PAC-12-YAK: 2011 SUN DEVIL ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’

HURRICANE DENNIS' LEGACY?

Arizona State Sun Devils
Poised to make a serious run at PAC-12 South
To earn birth in Inaugural PAC-12 Title Game
Especially in a 2011 'Asterisk' Season *
(*SC ineligible for Postseason play)

2011 ARIZONA STATE SCHEDULE:
DEVILS: 7 EXCEEDINGLY WINNABLE HM GMS
(SC at Home)
DEVILS: 4 of 5 TRICKY RD GMS
(at Ill, at UU, at Ore, at UCLA, at Wzu)
DEVILS: 5 of 9 Conference Home Games
DEVILS: 4 of 1ST 5 Games at Home
DEVILS: Skip Top-10 Stanford

PAC-12 Title Gm hosted by Top Regular Season Tm
(Thus, ASU likely to make TWO Eugene Trips in 2010)

ASU finished 6-6 in 2010
Despite many close losses
The Devils were dynamite ATS (10-2)

ERICKSON'S ASU DEVILS:
SIMULTANEOUSLY APT TO IMPROVE UPON 6-WIN SEASON of '10
AS THEY ARE TO IMPLODE & FALL SHORT OF EXPECTATION

WHY IS SPARKY A VOLATILE HOUSE OF CARDS?

PAC-12 Commish, Larry Scott's recent announcement
Regarding Rigorous 2011 Penalty Enforcement,
Appears largely directed toward Erickson's Devils:
   1. PAC-12's increase scope of "'Taunting" Penalties
   2. PAC-12 "0-Tolerance" Personal-Foul Penalty Doctrine

Rigid Penalty Enforcement
Spells almost certain distress & apprehension for Arizona State

HC Dennis Erickson & his teams carry
Inescapable, inevitable PENALTY Ball-n-Chain

As an avid follower of Ore St Football for Decades,
This distinction was agonizingly palpable
During Erickson's '99-'02 Years in Corvallis.

While immersed w/in
'Hurricane-Dennis-Penalty-Juxtaposition'
Entirely expected to view the Erickson question as:
"Unfair predisposition and/or injustice"

This widespread, us-against-world, 'victimization' sentiment
Commonly & collectively grabs Coaches, Players & Fans
Of an embattled Program/Staff almost without fail -
& can be counterproductive to reversing underlying issues.

Fans/Coaches in such cases,
Farthest thing from objective;
Naturally develop a, 'Trees despite the Forest' viewpoint.

Folks in Tempe undoubtedly
Feel such penalty enforcement is extreme.
As a card-carrying member of 'Beaver Nation',
Vivid memories of copious, inordinate streams of yellow laundry
That followed Erickson's Black Bandit Football team
Seemed altogether unwarranted & unfair.

'Erickson's Reputation PRECEDED this
(then current) Beaver Team',
So I thought.

Mid-season Last Year, & 10 Years
Following Ore St's 00-01 Fiesta Bowl Winning, 11-1 Season,
Fox NW (Now 'Root') replayed memorable Games
From the 2000 Beaver Football Season.

Just before Ore St's Oct 2010 trip North to play Wash,
'Root' Replayed Beavers' 2000 only loss,
(Coincidentally, September 2000
Beaver Lost 33-30 at Washington).

This quick look in the rear-view mirror
Revealed 'our Beavers' as a team that –
at least Defensively -
Played reckless; w/unquestionably 'underhanded' approach. 
Without sounding entirely self-righteous,
This flashback was revealing, & a bit upsetting.

One Quarter of 2000 Beavers' footage,
Erickson 'truths' instantaneously superseded memory. 
Beavers were flagged for almost 200 Yards,
ORST DL Erick Manning, ORST FS Terrance Carroll
BOTH ejected for deplorable acts of unsportsmanlike conduct,
& Ore St was flagged for 5 Total Personal Foul Penalties

Most disturbing? Beaver Fans – me included,
Grew accustomed to borderline-devious, harmful & unethical play. 

w/orange-tinted glasses on,
We TRULY considered 90% of Erickson-Beavers penalties unfair,
& still vividly recall these 2000 UW ejections as 'unwarranted'. 

In hindsight, both were more than justified –
If not entirely necessary.

For better or worse,
Erickson allows, encourages & inspires Defenders to 'Fly-Around' 
Erickson openly recruits,
'Guys that play our brand of Banshee Football'

Whatever.

The upside must still outweigh the down,
Though Ariz St is now 'just' 25-24 under Erickson's direction.

Present Day, Arizona State's Erickson Teams
Still consistently land in or around
'BOTTOM-5' MOST-PENALIZED Tms in CFB:

Penalty Yards/Gm:
   ASU 2007: 57 PEN YD/GM (#78 of 120 FBS Tms)
   ASU 2008: 67 PEN YD/GM (#109 of 120 FBS Tms)
   ASU 2009: 86 PEN YD/GM (#120 of 120 FBS Tms)
   ASU 2010: 70 PEN YD/GM (#113 of 120 FBS Tms)

Even Erickson's recent, brief 1-Yr return season at Idaho
Vandals' brief, disproportionate 1-Yr spike in Penalties

IDAHO 2006: 73 PEN YD/GM (#117 of 120 FBS Tms)
IDAHO 2005: #47 just Yr before Erickson's Tenure
IDAHO 2007: #68 just Yr after Erickson moved on

ARIZONA STATE 2011 PENALTIES:

Quintessential Sun Devil 'House-of-Cards'
w/these new emphases'....

ARIZONA ST JR LB VONTAZE BURFICT
Is a particularly quick-tempered, POWDER KEG

In all my years of watching games from sidelines,
Not sure we will could ever find a player so talented,
Yet (choosing my words carefully), 'self-absorbed'.

Vontaze Burfict's talent? BOUNDLESS
Yet, the Kid is far past 'confident'

Burfict is so wrapped up in his own game & persona'….
Said many times - & sincerely hope to be wrong here -

When/if Vontaze Burfict played for Arizona State....
Instead of Vontaze Burfict?
He'd be, "The Hottest Thing since Texas Air".

All the talk of ASU reversing 2010 Close Game Record (1-4),
May be secondary
To how they adjust to this new Penalty Enforcement Protocol

CIRCLED GAME:
Friday, September 9, 2011

Missouri Tigers
Arizona State Sun Devils  

National TV?
Friday Night in Desert?

Devils' might be a hot pick here
So clearly, we look at the contrarian angle(s)

Mizzou could be Unknown quantity
After Opening w/Miami-Ohio
Yet should be preparing for ASU exclusively
Mizzou FCS Opponent the following week

YET, Missouri w/'New Athletic QB'
Runs a lot of The 'CAT' (QB Franklin)

Lots of talk about
WHAT MIZZOU DOES NOT HAVE (QB Gabbert)
Instead of the Tools in the SHED;
Especially OFFENSIVELY

MIZZ: Rock-Solid, Experienced O-LINE
FOUR returning OL SR's
BOTH O-Guards/BOTH O-Tackles
w/4TH Year rJr Center (Ruth) Played 10 Gms in 2010

MIZZ: ALL UPPER-CLASS Receiving Corps Back
TOP 8 Pass-Catchers Return for Tigers

MIZZ: Highly Seasoned SR Running Back Moore  
MIZZ: New QB-Look, Soph 6-2 | 225 Franklin

Tigers w/"Wildcat QB"
    vs.
ASU & Devils 'New' Black Uni's?

BTW, New Unis? & they're, big surprise - BLACK?
Clearly not going for originality points

This could be a typical laundry-fest in Tempe,
Whether PAC-12 Officials are on the job or not

LINE (Golden Nugget)
Started at ARIZ ST -3 up to -5, May well hit -7
Before Sept 9, 2011

½ UNIT
MISSOURI TIGERS +5
ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS

Stay tuned.....