ASU Football: Defense faces make-or-break matchup with Oregon

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

Since the first day of fall camp, ASU defensive coordinator Phil Bennett has been brutally honest about the youth and inexperience in his secondary. He admits that their development is a “journey” — one that has proved arduous for this wide-eyed group through its first three games.

He’s also been blunt about the challenges his front seven has dealt with, a laundry list that now includes an injury to star linebacker Koron Crump, who is out indefinitely.

Watching SDSU’s Rashaad Penny break off big runs was frustrating for Bennett. Allowing 543 passing yards to Texas Tech the following week was a low point. The eldest member of the ASU coaching staff took ownership of his unit’s struggles, but is still hoping for drastic improvement on Saturday against No. 24 Oregon.

He’s planning on adjusting his scheme to fit his personnel, too.

“Do I question it? Hell yeah,” Bennett said. “You’re always looking to do things that are player friendly. I think we’ll keep working at that.”

In its most challenging matchup yet, the Sun Devil defense will have to adjust to changes in its personnel and scheme while trying to contain one of the most potent offenses in the country.

That starts with stopping running back Royce Freeman, who leads the FBS in rushing touchdowns (9), ranks second in attempts (82) and third in yards (460). Bennett and head coach Todd Graham have been studying Freeman closely, trying to find ways to slow down his production.

Graham said it comes down to timing and execution. Bennett is obsessed with Freeman’s strength and the dangers it poses.

“When I say he mowed some guys down at Wyoming, I mean he mowed them down,” Bennett explained. “If you try to tackle him high, he’ll make you look foolish.

“The way you tackle great backs is with numbers — population.”

It takes a village to bring down a player like Freeman. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, however, he’s not the only threat in the Ducks’ backfield. Kani Benoit and Tony Brooks-James have proven to be capable supplements to Freeman, taking the pressure off of sophomore quarterback Justin Herbert.

What’s more, Herbert has been excellent in Oregon’s first three games as well. He’s completing 72 percent of his passes and appears comfortable in head coach Willie Taggart’s system.

The Sun Devils won’t have the luxury of picking their poison against the Ducks.

ASU has faced an air raid offense in Texas Tech and a power run team in San Diego State, struggling to defend what each team does best. Oregon can hurt you with both, so the multi-dimensional nature of its offense has been a point of focus for Bennett as he continues to study film and prepare his players.

“Oregon reminds me so much of what we did at Baylor,” Bennett said. “Their simplicity, yet their effectiveness of how they do it.”

Defending the Ducks is anything but simple, especially for an ASU team that lacks depth and experience at multiple positions. Bennett knows it’s going to be tough for his front seven without Koron Crump. He knows his secondary has to maintain its steady improvement and avoid withering for the second week in a row.

The first three games of the season gave the Sun Devils a sense of where they’re at defensively. While they hope to correct the myriad mistakes they’ve made on that side of the ball, Graham said the first three games no longer matter.

What matters now is finding a way to slow down Oregon and getting back to .500.

“It’s a new season,” Graham said. “You’ve got nine of these here coming and the one straight in front of us. You’ve got to get that one and go to the next one.”

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