ASU Football: Previewing the San Diego State game

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

Arizona State returns to Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday night, as they will honor late head coach Frank Kush when they take on the San Diego State Aztecs. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.

Scouting the Aztecs

• GROUND ATTACK

San Diego State comes to Tempe with one of the dominant running games in the country. The Aztecs are led by senior running back Rashaad Penny, who as a backup last season ran for over 1000 yards and averaged 7.5 yards per carry, which ranked 11^th among qualified rushers in 2016. Last week, Penny and the Aztecs ran for 276 yards against UC-Davis in a 38-17 season-opening win.

• TAKEAWAYS

No team has intercepted more passes over the last two seasons than the Aztecs. Head coach Rocky Long utilizes a 3-3-5 defense, relying on his athletic defensive backs to take advantage of mistakes from opposing quarterbacks. Senior cornerback Kameron Kelly had 4 interceptions last year, second most on the team. Last week, the Aztecs defense came up with two more picks to help the team start 1-0.

• NOT YOUR AVERAGE GAME MANAGER

Quarterback Christian Chapman is not the focal point of SDSU’s offense, but has proven to be a reliable leader during his career in San Diego. Though he fell just shy of the 2000 yard passing mark in 2016, Chapman threw 20 touchdown passes against just 6 interceptions. SDSU only averaged 18 pass attempts per game last season, but when they go through the air, Chapman rarely makes a mistake.

 

Keys to the Game for ASU

• EXPERIENCED DEFENSE NEEDS TO WIN UPFRONT

Every player in the Sun Devil defense’s front six have been starters before in their career. Only one player on SDSU’s offensive line has experience being a first-teamer at the Division 1 level. Though the Aztecs have developed a reputation as one of the most physical teams in the country at the point of attack, they lost four starters from last year’s offensive line. If ASU’s veteran run stoppers can win the battle up front, they might be able to neutralize SDSU’s dynamic ground game.

• TAKE CARE OF THE BALL

You never want to turn the football over. But that objective is especially true against SDSU. Thanks to their reliance on running the ball, games against the Aztecs usually see less plays and less drives than a normal Pac-12 shootout. If Manny Wilkins and the Sun Devil offense cough the ball up, it means they get one less opportunity to score, in the type of game where every possession counts.

• MAKE COACH KUSH PROUD

The Sun Devils have made this entire week about honoring their legendary former head coach. Kush’s philosophy was all about toughness and playing physical. Embodying those characteristics this week might be the only way to overcome a solid Aztecs side. Thanks to Kush, ASU was able to progress as a program, moving up the ladder of college football and eventually into the prestigious Pac-10 conference. SDSU on the other hand, never broke out of their pedestrian status, leaving them to reside in the Group of 5 Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs are good, but if ASU losses to a school with a lesser place than them in the college football landscape, it would go against everything Kush worked so hard to achieve in Tempe.

 

Things to Watch For

• DEFENSIVE SUBSTITUTIONS

The Sun Devils didn’t make a single switch with their defensive personnel until midway through the second half against NMSU last week. Graham said he was building his team’s “toughness.” Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett claimed he was testing his team’s “mettle.” Defensive end Alani Latu argued his team was trying to avoid substitution penalties. Whatever the reason, ASU will likely be forced into earlier rotations this week; SDSU averaged 45 rushing attempts per game last year, a ground load that wears down opposing defenses. When, and who, those substitutions are is anybody’s guess, but don’t expect to see the same 11 players taking almost every snap again on Saturday.

• DEMARIO RICHARD’S INJURY

After a breakout 2015 campaign, ASU running back Demario Richard was limited by injuries last fall. It took him all of one carry this season to again return to the trainer’s table. Against NMSU, the senior hurt his leg on his only attempt of the night, exiting the game shortly after. While he has been cleared to play against SDSU, it is uncertain how much the leg ailment will hold him back. The Sun Devils boasted about their one-two punch in the backfield this preseason. But, the punch from the Richard-Kalen Ballage duo only comes when both are healthy.

• BACKUP AT SPUR

Senior defensive back and SPUR linebacker Marcus Ball announced his unexpected retirement from football on Wednesday, citing health issues as his reason for walking away. In his absence, a void has been created at the SPUR linebacker position. While senior J’Marcus Rhodes remains the starter there, untested junior Tyler Whiley will likely slide up to fill the hole on the second-team. At a crucial position in Bennett’s defense, having an unproven backup is risky, and any injury or poor play from Rhodes will place a lot of pressure upon Whiley’s shoulders.

• THE SUNBURST

As part of their celebration of Kush, the throwback “Sunburst” logo, the one employed during most of Kush’s tenure, will be making a temporary return to Sun Devil Stadium. It will be on the player’s helmets, on the coach’s polos, and painted on the 50-yard-line. In an era of modernizing emblems and uniforms, it will be a refreshing change to see the old-fashioned graphic back on Frank Kush Field. Check out some of the ways the Sunburst will be implemented on Saturday:

 

 

 

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