Sun Devils’ defense needs to go big or go home

(Photo: ASU Athletics)

It’s time for the Sun Devils defense to step up.

You know? That defense we all heard about before the season started? The one with not one, but two pass rushers who were going to break Terrell Suggs’ single-season sack record?

The one with playmakers in the secondary and the deepest linebacking group in the Pac-12?

That defense that was one of the best in the country against the pass last season, and supposedly only got better in the secondary.

If that defense still exists, it better show up tonight. Otherwise I’m calling uncle.

I’ll admit it, I bought into the hype all summer. I thought Will Sutton and Carl Bradford would be swallowing quarterbacks left and right. I thought Chris Young would take the next step with his move to weak-side linebacker. I thought Alden Darby and Osahon Irabor would dominate opposing teams receivers.

It’s that last point that worries me today.

Irabor has actually been great against the run, and pretty good in the passing game. But still, too many receivers have found open space against the Sun Devils so far. Sacramento State marched on their first drive with quick passes. Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis had lots of open field to work with. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan looked like John Elway against ASU, finding open receiver after open receiver and making quick progressions.

That can’t happen this week. Not against USC.  Not against the team with the best college receiver on Earth. Marqise Lee has been held in check so far, but he isn’t a one-man show either. Nelson Agholor is as good of a number two as you’ll find, and tight ends Randall Telfer and Xavier Grimble can both take over if called upon as well. Still, the focus is on Lee tonight, and Irabor better be ready for a war.

“You definitely have to respect the talent they have,” Irabor said.  “They have the potential to spread the field, so we’re gonna respect that and take away what we think we need to take away.  They haven’t scored a ton of points this season, so if we play within our defense, we should be able to stop them.”

The key there is the last sentence, and part of the reason the Trojans haven’t scored much is the play-calling. Lane Kiffin calls plays like he’s never seen a football game before. It’s hard to believe he was once given credit for orchestrating the greatest college offense of all time, you know, that one with Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White and Mike Williams?

Still, the Sun Devils can’t sit back and hope Kiffin continues to be inept.  Irabor sees a Trojan team that is trying to minimize its young quarterback’s mistakes. Cody Kessler hasn’t been given any opportunities to stretch the field, but what if that changes this week?

“He’s just a young player,” Irabor said.  “You’ve got to slowly, gradually progress him into doing more advanced things.  If you’re an offense you want to protect the ball, and I think that’s what they’re trying to do, put him in situations where he can’t make those rookie mistakes.

“I think that’s what they’re trying to do, and now it’s week five, so maybe they let him do a little bit more.”

Even if Kessler isn’t allowed to do more, the Trojans have still found success with one aspect on offense: redshirt sophomore running back Tre Madden is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Impressive, when you consider he was a linebacker during his first two years on campus.

ASU’s co-defensive coordinator Paul Randolph sees a player who has learned how to bring a defensive mindset to offense.

“What you see (on the tape) is a tough running back, and that might be where that linebacker part of him comes from,” Randolph said.  “He’s a tough, hard-nosed running back. He’s gonna make us tackle him. I think he’s a complete back, he blocks and protects well, and he’s really what makes their offense work.

“If Tre’s doing well, they’re doing well.”

One reason for Sun Devil fans to be optimistic about stopping Madden has been the play of Irabor against the run. Despite playing corner, he is second on the team with 17 tackles and leads the team with 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 more than the next Sun Devil, new Sam linebacker starter Salamo Fiso.

“That’s the biggest difference from last year to this year,” Randolph said.  “He came into camp bigger and stronger and has worked his ever-living tail off to be that boundary corner that we need. He wants to play the run and he likes to play the run. He understands different runs, when he can take guys on and when he can’t.”

Randolph went on to say that Irabor had been the Sun Devils best defender against the run so far.

“Coach (Todd) Graham worked hard with me on (run defending) over summer,” Irabor said. “I just kept working hard, and hitting people until I got better and better at it.  I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”

Irabor said the key is to keep Madden inside, where Arizona State has actually had success stopping the run this year.

“We’ve got a pretty good interior run defense, but we’ve got some work to do on the outside, which we’re working hard to get better at,” Irabor said.

Randolph agreed with Irabor.

“(USC) is more of an outside run team than our last opponents, so naturally you work on that more, you adjust your game plan,” Randolph said.  “We need to take that away.”

If Madden does get going, the play-action pass will open up, and that’s where the USC offense could finally break out, but only if the Sun Devils defense breaks down.

“They do it well. Man, do they do it well,” Randolph said when asked about the Trojans play-action passing game.  “We just have to pick and choose our spots where we want to pressure, and then naturally our secondary guys have to make sure they have their eyes on their keys.

“That’s our number one thing fundamentally for our whole defense is our eyes. That’s been hammered home all week, especially in the secondary.  Keep your eyes on your keys, that way you don’t give up that big play, that cheap one-play touchdown.”

If the eyes don’t lie, this could be the week the defense breaks out.

Here’s to hoping the eyes of the Sun Devil defenders don’t fool them this week. If they do, Lee, Agholor and the Trojans receivers are going to have a big day.

If they do, the young season is over.

You can reach Jason Galvin on Twitter @Jason_Galvin or by email jgalvi1@asu.edu

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