TV Oversimplified Keys to Game:
For ASU:
Protect Rudy Carpenter
Establish Run
Contain Dennis Dixon
For Oregon:
Get Ahead, Stay Ahead
Disrupt Sun devils run attack
Keep Crowd involved
A minor note: these are echoed in my pregame hype post for this game, proving that sports are too important to leave to the professionals.
Oregon stars with ball
14:46 1Q: A very inauspicious beginning. On the first offensive play, Williams catches a 40+ yard pass off of play action from Dixon.
13:47 1Q: WR screen to Williams. Goes in for touchdown. Hope the Devils brought the firepower for this shootout. XP good, 7-0 Oregon.
11:21 1Q: Burgess is coming into his own at receiver. Now that he has a specific position to focus on instead of his previous slate of RB/WR/DB/PR/KR, he has a lot of upside.
Sometime after 11:21 1Q: FSN clock broken. ASU drive stalls, settles for FG. 7-3 Oregon.
Later in the 1Q: Stewart smashes his way through the ASU defense repeatedly, eventually for the TD. XP is good, 14-3 Oregon. FSN really needs to fix the broken clock. This is the versatility of the spread option, with Oregon getting big plays on the run and pass.
Later in the 1Q: Carpenter fumbles snap on 3rd and long, takes sack. Another sluggish start for the Devils. Keegan is effective, but not consistently so. Nance cannot get the extra one or two yards after contact like he did against Cal.
Early in the 2Q: ASU's defensive backs cannot keep up with the Oregon receivers, and the ASU linebackers and defensive line are having trouble containing Dixon. With problems on two fronts, Oregon scores easily. Extra point is good, 21-3 Ducks in 2Q.
14:27 Q2: FSN decides to grace its viewers with the time on the clock. ASU returns kick to 21, well covered by Oregon.
11:50 Q2: Carpenter scrambles around, fires toward end zone, and finds Mike Jones open for the score. Extra point is good, 21-10 Ducks.
10:54 Q2: ASU's defense forces an Oregon punt, and Williams has a nice return to the ASU 40.
8:24 Q2: ASU drive stalls as Carpenter airmails two straight passes. Kick team goes out, gets it done; 21-13 Oregon.
7:40 Q2: Oregon seems to have abandoned bludgeoning ASU to death with Stewart. Excellent coverage from ASU DB's Tryon and Josh Tyree. Oregon punts, but ASU blocks in back during return. 1st and 10 ASU from Oregon 20.
5:42 Q2: On a third and forever, Carpenter can't find anyone open and is taken down near line of scrimmage. Punt from 1 yard line gives Oregon the ball at the ASU 37.
3:26 Q2: With a third and one, Dixon and Stewart fumble the exchange. It is booted to midfield, where ASU recovers!
2:03 Q2: A screen pass on 3rd and 11 is driven out of bounds, but a late hit by the Oregon defense gives ASU renewed life. Ball on the Oregon 30.
0:47 Q2: Nance finally gets time and room to get his body moving forward and picks up a third and 1 plus six or seven yards.
Weber misses FG as time expires. Oregon explodes in the first quarter, but ASU ends half on 10-0 run to keep the score close at 21-13.
15:00 Q3: A rarity in college football: a kickoff from a tee going out of bounds. This break gives ASU great field position to start the third quarter.
13:36 Q3: A reason for the number of sacks that ASU gives up is that Carpenter is unwilling to throw the football away when faced with pressure. He tries so hard to make a play that the trades the incomplete pass for a couple of seconds dancing around in the pocket before he is brought down.
12:01 Q3: The promising ASU drive stalls, but Thomas Weber connects on a 51-yard field goal to cut the Oregon lead to 5; 21-16 Oregon.
11:53 Q3: On the ensuing kickoff, Stewart returns the ball all the way to the Oregon 49. I blame a combination of good blocking, poor pursuit angles, and Stewart's skill.
10:49 Q3: Great coverage on a deep ball by Tryon against Williams as Oregon took a shot at the end zone. His inside position gave him the opportunity to bat the ball away.
9:36 Q3: ASU unable to move out of the shadow of their own goalposts. Punt is mercifully not blocked, but Oregon starts drive at midfield.
8:44 Q3: Steward pounds through the ASU defense for a long touchdown run. At the end, several ASU players were there, but could not get Stewart down. 28-16 Oregon.
5:58 Q3: Erickson goes for it on 4th and short, but Nance hit in backfield by Chung. Turnover on downs, Oregon ball on the Oregon 40.
4:40 Q3: An impressive stand by the Devils secondary forces Oregon into a three and out. Punt takes an ASU bounce to the 27.
4:33 Q3: Keegan breaks a 25-yard run to the Oregon 47. On the next play, Carpenter overthrows Jones, who had separation from his DB on a fly route.
1:33 Q3: Stewart continues to carry Devils defenders three or four yards after contact.
A re-evaluation of his talents is in order. He possesses the rare combination of speed, size, and power that creates one of the truly great running backs.
0:00 Q3: Dixon, after faking an end-around to a wide receiver, throws another TD pass. 35-16 Oregon.
Depressing TV Statistic of the Moment:
Quarterback Sacks
Oregon: O
ASU: 6
13:01 Q4: Dixon shaken up on an option keeper. Brady Leaf (any relation to Ryan? -ed.) is the backup and he comes into the game only to promptly call a timeout. A good call, as it gives him time to warm up and the medical staff time to evaluate the extent of Dixon's knee. It appears that he was hit in the middle of a side juke by Omar Bolden while his feet were crossed.
Television Answering my Blog Questions:
FSN bio graphic mentions that Brady is indeed younger brother of Ryan, who played at Washington State during the mid to late 90s.
11:19 Q4: Oregon punts with backup QB, their punter Laserleg has ASU pinned inside 5 for the umpteenth time today. Jones makes a great catch on first down to get ASU out to the 35.
9:32 Q4: McGaha comes up clutch with a 32 yard reception on 4th and 10.
On the next play, Carpenter throws to Tacopants in the endone, where it is picked off. Defensive player inexplicably does not fall down, but runs out of end zone to the 10.
Liveblog Blowout Curbs enforced (19+ point differential after a momentum-killing mistake from down team midway through Q4), end of liveblog.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Upcoming Showdown
Tremendous game this afternoon, with national and Pac-10 title hopes on the line in Eugene. The #4 and #5 (or #4 and #6, depending on which poll you trust) teams clash today in horrible, horrible Autzen Stadium. Hands down, it is the toughest place to play in the Pac-10.
The way to mitigate this overwhelming home field advantage is to run the ball. The Dennis Dixon Show cannot score when they do not have the ball. Much like the Cal game, I expect ASU to run the ball and dominate time of possession.
Running the ball also reduces the number of times Rudy has to throw, which is good for his thumb that he hurt in the 3rd Quarter of the Cal game while bumping into Keegan Herring. I don't think our defense has the cornerback depth to contend with the spread. The spread forces corners to make open field tackles like linebackers, which Michigan's corners failed to do against Oregon earlier in the season. Rudy will have to make a couple big plays down the field to Jones or Williams to keep Oregon's ROV Patrick Chung honest.
Get out from behind the couch if:
The way to mitigate this overwhelming home field advantage is to run the ball. The Dennis Dixon Show cannot score when they do not have the ball. Much like the Cal game, I expect ASU to run the ball and dominate time of possession.
Running the ball also reduces the number of times Rudy has to throw, which is good for his thumb that he hurt in the 3rd Quarter of the Cal game while bumping into Keegan Herring. I don't think our defense has the cornerback depth to contend with the spread. The spread forces corners to make open field tackles like linebackers, which Michigan's corners failed to do against Oregon earlier in the season. Rudy will have to make a couple big plays down the field to Jones or Williams to keep Oregon's ROV Patrick Chung honest.
Get out from behind the couch if:
- The offensive line continually blocks linebackers.
- Johnathan Stewart has nowhere to go.
- Dixon is turned into a pocket passer.
Cover the eyes of the children if:
- Dixon goes over 100 yards rushing.
- ASU goes run-run-pass-punt repeatedly.
- The Oregon-Oklahoma officials show up.
Jeff Metcalfe preview here. Preview fluff also.
Liveblog for game will commence about 5-10 minutes before 3:30 kickoff, barring family emergency.
Well, That Was Ugly
SUNS 98, LAKERS 119
This is not the start of the season you are looking for. This is just a bad dream that you will wake from just in time to watch the Devils stop Joe Germaine, David Boston, et. al. from winning the Rose Bowl. Paul Coro's column is fairly depressed about the effort and intensity, and rightly so.
Of all of the teams to lose to by 21, the Lakers are fairly far down my list of teams whom I would expect the Suns to lay an egg to. This is one of the few rivalries that the Suns have, but there was no emotion from this team.
The up-tempo style requires constant intensity, chemistry, and an unselfish attitude. The passion was absent, perhaps left on the plane after a 3:30 AM arrival from Seattle after Thursday's come-from-behind win. Chemistry is a difficult thing to quantify. One of the few things about chemistry is that it takes a while to build, especially with so many new faces (Grant Hill, Alondo Tucker, DJ Strawberry, Brina Skinner) and the absence of a few others (Kurt Thomas, Pat Burke). As Bickley pints out, the Suns have begun each of the past four seasons with a different starting five.
The key to the chemistry is getting Hill into the flow, especially getting him to slash more and not take so many three pointers. He only took TWELVE three pointers all of last season, surpassing that mark after only two games with the team. It is clearly not his specialty, keep him from doing it. The unselfish attitude of sharing the ball to find the open man looks to be there, but since the first two are not, the team struggles.
Barbosa and Raja are playing hurt. They should sit now and heal to prevent a nagging injury throughout the season. Raja's tweaked knee is the reason he is an abysmal 3 for 17 to start the season. Barbosa played well with bruised ribs, albeit in garbage time down by 30+.
In the end, I continue to tell myself and others the fact that IT IS THE FIRST WEEK OF THE SEASON. The chemistry will come. This team always struggles out of the gate due to the free-flowing nature of the system that relies on players knowing each other well.
Something needs to change for Sunday, when the LeBrons come to town. An interesting back-to-back next week with Charlotte and Atlanta that sould help us get things straingtened out.
This is not the start of the season you are looking for. This is just a bad dream that you will wake from just in time to watch the Devils stop Joe Germaine, David Boston, et. al. from winning the Rose Bowl. Paul Coro's column is fairly depressed about the effort and intensity, and rightly so.
Of all of the teams to lose to by 21, the Lakers are fairly far down my list of teams whom I would expect the Suns to lay an egg to. This is one of the few rivalries that the Suns have, but there was no emotion from this team.
The up-tempo style requires constant intensity, chemistry, and an unselfish attitude. The passion was absent, perhaps left on the plane after a 3:30 AM arrival from Seattle after Thursday's come-from-behind win. Chemistry is a difficult thing to quantify. One of the few things about chemistry is that it takes a while to build, especially with so many new faces (Grant Hill, Alondo Tucker, DJ Strawberry, Brina Skinner) and the absence of a few others (Kurt Thomas, Pat Burke). As Bickley pints out, the Suns have begun each of the past four seasons with a different starting five.
The key to the chemistry is getting Hill into the flow, especially getting him to slash more and not take so many three pointers. He only took TWELVE three pointers all of last season, surpassing that mark after only two games with the team. It is clearly not his specialty, keep him from doing it. The unselfish attitude of sharing the ball to find the open man looks to be there, but since the first two are not, the team struggles.
Barbosa and Raja are playing hurt. They should sit now and heal to prevent a nagging injury throughout the season. Raja's tweaked knee is the reason he is an abysmal 3 for 17 to start the season. Barbosa played well with bruised ribs, albeit in garbage time down by 30+.
In the end, I continue to tell myself and others the fact that IT IS THE FIRST WEEK OF THE SEASON. The chemistry will come. This team always struggles out of the gate due to the free-flowing nature of the system that relies on players knowing each other well.
Something needs to change for Sunday, when the LeBrons come to town. An interesting back-to-back next week with Charlotte and Atlanta that sould help us get things straingtened out.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Arizona State vs. California Liveblog
PREGAME: This is a huge game for the Devils. Coming off of a bye should have them well-prepared. Cal is on a two-game losing streak, so this is game will either show that they have rebounded or folded under the pressure. Jeff Tedford has never lost three consecutive games while head coach at Cal.
Offense: The loss of TB Ryan Torrain really hurts because he could smash it inside or turn the corner. The replacements have only one of those qualities. Keegan Herring is fast, but not very physical. Dimitri Nance is physical but not very strong. This could mean some two-RB situations for the Devils tonight.
Defense: WR DeSean Jackson needs to be accounted for on every down. He should be bracket by a corner and safety for the majority of the game. I would much rather have Cal try to run it on us than kill us with the bomb. It is "reported" that Longshore is the starter, but it is probably a game-time decision. NOTE: Longshore does start 1st series for Cal.
14:54 1st Quarter: An inauspicious start, with the kick return not getting to the 20 and an immediate false start.
13:59 1st Quarter: A horrible 1st series, going 3 and out. Then a bad punt gives Cal excellent field position on the near 40. At least DeSean Jackson didn't catch the ball.
12:24 1st Quarter: Jhaved Best converts a third and eight on a drag route across the field. Looked like ASU was in a prevent-type defense.
11:40 1st Quarter: Justin Tryon does a good job wrapping up Jackson after a gain of four, forces a Cal 44 year field goal that is BLOCKED by the ASU special teams. A great stand after gifting Cal with such great field position. Hopefully we can get more going on the next drive.
9:59 1st Quarter: Rudy Carpenter dances around pocket and coughs up the football. Cal's D-line recovers the ball and takes it into the endzone for the touchdown. Kick is good, 7-0 Cal 1st Quarter.
8:30 1st Quarter: Burgess drops sure 3rd down conversion, another 3 and out. Punt good, Jackson well covered.
8:00 1st Quarter: Jackson does the things of my nightmares: 40+ yard bomb down the sidelines. Tryon has great position, then inexplicably loses Jackson as he makes the catch.
7:00 1st Quarter: ASU continues its stellar defense when it counts, forcing Cal to make a long field goal. Which they do, 10-0 Cal.
5:30 1st Quarter: Torrain's importance in the pass-blocking game is proving to be more of an issue than I had thought. Another errant Carpenter pass forces the Devils to go 3 and out. Punt uneventful, Cal starts on their 27.
2:45 1st quarter: Another 3rd and 5+ to go conversion for Cal. Cal is exclusively in Ace and similar 3-wide sets. No real attempt to run, just spread and shred.
1:17 1st Quarter: Yet another defensive stand when it counted most, holding Cal to a field goal with the line of scrimmage at the ASU 5. Chip shot FG is good, 13-0 Cal.
1:00 1st Quarter: After a great return by McGaha, the 1st ASU 1st down comes accompanied by the 1st Carpenter completed pass. On the next play, Jones drops a sure TD catch. Memo to Mike Jones: Catch the ball with your hands, not your body! It's receiver school 101!
13:48 2nd Quarter: A fifteen-yard facemask keeps the ASU drive alive, and Dimitri Nance walks it in from 12 yards out. Kick is good, 13-7 Cal.
13:39 2nd Quarter: A bobble by Hawkins take the ball into the endzone. He foolishly tries to return it, getting stuffed at the 10 yard line. Great field position for ASU. This time, let's stop them BEFORE they get into scoring position, okay?
10:48 2nd Quarter: DB coverage up to when the ball arrives is great. During the time that the ball approaches the receiver, the DBs don't look at the ball, and Cal's receivers make the catch easily. Ball all the way down to ASU 8. Is another miracle stand out of the question? I don't think we have the conditioning to do this for the whole game.
9:32 2nd Quarter: Jackson catches pass at corner of endzone for apparent TD. If it stands, game moves into blowout category. Catch upheld, game now a blowout, kick good, 20-7 Cal.
8:05 2nd Quarter: Corner blitz forces bad throw from Carpenter. Pass tipped by receiver and intercepted. Yellow hanky for defensive offsides eliminates turnover, crisis averted.
6:02 2nd Quarter: Timeout called by Erickson negates converted 4th down attempt by Nance. 4th and 1 from the Cal 25. 2nd attempt at conversion is good for 12 yards.
3:51 2nd Quarter: Carpenter completes third down pass to Jones, but he is hit immediately and winds up one yard short of 1st down. 4th and 1 from the 5.
3:51 2nd Quarter: Defense breaks huddle with 12 men on field, gives ASU half distance to goal and new set of downs. Nance punches it in on 2nd down. Kick is good, 20-14 Cal.
Depressing Statistic of the Moment: Cal has converted 3 of 6 third down attempts. :(
3:15 2nd Quarter: ASU forces first 3 and out of game, spoils great return by Kyle Williams with block in back. Probably wouldn't have been as great a return without that block.
1:19 2nd Quarter: Carpenter missed wide open Jones for first down, time for punt. Punt muffed/fumbled by Jackson, rather unclear on replay. ASU eventually falls on ball and the referees give ASU the ball. Play comes under booth review. Call overturned due to "inadvertent signal." 1st and 10 Cal from 24.
Random Factoid From Bottom of Screen: 13 penalties (so far) in first half: 8 by Cal, 5 by ASU. :36 seconds left in half.
:30 2nd Quarter: Longshore tried to lure ASU D offsides on 4th and 1, but they don't bite. Cal takes delay-of-game penalty and punts with :20 left.
Will this half ever end?
YESS!! Carpenter mercifully takes a knee for the end of the half.
14:35 3rd Quarter: Great coverage by Tryon to break up and almost intercept a 3rd down conversion throw by Longshore and stall the Cal drive at midfield. A great punt pins ASU deep, though.
13:37 3rd Quarter: Carpenter completes a long pass to McGaha that gets them out of the shadow of the goalposts. He didn't throw it with set feet, however. I cannot recall many times where he has had time to set his feet in a perfectly formed pocket.
Offense: The loss of TB Ryan Torrain really hurts because he could smash it inside or turn the corner. The replacements have only one of those qualities. Keegan Herring is fast, but not very physical. Dimitri Nance is physical but not very strong. This could mean some two-RB situations for the Devils tonight.
Defense: WR DeSean Jackson needs to be accounted for on every down. He should be bracket by a corner and safety for the majority of the game. I would much rather have Cal try to run it on us than kill us with the bomb. It is "reported" that Longshore is the starter, but it is probably a game-time decision. NOTE: Longshore does start 1st series for Cal.
14:54 1st Quarter: An inauspicious start, with the kick return not getting to the 20 and an immediate false start.
13:59 1st Quarter: A horrible 1st series, going 3 and out. Then a bad punt gives Cal excellent field position on the near 40. At least DeSean Jackson didn't catch the ball.
12:24 1st Quarter: Jhaved Best converts a third and eight on a drag route across the field. Looked like ASU was in a prevent-type defense.
11:40 1st Quarter: Justin Tryon does a good job wrapping up Jackson after a gain of four, forces a Cal 44 year field goal that is BLOCKED by the ASU special teams. A great stand after gifting Cal with such great field position. Hopefully we can get more going on the next drive.
9:59 1st Quarter: Rudy Carpenter dances around pocket and coughs up the football. Cal's D-line recovers the ball and takes it into the endzone for the touchdown. Kick is good, 7-0 Cal 1st Quarter.
8:30 1st Quarter: Burgess drops sure 3rd down conversion, another 3 and out. Punt good, Jackson well covered.
8:00 1st Quarter: Jackson does the things of my nightmares: 40+ yard bomb down the sidelines. Tryon has great position, then inexplicably loses Jackson as he makes the catch.
7:00 1st Quarter: ASU continues its stellar defense when it counts, forcing Cal to make a long field goal. Which they do, 10-0 Cal.
5:30 1st Quarter: Torrain's importance in the pass-blocking game is proving to be more of an issue than I had thought. Another errant Carpenter pass forces the Devils to go 3 and out. Punt uneventful, Cal starts on their 27.
2:45 1st quarter: Another 3rd and 5+ to go conversion for Cal. Cal is exclusively in Ace and similar 3-wide sets. No real attempt to run, just spread and shred.
1:17 1st Quarter: Yet another defensive stand when it counted most, holding Cal to a field goal with the line of scrimmage at the ASU 5. Chip shot FG is good, 13-0 Cal.
1:00 1st Quarter: After a great return by McGaha, the 1st ASU 1st down comes accompanied by the 1st Carpenter completed pass. On the next play, Jones drops a sure TD catch. Memo to Mike Jones: Catch the ball with your hands, not your body! It's receiver school 101!
13:48 2nd Quarter: A fifteen-yard facemask keeps the ASU drive alive, and Dimitri Nance walks it in from 12 yards out. Kick is good, 13-7 Cal.
13:39 2nd Quarter: A bobble by Hawkins take the ball into the endzone. He foolishly tries to return it, getting stuffed at the 10 yard line. Great field position for ASU. This time, let's stop them BEFORE they get into scoring position, okay?
10:48 2nd Quarter: DB coverage up to when the ball arrives is great. During the time that the ball approaches the receiver, the DBs don't look at the ball, and Cal's receivers make the catch easily. Ball all the way down to ASU 8. Is another miracle stand out of the question? I don't think we have the conditioning to do this for the whole game.
9:32 2nd Quarter: Jackson catches pass at corner of endzone for apparent TD. If it stands, game moves into blowout category. Catch upheld, game now a blowout, kick good, 20-7 Cal.
8:05 2nd Quarter: Corner blitz forces bad throw from Carpenter. Pass tipped by receiver and intercepted. Yellow hanky for defensive offsides eliminates turnover, crisis averted.
6:02 2nd Quarter: Timeout called by Erickson negates converted 4th down attempt by Nance. 4th and 1 from the Cal 25. 2nd attempt at conversion is good for 12 yards.
3:51 2nd Quarter: Carpenter completes third down pass to Jones, but he is hit immediately and winds up one yard short of 1st down. 4th and 1 from the 5.
3:51 2nd Quarter: Defense breaks huddle with 12 men on field, gives ASU half distance to goal and new set of downs. Nance punches it in on 2nd down. Kick is good, 20-14 Cal.
Depressing Statistic of the Moment: Cal has converted 3 of 6 third down attempts. :(
3:15 2nd Quarter: ASU forces first 3 and out of game, spoils great return by Kyle Williams with block in back. Probably wouldn't have been as great a return without that block.
1:19 2nd Quarter: Carpenter missed wide open Jones for first down, time for punt. Punt muffed/fumbled by Jackson, rather unclear on replay. ASU eventually falls on ball and the referees give ASU the ball. Play comes under booth review. Call overturned due to "inadvertent signal." 1st and 10 Cal from 24.
Random Factoid From Bottom of Screen: 13 penalties (so far) in first half: 8 by Cal, 5 by ASU. :36 seconds left in half.
:30 2nd Quarter: Longshore tried to lure ASU D offsides on 4th and 1, but they don't bite. Cal takes delay-of-game penalty and punts with :20 left.
Will this half ever end?
YESS!! Carpenter mercifully takes a knee for the end of the half.
14:35 3rd Quarter: Great coverage by Tryon to break up and almost intercept a 3rd down conversion throw by Longshore and stall the Cal drive at midfield. A great punt pins ASU deep, though.
13:37 3rd Quarter: Carpenter completes a long pass to McGaha that gets them out of the shadow of the goalposts. He didn't throw it with set feet, however. I cannot recall many times where he has had time to set his feet in a perfectly formed pocket.
10:03 3rd Quarter: Another ASU 4th and one conversion to Nance goes for a touchdown! Kick is good and ASU has their first lead of the game, 21-20.
6:04 3rd Quarter: Have regained control of remote from father. Televison retunred to its natural station of football and away from Diamonback-less baseball. Apologies for the gap in liveblog coverage. Still 21-20, thankfully. Rockies lost 10-5, for those who care.
5:58 3rd Quarter: ASU DBs continue to faceguard without trying to look at football. Several possible interceptions have been missed as a result. Incomplete passes only come as gifts from the slippery hands of California receivers.
5:41 3rd Quarter: Cal special teams have done an unbelievable job pinning the Sun Devils deep. This drive starts out at the 6, but a huge 14 yard catch by McGaha gets the Devils down field. He is emerging as a reliable possession-type receiver.
2:50 3rd Quarter: Carpenter is looking much sharper than he did in the first half. I think its the pass-protection scheme. The Cal D-line is not getting as much penetration and Carpenter has more time to step into and make his throws.
1:30 3rd Quarter: the drive stalls and ASU settles for the field goal, 24-21 ASU.
14:48 4th Quarter: Jackson beats Tryonoff of the line, but defensive line pressure forces a short throw, which Tryon intercepts. ASU BALL!
13:01 4th Quarter: Carpenter scrambles around in the pocket, Jones separates from his defender, Carpenter sees Jones heading for the corner and throws the ball as Jones makes on last move to the inside that breaks his defender's ankles. Ball goes one way and receiver goes the other for one of the most exciting and dramatic incomplete passes ever.
11:24 4th Quarter: More defensive pressure = less powerful and accurate throws from Longshore = underthrown balls to receivers = ROBERT JAMES INTERCEPTION!!!
I was wrong. ASU has not gone with a 2-man backfield. They are alternating Herring and Nance in a thunder-and-lightning combo reminiscinent of Reggie Bush and LenDale White circa 2005. The two different running styles has Cal very gassed: all of the defensinve lineman have their hands on their hips.
7:07 4th Quarter: Carpenter short-arms a pass to Kyle Williams on a crossing route for a touchdown! Snap good, hold good, kick good; 31-20 ASU.
6:04 4th Quarter: An increasingly tired-looking Cal team goes run-run-pass-punt, and gives up a huge reurn to Williams.
Random Nugget From Announcers: Williams has a higher punt return average than Jackson.
3:00 4th Quarter: ASU goes into clock-assassin mode, grinding out first downs thanks to sloppy tackling from the Cal defense. Cal tried to force ASU into punting, using two timeouts during one series, but the players let the coach down, and the ground assault continues.
1:40 4th Quarter: With a final first down, the Devils can go into take-a-knee mode and begin celebrating on the sidelines. Erickson begins high-fiving any player he can find on the sidelines; this much emotion seems a little unprofessional, like he's rubbing it into Cal's face. Regardless, ASU wins a big game in front of a sellout crowd 31-20.
Offensive Player of the Game: Dimitri Nance, RB, 3 TD's
Defensive Player of the Game: Justin Tryon, CB, great job containing Jackson, 1 INT
Burning Questions for Next Week:
- Can this defense stop the spread?
- Can this offense perform in the toughest stadium in the Pac-10?
- How many East-coasters stayed up for the game?
On that note, that's all folks!
GO DEVILS!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The End has Come
What an apt way for it to end.
The team which defied the odds and statistics with a team attitude and an opportunistic offense met their match in an opponent with more power and experience.
The 2007 Arizona Diamondbacks will go down as one of the truly fascinating stories of the year. The myriad of story lines that surround this team and their season has been special.
The roller coaster season featured the highest of highs: 31 one-run game wins, 8 win streaks of 4 or more, a pitcher who can drive in as many runs as he allows, and defying the Pythagorean stat-heads. And the lowest of lows: 20 losses of 6+ runs, 10 losing streaks of 3 or more, and the bitter taste of a sweep by a division opponent in the NLCS. With such a topsy-turvy season like that, it is only fitting that it came to a conclusion with a three game win streak and a four game losing streak.
The main storyline surrounding this team is their lack of experience at key positions like shortstop and center field. The tremendous talent assembled though high draft picks, courtesy of several seasons of failure, was now expected to deliver. The fans were tired of hearing about the 'best farm system' in the Major Leagues and wanted to see the talent begin to perform. Perform they did. As such, the “known” contributors of Orlando Hudson, Eric Byrnes, Brandon Webb, and José Valverde have gotten their dues throughout the season. I do not wish to diminish or demean the veterans’ accomplishments, but the three
Players not even the most savvy of scouts had heard of emerged from the depths of the farm system and delivered. The first blow to the team came with the Mark Reynolds emerged in mid-May to replace the injured Chad Tracy, one of the few veterans on the team. Reynolds delivered in a big way, contributing to several early win streaks. He then struggled mightily, with a streak of over 20 straight strike-outs that gave him the nickname of MarKKKKKK Reynolds. To his credit, he rebounded late in the year and contributed when we needed him in September to help clinch the division.
Stephen Drew was with the team from Spring Training, but I had doubts about his attitude stemming from his contract holdout when the DBacks drafted him a couple of years ago. All bad thoughts disappeared, however, once I saw him on the field. His range is above where I would expect it to be for his age, and he can throw off-balance to first as well as anyone. He too endured his share of struggles, but nowhere on the magnitude of Reynolds. When Stephen struggled, I was favorably impressed that his physical demeanor did not waver and his offensive failures did not travel with him onto the field. It is true that he led the team in errors, but that statistic is less of a factor of his ability than a result of the sheer number of plays that he participated in.
Chris B. Young, a throw-in in the Javier Vasquez trade (Addition by subtraction -ed.) who was not expected to amount to anything, became a disruptive force on the basepaths with a speed that was also a tremendous asset on defense. One of the plays of the year came as a result of Young's speed. In the midst of a four-game road series in
I could go on down the roster, commending the leadership and consistency of Byrnes and Hudson, the advice and wisdom of Kirk Gibson and Tony Clark, and recognizing every player (except Carlos Quentin and wife-beater/utilityman Alberto Callaspo). However, the three players I mentioned deserve special recognition for their contributions to the entire team throughout the season. Jeff Salazar and Miguel Montero deserve honorable mentions for their effort, and Justin Upton would probably have made the list had he played more than a quarter of the season.
The difficulty of paring down a season with so many clutch contributors that it spawned a catchy marketing slogan “Anybody. Anytime” that actually approached truth in advertising. Each player deserves their space, but in the end I decided to select three of our many rookies (which I take to mean any first or second year player with the team, plus any player with their first shot at significant playing time).
This season surpassed my wildest expectations, and has left me so anxious for the start of Spring Training and the next year. My hoes are so high that I can enjoy the Suns' upcoming season and not use it to take away the sting of another disappointing Diamondbacks season.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to the AZ Sports Scene, where all Arizona sports teams will be discussed. Particular emphasis will be placed on those sports currently in-season. I love all sports equally because of the competition involved. In the interest of full disclosure, I hold several biases (always subject to amendment):
- The DH is an abomination to the game of baseball
- College football needs a playoff
- Officials are not responsible for the outcomes of games; it is each team's job to overcome whatever bias may exist in the officiating of a particular game
- The Pac-10 is consistently underrated as a football conference
- Sports are too important to be left solely to "professionals"
- NASCAR will never be a topic of discussion
- The "East Coast bias" exists due to geography and nothing else. The reporters cannot or will not stay up till midnight to watch the end of sporting events in the West
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