(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
At the beginning of the season, everybody thought by this time of the year, ASU would have reached the easy part of its schedule. Just like most aspects of this season, everybody was very wrong.
The Sun Devils now find themselves at 4-4, facing a surprise Washington State team who sits at 5-3, but very well could be 6-2 after a crushing 30-28 defeat to Stanford a week ago.
Head coach Mike Leach is referred to by some as a schematic genius, and seeing what he has done with his Cougars this year can provide reasonable justification for those claims. His team appears to have finally bought into and executed his plan and it has paid off immensely this season.
Leach implemented an Air Raid offensive scheme into the WSU system when he arrived in 2012, and for the first three years of his tenure it appeared that his unorthodox style of offense would never work out in Pullman. But this year, the Cougars have already surpassed their win totals for two of Leach’s first three seasons, and are one win away from tying his best win total.
With any Air Raid-type offense, there usually comes plenty of excitement from the wide receiver position. Leach’s offense is no different.
Gabe Marks, junior wide receiver, #9
Marks redshirted the 2014 season due to concussion issues following a 2013 campaign in which he led the team in both receptions and yards. After spending a season torching the scout team, Marks picked up right where he left off.
In eight games, Marks has 63 receptions for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns. When he led the team in receptions and yards two seasons ago, he had 74 catches for 807 yards.
In an offense where there have been seven receivers with at least 20 catches on the year so far, Marks has 15 more receptions, 144 more yards, and five more touchdowns than the next closest guy. The pass-catching wealth will definitely be spread, but Marks will by far be looking to get the most of it.
Shalom Luani, junior safety, #18
Luani is the Cougars do-it-all guy on the defensive side, and having a presence like that playing safety can do wonders.
Two seasons ago the Cougars were led defensively by their safety Deone Bucannon, and now Luani is showing a comparison statistically to the former first-round pick. Luani is the team’s leader in tackles as well as interceptions. He brought one back for a touchdown this season too on an 84-yard return.
His three interceptions also place him in a tie for second in the conference, and he ranks tenth in the conference in tackles.
Luani joins ASU senior safety Jordan Simone as the only defensive backs in the top-10 in this category, so expect him to be all over the field making plays.
