignificant at first glance, it was anything but. It was Smith's first catch since October 25, 2008, a span of 17 games between receptions. During that time, he suffered a major knee injury, was granted a medical redshirt and graduated from Arizona State. After playing in 11 games in 2006, Smith appeared in just one from 2007 to 2009. Smith started in his final game at Sun Devil Stadium against UCLA.
SENIOR CLASS: ASU has just 13 seniors on its roster this year, its fewest since the 1985 squad had just 10, which was the year prior to ASU winning the Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl. ASU's 2007 Pac-10 title team had 27 seniors, while its 1996 undefeated regular season and Pac-10 title squad had 22. The 1986 Pac-10 and Rose Bowl champion team had 18. The 2010 and 1985 Sun Devils are the only ASU teams to have a dozen or fewer seniors in the past 35 seasons (1976-2010). How odd is it to only have 13 seniors? Digest this...the St. John's BASKETBALL team is scheduled to have nine this year. The 13 is the smallest senior class in the Pac-10.
RACKING UP YARDS: The Sun Devils ran for 242 yards in the season opener against Portland State, the most rushing yards since October 13, 2007 against Washington, when ASU, led by Ryan Torain, ran for 296 yards. ASU collected 210 yards on the ground against Oregon and 211 yards against UCLA. The last time the Sun Devils rushed for over 200 yards in three games or more in a season was 2007, when they did it three times. They did it once last year (at Washington State), but did not do it in 2008.
WEBER LOOKS TO CEMENT HIS LEGACY: Kicker Thomas Weber looks to cement his legacy in the ASU record books during his senior season. Weber has been stellar throughout his Sun Devil career, connecting on 63-82 (77%) field goal attempts. The winner of the 2007 Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation's top placekicker, a First-Team All-American by the Associated Press and a First-Team All-Pac-10 honoree, Weber set numerous Sun Devil records in only his first college season, including a record streak of 17 made field goal attempts to begin the year (also a nation-leading streak for the season) and a nation-high accuracy rating. A sharpshooter off the kicking tee and in the classroom, Weber has earned Academic All-Pac-10 honors four times, earning First Team in 2007, Second Team in 2008 and honorable mention the last two seasons. Weber has scored 324 points in his ASU career, third most in school history and second most ever by a kicker. He is second place all-time in school history for made field goals, passing Jesse Ainsworth with his 52-yarder against Portland State.
HALL OF FAME: Pat Tillman has been selected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Hall's Class of 2010. Tillman now joins former Sun Devil coaches Dan Devine, Frank Kush and John Cooper and student-athletes defensive back Mike Haynes, wide receiver John Jefferson, offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, linebacker Ron Pritchard and quarterback Danny White as representatives of Arizona State University in the College Football Hall of Fame. In all, ASU has nine former football coaches or student-athletes in the College Football Hall of Fame.
ROSTER FILES: The Sun Devil roster boasts players from 16 different states, ranging from Oregon to Florida. There are 49 Sun Devils who come from California, followed by 37 who stayed at home in Arizona. There are three from Florida, Texas, Nevada and Colorado, two from Oregon and one each from Connecticut, Utah, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Jersey and Michigan.
EXPERIENCE: Defensive Coordinator Craig Bray and Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone boast a combined 67 years of both college and pro coaching experience, the fifth most experienced coaching duo in the nation.