(Photo via Brendan Belfield/WCSN)
Losing in football is where teams find their identity. After a loss, it’s easy for a team to go through the motions and have poor practice, which is what separates great programs from solid programs. That is Arizona State Football’s challenge after its week two loss to the No. 8 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Tuesday’s practice was held inside the Verde Dickey Dome, which could be metaphorical. The dome could act as a hyperbaric chamber for the Sun Devils to help deal with the pressure that comes with their first loss, trying to cool off any high tensions. It also could have been too hot outside. Regardless of any possible symbolism, ASU does seem to have a fresh mindset after their first loss of the 2022 campaign.
“I feel like the guys all understand what we need to do better and win,” redshirt junior defensive back Keon Markham said. “It was a little hard, but that 24-hour rule, just get over it and [focus on] the next game.”
The juxtaposition of talent from week one, facing a Big Sky Conference opponent, to week two, a Big 12 school, is drastic, but Markham believes the Sun Devils’ played the up-tempo Cowboys’ offense well, limiting any big plays in the first half. However, the effect of OSU’s speedy attack began to settle in for the defense, as ASU struggled to finish strong to secure the win.
“We performed pretty good in the first half. The second half, we got a little fatigued and slowed mentally,” Markham said.” I felt like we could’ve had it. We just got to keep going.”
Redshirt junior defensive back Jordan Clark called Oklahoma State the fastest team he had ever played against, and Markham echoed the sentiment. The Big 12 is known for its high-octane offenses, but ASU essentially held them off from any electric plays until the fourth quarter, when the defense started to deteriorate.
“We handled [OSU] well,” Clark said. “If you look at the stats to the fourth up to that point, we did everything we were supposed to do. In the fourth, we broke down a little bit and gave up some big plays. We just got to finish.”
Both redshirt juniors hammered home the point of finishing games. While not comparable to some of the historical collapses last year, the Sun Devils know things need to be cleaned up, and that begins with accountability. Markham touched on learning to play more confidently, relying on schemes and gameplan to lead the way.
Similarly, Clark discussed where he needs to be better about not giving up extended drives, highlighting the dropped interception that eventually led to points for the Cowboys.
“It’s almost every time you drop a pick, or you don’t catch the ball when you’re supposed to, that gives them another chance to score,” Clark said. “Like when I dropped mine, they scored on that drive. That’s something that is eliminated if I just make the play like I’m supposed to. Those things are super costly.”
It wasn’t just Clark. ASU, as a whole, struggled with mental mistakes that extended drives for the opponent, which is not a recipe for success against a top team like the Cowboys. The Sun Devils’ ten penalties for 95 yards handed Oklahoma State seven first downs, a statistic that bears similarity to the poor self-control of teams from the past.
“We have to wrap up. We have to make tackles. We have to eliminate penalties,” Clark said. “There were a lot of plays, a lot of drives that were extended because we were missing tackles and making silly errors, childish errors, penalties. If we just finish and be more disciplined as a football team, it’ll give us a chance at winning.”
But where the 2022 team is different from previous teams is accountability.
Clark and Markham’s ability to take responsibility represents a program that has learned to deal with adversity, overcoming these emotional or physical obstacles is a trait Markham believes was shown last Saturday.
“We were fighting out there. I liked how we didn’t give up,” Markham said. “We kept fighting until the end. That’s going to be another strong part of our offense and defense.”
The difficult offseason has toughened the skin of those who were able to withstand the rocky path, which has raised the level of maturity, exemplified by how players talk about losses this year—the urge to take accountability and learn from those mistakes heading into the following week.
There’s much to take away when playing against an AP Top-25 team, even in a losing effort. The players are focusing on how they can use this loss as a building block to prepare against any team matching OSU’s talent level.
“That will help us for sure,” Markham said. “I don’t want to say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to face another up-tempo team like them,’ but if so, we will be ready.”
The expectation for ASU’s defense was to be the more cohesive side of the ball heading into 2022, which they have lived up to that in large part to the continuity within the defensive schemes.
Fifth-year linebacker Kyle Soelle is one of those defensive captains, and despite a great performance against OSU, 16 tackles, and an interception, he doesn’t want the glory. Soelle credited each level of the defense individually for his success. He understands that as a player, you can’t ride the highs or the lows because of the quick revolving door of the regular season.
“Whether you win or lose, you got a new opponent that’s coming up,” Soelle said. “They don’t care what you did last week. [The] reality is that they are just trying to win this week. If that’s not your mindset, you’re not playing the right way.”
Experience has helped Soelle understand this, and as one of ASU’s captains, it has become infectious with teammates. Maintaining composure is how the program grows, but the maturity level stays the same whether adding one to the win or loss column.
The Sun Devils know where they need to clean up heading into next week and have made the proper steps by taking accountability for those actions, but it will come down to whether they put those words into action. The tone on Tuesday was encouraging, showcasing the growth from last year’s team as they head into their week three matchup looking to get back to their winning way against Eastern Michigan.
“New opportunity, new week. We’re trying to get back on that win column, so I think everyone’s hopes are up,” Soelle said. “Eastern Michigan doesn’t care what we did last week. They’re trying to get us this week, so that’s got to be the mindset.”
