2009 Arizona State Football Predictions
Sun Devils fans were grinning from ear to ear following a 10-3 campaign in 2007, but that smile was wiped from their faces when the team fell to 5-7 last year. A six-game slide in the middle of the season, which included an overtime loss to UNLV and a two-point defeat to Oregon State kept the Sun Devils from bowl eligibility. The good news is that improvement should be on the way this season. The bad news is that Arizona State is not ready to challenge for the Pac-10 title. Arizona State is listed at +15,000 to win the 2009 BCS championship.
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Offense - Without a star running back, go-to wide receiver, or experienced quarterback, the Sun Devil offense figures to struggle in 2009. The loss of quarterback Rudy Carpenter especially hurts. He was a big play quarterback who proved he could make plays under extreme pressure. Danny Sullivan will likely take over this season while the program continues to groom its QB of the future Brock Osweiler. Sullivan has a strong arm, but he hasn’t proved to be very accurate or elusive when he’s been called on in the past. He completed only 34.9 percent of his passes in limited action last season. The offensive line is experienced with seven letter winners coming back, but none of these guys are really considered exceptional. Guard Zach Schlink is considered ASU’s best lineman, but it is yet to be determined how good he will be following knee surgery. Dimitri Nance is expected to get the starting nod at tailback following a 410-yard season and Chris McGaha is the top returning receiver, pulling in 35 balls for 501 yards last season.
Defense – It was head coach Dennis Erickson’s mission to bring in more speed and athletic ability on defense and after three recruiting classes, he’s got himself a group he really likes. The 2008 Sun Devil defense ranked 45th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 22.7 points per game, and 44th nationally in total defense, allowing 335.2 points per game. The unit should be even better this season and that’s what the coaching staff is counting on as it figures to be a down year for the offense. The defensive line is strong with end Dexter Davis coming off back-to-back double-digit sack seasons. He finished with 11 in 2008. Lawrence Guy returns at tackle following a Freshman All-American season. The linebacker unit is deep and versatile and Erickson was able to nab the nation’s top middle linebacker recruit (Vontae Burfict) this offseason to add even more depth. The secondary is the weak spot, but I expect its play to improve as the Sun Devils are able to get plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Prediction: 5th Pac-10 Conference – While the offense is in rebuilding mode, the defense will be good enough to pick up the slack and keep the Sun Devils in the hunt for a bowl game. Arizona State is listed at +2,000 to win the Pac-10.
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