For the second straight week, the Sun Devils play top-level defense, continuing their resurgence with a decisive win against the Utes in Salt Lake City.
Defense shows up again as Sun Devils continue surprising surge with win at Utah
SALT LAKE CITY – This is an attempt to make sense of something that makes no sense. To explain the unexplainable. To put together a puzzle with pieces that do not fit.
It won’t be easy.
To date, there have been two major developments in this season’s Pac-12: The emergence of Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate. And the improvement of Arizona State’s defense.
The former just needed an opportunity. The latter rose from the dead, a revival so unexpected that many just assumed it couldn’t be done, a fatal blow that ultimately would end coach Todd Graham’s time in the desert.
And yet, for the second consecutive week, ASU played top-level defense, thumping Utah 30-10 on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, a win that answered the question everyone wanted to know after the previous week’s upset win over Washington.
“I told them before the game,” ASU defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. “I said, ‘Listen, everybody in the country is going to be watching. Are you a fluke? Do you like where you’re at? Did you like last week? Has our expectancy changed?’ Because I’m telling you, we coached the s--t out of them this week. We coached them hard.”
This reversal is no fluke.
In front of 45,863 in Utah, ASU im-
proved to 4-3 and 3-1 in the Pac-12, setting up next week’s home showdown against USC, a contest that will determine first place in the South division.
If you’re just tuning in for the first time, wondering what the big deal is, congratulate yourself. You missed the struggle. You missed two-plus years of God-awful defense – of blown assignments, missed tackles and the collective groan – which became the soundtrack of ASU football every time an opponent broke another big play.
To open this season, ASU gave up 549 yards to New Mexico State. New Mexico State! Two weeks later, Texas Tech rolled up 615. That same day, the Sun Devils lost their best pass rusher, Koron Crump, to a season-ending knee injury. This was an avalanche roaring down the mountainside toward one conclusion: a coaching change.
At one point the Sun Devils had the nation’s worst third-down defense. At another, they let a Stanford running back rush for a school-record 301 yards. They were better in some areas, but still not good, maybe not even average, in too many others.
And then, after an off week, something changed.
ASU held Washington to 230 yards. On Saturday, the Sun Devils held Utah to 265. Suddenly a defense that couldn’t stop big plays stopped giving them up. Over the past two weeks, ASU has given up only two plays of 20-plus yards, both coming against Washington, the longest only 24 yards.
“That’s why stats don’t matter early in the year,” said Graham, pointing out that a young defense had to develop against a tough schedule. “… It’s like I’ve said all along: It’s about our guys getting on the same page, adapting to our players and then getting the right personnel in the right spot. We’ve made a lot of improvement.”
Bennett turned the question around to the media.
“Do you remember what I told you from the get-go?” he asked a small group of reporters standing outside the team buses. “What’d I tell you?”
“It’s a journey,” everyone replied. “It’s a journey,” Bennett emphasized. “I didn’t get up and say we’re going to be world beaters, did I? I just said it’s a process. We’re going to work. And the thing I’ve always said is these kids are eager. They’re fun to coach. They’re not excuse-makers, even when they’re bad. To me, that goes a long way.”
ASU on Saturday played without injured senior rush linebacker Alani Latu. Without Krump and Latu, Bennett had to start junior Jay Jay Wilson, who began this season as a tight end on offense. Earlier this week, after Wilson gave unsatisfactory effort in practice, Bennett ripped him.
“No good! No good!” he yelled, storming onto the field. “We’re not starting out with this bulls--t! If you’re going to do it, do it right!”
On Saturday, Wilson intercepted a pass – one of four ASU takeaways – and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown and a 30-3 lead.
“Christian Sam?” Bennett said, referring to ASU’s junior linebacker. “He wanted to smack me on Thursday.”
Sam also picked off a pass. Bennett mentioned that redshirt-freshman cornerback Chase Lucas – who never had played defense before college – had watched so much film of Bennett’s defense at Baylor that he knew the Bears’ personnel.
Against the Utes, Lucas also picked off a pass.
That kind of work – and the willingness to be coached – has paid off. Results have surfaced.
“We know if we just keep plugging, keep plugging, keep plugging, something’s going to break,” Sam said. “The dam’s broke.”
Saturday’s win marked ASU’s first Pac-12 road win in more than two years. With five regular-season games to go, it’s time to realize that the Sun Devils may have more surprises.