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.

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:

1. Can this defense stop the spread?
2. Can this offense perform in the toughest stadium in the Pac-10?
3. How many East-coasters stayed up for the game?

On that note, that's all folks!

GO DEVILS!