#18 Arizona St. Sun Devils Preview
Fall camps are under way and the regular season will be here soon so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview. #18 – Arizona St. Sun Devils 7-5 SU; 6-6 ATS Fargo’s Take The Sun Devils have been to three bowl games in the five years Dirk Koetter has been head coach but none of them have been very glamorous and that needs to change. The offense has been spectacular in all of those years but it’s been the defense that has held Arizona St. back. After finishing 48th in total defense in 2004, the Sun Devils plummeted to 114th last year and lost three games where the offense put up at least 31 points. With such an explosive offense, losing four games by at least 10 points is inexcusable. Immediate help is needed and it looks at though help may be on the way. Quarterback controversies occurred at the beginning of fall camp but those have since disappeared so the Sun Devils have one goal and that is to become more competitive in the Pac Ten. If the defense can improve to somewhere near its 2004 numbers, that goal is very attainable. Returning Starters on Offense – 8 The quarterback situation was unsettled through the spring and into the fall but that is no longer the case. Sophomore Rudy Carpenter has been named the starter and that prompted senior Sam Keller to leave school and transfer to Nebraska. Carpenter was amazing filling in for the injured Keller as he completed over 68 percent of his passes while throwing 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Now the task at hand is to find a replacement for All-Pac Ten receiver Derek Hagan. Junior Rudy Burgess looks like he is up for the challenge after grabbing 59 balls last year. Tight end Zach Miller is one of the best in the country at his position and is a preseason All-American. The offensive line returns pretty much intact while tailback Keegan Herring rushed for 870 yards as a freshman. Basically, all systems go. Returning Starters on Defense – 5 After allowing just 24 ppg though its first four games, the defense imploded. It allowed 35 points in the second half to USC and it was all downhill from there. Easily the worst defense in the conference, Arizona St. comes into this season ranked as the fifth best in the Pac Ten. That is due to a defensive line that is ranked right behind USC and for good reason. Three transfers, Loren Howard (Northwestern), Tranell Morant (Florida) and Michael Marquardt (BYU) will man the line and the rushing defense that ranked 89th in the country could be one of the best. Linebackers are still a concern with the departure of Dale Robinson and Jamar Williams but the secondary should improve immensely. Two starters are back at safety and while the corners need to be replaced, anything can be better than last year after finishing 112th in passing defense. Schedule Facing Northern Arizona in the opener should show us how the defense has come along even though it is against a 1-AA opponent. The real test comes the following week at home against Nevada who will also have one of the best offenses in the nation. The schedule really stiffens after that with a trip to Colorado followed by three games against the other three contenders in the conference – California, Oregon and USC. Making matters worse is that the games against the Bears and Trojans are away from Sun Devils Stadium. After that four-game stretch, the rest of the slate will feel like a cakewalk with four wins on deck followed by the final two games against UCLA and at improved Arizona. You can bet on… If nothing else, Arizona St. games will be entertaining. The offense is going to score a ton of points and even though the defense is upgraded, there are still problems. Koetter hopes he made the right choice with Carpenter as his quarterback and if anything should go wrong, there is no help waiting in the wings. At least Keller will start next season in Nebraska. Arizona St. is just 4-13 ATS as a road underdog since Koetter took over back in 2001 and a lot of that failure has to do with the defense that couldn’t stop anyone. Whether or not that changes this season remains to be seen but the Sun Devils will be in that role in their first three road games of the season. Arizona St. has covered just six of its last 20 conference road games as well.
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