This Date in College Football History

Dec. 27, 1971: At Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, 51,098 watch as Arizona State beats Florida State in the first-ever Fiesta Bowl 45-38. Tied 38-38, Sun Devil quarterback Danny White (1998 College Football Hall of Fame inductee) leads a 57-yard drive setting up halfback Woody Green's winning two-yard touchdown run with :34 seconds left in the game.

Credit: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

This Date in College Football History

December 16, 1978: More than a century after playing in college football's first game, Rutgers makes its postseason debut at the inaugural Garden State Bowl in Giants Stadium. The Scarlet Knights take an early lead, but Arizona State's Mark Malone accounts for five touchdowns for a 34-18 win.

Credit: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Pac 10 Preview: UCLA @ Arizona St.

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Coming off a pair of wins against the Washington schools, the Sun Devils look to continue their winning streak, as they welcome the struggling UCLA Bruins to Tempe tonight.

ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter has started playing to form again, topping 200 yards in each of the last three games, while tossing six touchdowns. He faces a Bruins’ defense that likely won’t put up much of a fight. Carpenter has much to play for at the end of the season, even if his team will be sitting home during bowl season. With a respectable showing at the finish, Carpenter is hoping to regain some of the NFL draft stock he had prior to the season. As always, the key is protection along the offensive line. If they can keep Carpenter upright, he will be able to easily deliver the ball against a shaky UCLA secondary. While they can be opportunistic, the Bruins rarely keep up enough pressure to make a quarterback the caliber of Carpenter flinch.

Coach Rick Neuheisel will have his work cut out for him, both containing Carpenter and getting his own offense moving in the right direction. The Bruins are also coming off a win over the doormat of the Pac-10, Washington. However, even against the winless Huskies, junior quarterback Kevin Craft could not protect the ball. The Bruins cannot afford to turn the ball over. If they do, the Sun Devils will make them regret it.

Inside the Pac-10 - Week Eleven

USC 17, California 3
Defense was the word of the day as the only two top 25 teams in the Pac-10 clashed at the Los Angeles Coliseum with the Trojans prevailing. USC forced one turnover, but had two more overturned due to penalties. In fact, if there is one phase of the game USC continues to struggle with, it is penalties.

USC kept up its average of nine plus penalties per game with ten for 105 total yards. It is a bizarre problem for a Pete Carroll led team. Normally Carroll is able to keep his teams disciplined, but then again, that was part of the issue in the Trojans’ loss to Oregon State. A lack of focus has plagued USC in the last few seasons and nearly did them in again in this game.

But while there were stretches where the Golden Bears dominated the clock, they were unable to punch the ball in on any of their drives. In part it was because the USC defense was able to completely smother the Bears’ running game, holding Jahvid Best to just 30 yards and the overall the California run game to 27 total yards.

Mark Sanchez continued to play well and compiled 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns, though his first score to wide receiver Patrick Turner was bobbled. However, USC didn’t give anyone time to review the touchdown and kicked the extra point quickly.

With the victory, USC eliminated one of the threats to its Pac-10 Championship hopes, although Oregon State still controls its own destiny and has the conference lead.

Oregon 35, Stanford 28
Stanford nearly overcame an early two touchdown deficit, but a last second touchdown by Duck running back LaGarrette Blount won the game for the Oregon and likely ended Stanford’s hope for a major bowl bid.

Oregon won despite turning the ball over four times. While Stanford was able to move the ball both on the ground and through the air, they were unable to keep up with the Oregon offense.

Oregon had 451 total yards and while Stanford ate the clock up (their total time of possession was 39 minutes to Oregon’s 20 minutes) Oregon scored almost at will on the ground and was able to minimize the time of possession gap with a quick strike offense.

Near the end of the game, the score teetered back and forth with Stanford gaining the lead with 2:18 left on an Anthony Kimble touchdown run, only to see Oregon score the game winner on Blount’s second score of the day.

Arizona 59, Washington State 28
Arizona rebounded from its crushing loss against USC with a blowout of visiting Washington State, compiling 531 total yards of offense, 189 of them from running back Nic Gigsby.

The Wildcats poured it on all game scoring early and often, almost exclusively via the run game which the Cougars had no answer for. Five different backs and quarterback Willie Tuitama scored on the ground.

Washington State scored all of their touchdowns on the ground as well, but could not keep pace with the Wildcat attack.

With the win, Arizona keeps its hopes alive for a bowl bid, although any dreams of the Rose Bowl are long gone.

Oregon State 34, UCLA 6
The first half was a scare for Oregon State, as they entered the break tied with UCLA, 3-3. But the Beavers exploded in the second half, led by Jacquizz Rodgers’ 144 yards and touchdown. Teams still lack an answer to Rodgers’ speed, elusiveness and athleticism and it was all on display again Saturday.

When they weren’t pounding the ball on the ground, the offense moved the ball efficiently through the air, with junior quarterback Sean Canfield’s 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Bruins quarterback Kevin Craft had been able to protect the ball better the last few games, but reverted back to form, turning the ball over twice against Oregon St. The UCLA running game was completely ineffective, barely able to scrape 48 yards together despite using five different running backs.

With the win, the Beavers continue to lead the Pac-10, keeping pace with USC but owning the tie breaker over the Trojans by virtue of their head to head victory.

Arizona State 39 - Washington 19
For three quarters, the Washington Huskies hung with ASU and even briefly held the lead.

However, Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter led his team on two key scoring drives and extended Washington’s losing streak to 11, a school record.

Carpenter looked much more like the quarterback we saw early in the season and all of last year in the second half, and the Sun Devils finally gave him a rushing attack. Senior running back Keegan Herring finished the night with a 29-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, but it was their senior quarterback who truly engineered the win, keeping cool under pressure and guiding his team downfield.

The Huskies pulled out all the stops, including a blocked punt, reverses, direct snaps-- everything but smoke bombs--to try and end their skid. But the offense fell apart during the second half, as quarterback Ronnie Fouch lost his touch and started having his throws going everywhere but to his receivers. At one point, Fouch missed nine throws in a row. The rest of the offense wasn’t much better as Washington reverted back to form and failed to score touchdowns on three trips inside the Sun Devils’ five yard line.

The Huskies did play well for parts of the contest, but in the end they watched their win slip away due to the steady hands and cool demeanor of Rudy Carpenter and his offense.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images; Chris McGuire (Patrick Turner)

Arizona State (1-4, 2-6) @ Washington (0-5, 0-8)

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Arizona St. and Washington are suffering through long and painful seasons. The Sun Devils began with high expectations, the Huskies not so much.

Washington has not been able to notch a single win, leading to the ouster of head coach Ty Willingham at the end of the season. It is unlikely that the Huskies will be able to get things going against State this weekend. While quarterback Rudy Carpenter has spent much of the season dodging linebackers and defensive linemen, Washington has not been able to put together much of a pass rush. This may be the one game where Carpenter will come out with nary a grass stain on his jersey and less bruises than he came in with.

Arizona State’s defense should have a better than average day as well against a pretty lackluster offense. Both the pass and run phases of the Huskies’ offense are woeful. This is one game that should give Sun Devil fans something to cheer about, while Washington fans may simply long for a quicker end to the season.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Pac-10 Preview - Week Ten

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Washington (0-7, 0-4 Pac-10) @ #5 USC (6-1, 4-1 Pac-10)

Two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum meet in the Los Angeles Coliseum this Saturday when the fifth ranked Trojans welcome the winless Huskies to another destination on the road to imperfection.

It’s hard to imagine things getting worse for Washington, but USC head coach Pete Carroll’s squad is 23-0 in games in November. The Huskies don’t run the ball well, don’t score often and can only move the ball through the air marginally well.

Oh, and the Huskies are now coached by a lame duck, as the school announced Monday that this would be Coach Ty Willingham's last season with the team. That doesn’t mean he or the team will quit working hard, but it continues to be an uphill battle. A hill that is nearly vertical, by the way, with few handholds and it’s been greased by oil for the last month.

Expect USC to run away with this one and it’s really just a matter of which poison the Trojans decide to administer. Will they have quarterback Mark Sanchez throw the ball against a reeling secondary or will they have the tailback core of McKnight, Johnson and Gable grind it out on the ground?

One word of caution to the Trojans, though. The last two times these teams have met, it was closer than expected (27-24 last season and 26-20 in 2006).

This is a game the Trojans shouldn’t lose. But that doesn’t mean they won’t find it tougher than expected. USC is desperate for big wins if they want back in the National Title hunt. Even if they win, they cannot allow the Huskies to stay close.

#24 Oregon (6-2, 4-1 Pac-10) @ California (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10)

The Oregon Ducks have fought their way back into the Top 25 BCS rankings, but won’t get a chance to rest on their laurels as a tough Golden Bears team awaits them in Memorial Stadium. The Ducks will not only be defending their ranking, but the Pac-10 conference lead they share with No. 5 USC.

Oregon will look to quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to lead them to a third straight win. Masoli, a sophomore transfer from City College of San Francisco, wasn’t even slated to be a factor this year, but finds himself in the driver’s seat after knee injuries took out Nate Costa and Justin Roper. Masoli took over and never looked back.

California has had its share of quarterback issues as well. Sophomore Kevin Riley took the job, then lost it to senior Nate Longshore for a pair of games, only to regain it last week in their 41-20 drubbing of UCLA. Riley will need to remain consistent and protect the ball against a Duck defense that can be opportunistic.

Oregon’s offense also features a pair of dangerous running backs in Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount who lead a rush attack that totaled 300 plus yards three times in the last four games. However, the Ducks’ unstoppable force meets the Golden Bears’ immovable objects this week. California’s defense has held opposing runners to less than 100 yards per game, so it will certainly be very interesting to see which side blinks.

Both teams are within sight of the Pac-10 lead (or at least a share of it) and both need to win in order to keep pace with USC. This will be one of the most competitive games in college football this weekend and is far and away the most intriguing game in the Pac-10.

Washington State (1-7, 0-5 Pac-10) @ Stanford (4-4, 3-2 Pac-10)

Stanford still has to be trying to figure out what happened in their loss to UCLA on October 18, as they managed to collapse late in the fourth quarter. The defense couldn’t finish the game, allowing the Bruins to drive down the field, score and burn nearly all the time left on the clock.

Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard needs to start protecting the ball better and cut down on his interceptions, five of which have come in the last three games. In their last game he was abysmal, barely cresting 51 yards. He should against the terrible Cougar defense.

Even if Pritchard struggles, the Cardinal can turn to junior running back Toby Gerhart, who has been having a solid season, topping 100 yards five times in eight games Stanford. Gerhart will be the focus of this offense and it is unlikely Washington State will be able to stop him even if they know where the play is being run.

Arizona State (2-5, 1-3 Pac-10) @ Oregon State (4-3, 3-1 Pac-10)

Oregon State has played very well in conference, not dropping a game in Pac-10 play since losing the opener to Stanford 36-28.

This is a team not to be underestimated. Led by freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers (812yards, nine touchdowns) and junior quarterback Lyle Moevao (1,779 yards, 13 touchdowns to eight interceptions), Oregon State has multiple weapons to move the ball against an underwhelming Sun Devil team which can’t keep it’s best weapon – quarterback Rudy Carpenter – upright long enough to return from any real deficit.

Arizona State needs to do something to protect Carpenter and fast. The offensive line has to find a way to not only give him time to get the ball off, but cut down on the hits he takes even after he has released the rock. It would also be a big help if the ground game could get going again. Last week they tipped past 100 yards total rushing for the first time since they did it against UNLV way back on September 19.

If the Sun Devils cannot get the run going, defenses can either blanket Carpenter’s receivers or blitz the heck out of the line and that has been exactly what opponents have done. It’s no wonder Carpenter has been hurt the last few seasons. It’s amazing he’s still alive.

Oregon State is trying to make a run at the Pac 10 title and maybe a ranking. Arizona State is just trying to get back to respectable.

Pac-10 - The Week That Was - Week Four

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Arizona 31, UCLA 10
While the win eluded the now 1-2 Bruins, Coach Rick Neuheisel can at least be pleased with his team’s effort. UCLA fought hard, but in the end, nemesis Willie Tuitama led Arizona to victory over the Bruins for the third time in his collegiate career. Tuitama threw for 222 yards and his second touchdown of the day sealed the victory for the Wildcats. Quarterback Kevin Craft continued to get comfortable in a job he fell into due to injuries to the starters. While UCLA played better than they did in their drubbing by BYU, they were not quite as inspired as they were in their season opening win over Tennessee. Arizona on the other hand, starts conference play on a high note and will try to rebuild the momentum they lost in their defeat at the hands of New Mexico. The 'Cats have hopes of making their first bowl appearance under Coach Mike Stoops.

Washington State 48, Portland State 9
Washington State won the game 48-9, but may have paid too steep a price as quarterbacks Kevin Lopina and Gary Rogers (who left in an ambulance with neck pain) were injured in the game. Third-stringer Marshall Lobbestael not only stepped in but stepped up, throwing for a pair of touchdowns and 149 yards in just over a quarter. Cougar wide receivers Brandon Gibson (three receptions, 84 yards, one touchdown) and Devin Frischknecht (five receptions, 110 yards, one touchdown) both made the most of their opportunities. On the ground, running backs Dwight Tardy (80 yards, one touchdown) and Chris Ivory (78 yards, one touchdowns) split the carries (11 each) down the middle to good effect. Meanwhile, Portland State couldn’t get any run game going, totaling a paltry eight yards against the Cougars’ rush defense.

#3 Georgia 27, Arizona State 10
Georgia left no doubt in the desert, that they were national title contenders with a sound win over Arizona State. A complete turnaround from last week’s squeaker against South Carolina, the Bulldogs ran out to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter and never looked back. Georgia kept tremendous pressure on ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter, sacking him four times. They also locked down the Sun Devil run game. Sun Devil running backs compiled a mere four yards. With no threat of the run, the Georgia secondary was free to roam the field and shut down Carpenter’s receivers, while the linebackers blitzed at will. Carpenter found himself scrambling on most plays, trying to keep the play alive long enough to find an open target, often to no avail. Defensively, the Sun Devils stifled Bulldog running back Knowshon Moreno for part of the game, but in the end could not fully contain him, as he scored twice and totaled 149 yards. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford also had a very effective day, compiling 285 yards and one touchdown through the air.

Stanford 23, San Jose State 10
Stanford had to battle back from a halftime deficit and running back Toby Gerhart was their leader as the Cardinal beat the San Jose State Spartans 23-10. Gerhart carried the ball 22 times for 148 yards and a touchdown, while struggling quarterback Tavita Pritchard scrambled for 40 yards and a touchdown, adding a 25-yard “catch” of his own deflected pass. Stanford gets back to even after dropping two in a row.

Boise State 37, #17 Oregon 32
Going in, the Ducks needed to limit mistakes and not fall behind, they did neither. Oregon quarterbacks threw three interceptions and Boise State ran out to a 24-6 first half lead. A late surge by the Ducks was not enough this time, as Broncos’ signal caller Kellen Moore threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns in the freshman’s first career start on the road. Jeremiah Masoli was the latest Ducks quarterback to fall to injury, as he exited the game in the first quarter with a mild concussion. This forced headman Mike Bellotti to utilize three quarterbacks with very little success until freshman Darron Thomas, the fourth quarterback used this season, came onto the field for the final stanza. Thomas gave the passing attack some bite, as he threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns in just one quarter of work. This was Boise State’s first road win against a BCS-conference team in the program’s history.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Pac-10 Week Four Preview

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Arizona @ UCLA
Both teams are in need of a win in order to right ships that just a week ago appeared strong and sturdy. Before the Wildcats suffered a tough loss to New Mexico, quarterback Willie Tuitama was playing mistake free football. He needs to put his two interception performance against New Mexico behind him, because a shaky Bruins’ secondary lies in the waters ahead. They also need tailback Nic Grigsby to revert to form as well—he totaled 304 yards and five touchdowns. On the other side of the field, Coach Rick Neuheisel is wondering just which team is going to show up this weekend. The fighting, clawing, ‘never say die’ scrappers from the victory against Tennessee, or the not quite ready for prime time players that got blown out by BYU? Sadly, it is probably more the latter than the former. Quarterback Kevin Craft cut down on his mistakes against BYU, but still has a long way to go as a starter. That goes for the team around him as well. After the embarrassing loss last week, it may be all the coaching staff can do to keep the kids focused on this game and not last week’s. While UCLA is not as good as they were week one, they are not as bad as week two, and Arizona is no BYU. That said, the Wildcats will still have an edge in nearly every aspect of this game (other than home field) and should be the victors in this match-up.

#2 Georgia @ Arizona State
A week ago, Arizona St. was thinking about perhaps beating Georgia and making a statement. While they were doing that, their foot came off the gas and UNLV took advantage. Despite Georgia’s not-exactly-strong win against South Carolina, the Bulldogs come in heavily favored to win while ASU is still trying to figure out what happened last week. The key to this game for both sides comes down to one man – Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter. If the offensive line can keep him from being hammered by the Bulldog defensive line, Carpenter should be able to exploit a secondary that is second to last in the SEC, allowing 236.3 yards per game. Arizona State is putting over 300 passing yards on the board each week. The Sun Devils have allowed just five sacks so far this year – and enormous improvement – and the Dawgs have amassed only six on defense, so keeping Carpenter is a possibility. The senior signal caller attempted 23 passes last week, while the team ran 36 times—the first time this season the team ran more than it passed. But it didn’t get the job done, as the rushing attack was only able to garner 3.6 yards per attempt and couldn’t kill the clock before UNLV got back in the game. In order to win, Carpenter needs to have a big game, and to do that he needs to be standing.

Meanwhile, Georgia will need better production from star running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Like ASU’s offensive line, the Bulldog line is under the microscope. They must protect Stafford better after allowing South Carolina to get to him four times last week. The Sun Devils defense will try to repeat South Carolina’s success at stumping Stafford and stuffing Moreno, but the run defense will have to stop the bleeding after allowing 100+ yards in both of the last two games. That will be a tall challenge, with the talented sophomore coming in with something to prove. ASU has been good against the pass in this young season, but Stafford will put that to the test in the first top end challenge the Sun Devils will face.

If Coach Dennis Erickson’s boys upfront can protect Carpenter, they might make a game of this and perhaps bounce back into the rankings. But if Georgia can keep the pressure on and Moreno can rebound from his lackluster game last week, Georgia could make it a long evening in Tempe for the hometown team.

Portland State @ Washington State
I hesitate to say that Washington State should be able to beat Portland given last weekend’s events. Still, this is a bounce-back game for the Cougars and they should be able to win at home. The Cougars will be looking to reboot their season against Portland State, but need the defense to play better after having been manhandled in the first three games. Meanwhile, the offense needs to cut down on turnovers. Six interceptions from the quarterback position is too many, as they have continually put the defense behind the 8-ball and on the field more often than they can handle.

San Jose State @ Stanford
San Jose State comes to Stanford with an offense that moves the ball well, but is not as effective getting into the end zone. Stanford does a better job of scoring, but so do their opponents. This combination could spell disaster for the Cardinal, if the Spartans pick up their game in the red zone. While they looked good beating Oregon State, Stanford has been beaten handily over the last two games. San Jose State dropped their one big test at Nebraska, but otherwise has kept their opponents putting up points. The Cardinal should model their game on Nebraska’s and attack with the pass.

Boise State @ #17 Oregon
After an overtime comeback against Purdue last Saturday, the Ducks host Boise State with starting quarterback Justin Roper sidelined. Tailbacks LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson will try to keep the dynamic offense moving on the ground, while Boise State will trot out running back Ian Johnson and wide receiver Titus Young to carry their offense. Oregon will likely turn to Jeremiah Masoli to carry the quarterback load, though true freshman Chris Harper may get some work as well. Regardless, the run game will be pivotal for the Ducks, as they try to limit their inexperienced quarterbacks. Boise State boasts a defense ranked 28th in the nation, giving up just 257 yards a game. They will try to put the Oregon offense in passing situations, turn on the pressure, and try to create turnovers, just as they did last week against Bowling Green. Oregon cannot afford to get behind this week, the way they did against Purdue. Boise State is also capable of explosive offensive play and if they get out in front by a bunch, the game will be in the hands of Oregon’s quarterbacks. Something the Ducks do not want to happen.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

CFI RANKINGS: #16 ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS

2007 RECORD: 10-3; PAC-10: 7-2
Lost Holiday Bowl vs. Texas 52-34
LOCATION: Tempe, Arizona
STADIUM: Sun Devil Stadium (71,706)
HEAD COACH: Dennis Erickson
OVERALL: 158-68-1 (19 seasons)
AT ARIZONA ST.: 10-3 (1 season)

Are you a “glass half full” kind of person? The Sun Devils reached double figures in wins for the first time since 1996. They reached No. 6 in late October…the last time ASU was that highly thought of was also in 1996. Their final ranking of No. 16 in the AP Poll was their highest finish since they were ranked No. 14 in 1997’s final poll. And they did all that in Dennis Erickson’s first season! Now, here’s a little something for the “glass half empty” people in the crowd: The Sun Devils allowed 55 sacks last season and they lost to their three toughest opponents—USC, Oregon and Texas. Those were their only opponents that finished the season ranked in the Coaches Poll (Oregon St. did finish No. 25 in the AP Poll).

WHEN THE SUN DEVILS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Rich Olson (2nd Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 6
KEY LOSSES: Mike Polack, Ryan Torain, Rudy Burgess, Brent Miller, Brandon Rodd

Rudy Carpenter isn’t the perfect quarterback—he doesn’t have prototypical size or arm strength, and he tends to hold on to the football too long. However, he gets the job done. A feisty leader in the huddle, Carpenter makes things happen. In Michael Jones, Carpenter has a weapon to stretch the field with, while Chris McGaha is a sure-handed possession receiver. In the backfield they are deep, led by senior Keegan Herring, whose shiftiness and speed make him dangerous in the open field. Junior Dimitri Nance is the power back, while Shaun DeWitty (also a Jr.) provides a little of both. All the pieces are in place for ASU to have one of the top offenses in the country, as long as the offensive line doesn’t allow Carpenter to get beat up again. The offensive line’s struggles are well-documented and they must improve.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) RB Keegan Herring (SR), 2) QB Rudy Carpenter (SR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Craig Bray (2nd Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 7
KEY LOSSES: Justin Tryon, Josh Barrett, Robert James

They are set at defensive end with Pac-10 honorees junior Dexter Davis (Second Team) and senior Luis Vazquez (Honorable Mention)—Davis is the better pass rusher, Vazquez is the stouter of the two. In the middle, sophomore Jonathan English could make a difference if he breaks into the starting lineup. The defensive line could be a stronger and deeper unit overall than it was a year ago. At linebacker, Travis Goethel is their leading returning tackler with Mike Nixon ready to step up and play a bigger role in the middle. They lose cover man Justin Tryon and athletic safety Josh Barrett, but with ball hawking free safety Troy Nolan and sensational sophomore corner Omar Bolden back, their secondary is solid.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) CB Omar Bolden (SO), 2) DE Dexter Davis (JR)

THE SCHEDULE

The Sun Devils should start out 3-0, but then they will be put to the test…beginning with their match-up with No. 1 ranked Georgia, who makes the trip to the desert. As if that’s not tough enough, ASU follows that up with a pair of West Coast trips of their own, playing at Cal and at USC. Last season, Dennis Erickson led them to an 8-0 start—this time they’d do well to be 3-2 after five games. They also play host to Oregon and travel to Oregon St. in what could be a defining five-game mid-season stretch.

PIVOTAL POINT

Offensive Line: The big uglies in the desert are probably tired of hearing the number 55. Until they do a better job of protecting their quarterback, they will continue to hear the comments and questions. Even with the loss of C Mike Pollack, their best lineman, there is reason for hope. The key is sophomore left tackle Jon Hargis—the man charged with protecting Carpenter’s blind side. Hargis is athletic and according to reports is looking more comfortable on the offensive side of the ball after making a couple of starts on the defensive line as a freshman. If they were able to average 32.3 points per game last season, who knows how explosive they can be if the line play improves?

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

The Sun Devils will be better…because their offensive line can’t be worse. Carpenter should excel in his second year playing in the system of Coach Erickson and OC Rich Olson. Defensively, expect a more aggressive unit that should feel more comfortable. It’s not common for a team to start out 8-0 with a new headman and that raises expectations in year two. However, asking ASU to post a better record this season seems a rather tall task. A repeat of 10 wins or even nine seem more realistic, but should not be viewed as a lack of progress.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Booty, No. 11 USC Keep Rose Bid Alive

By ANDREW BAGNATO
AP College Football Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Pete Carroll is an optimist. So even after his Southern California team lost twice, including an unimaginable upset by Stanford, the coach kept insisting the Trojans had a shot at the Rose Bowl. The 11th-ranked Trojans made that clear in a 44-24 rout of No. 7 Arizona State on Thursday night, reviving their bid for an unprecedented sixth straight Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth.

John David Booty threw for 375 yards and matched a career high with four touchdown passes, and the Trojans defense dominated.

``I've been ringing the bell for that in our locker room and our meeting rooms for a while,'' Carroll said. ``It ain't over yet.''

Southern California (9-2, 6-2 Pac-10) will win the Pac-10 if it beats UCLA on Dec. 1 and Oregon loses to UCLA or Oregon State.

The Trojans need help to earn a trip to Pasadena. They needed no help in dismantling the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2).

``This was a really, really sweet win,'' Carroll said. ``I think it's a great statement for our guys. They know now what we're capable of doing.''

The Rose Bowl seemed an unlikely destination after then-No. 2 USC, a 41-point favorite, lost 24-23 to Stanford on Oct. 6 in one of college football's biggest stunners. But now, the talented Trojans are rolling again.

``People kind of counted us out, especially with the early loss to Stanford,'' said Booty, who also ran for a 1-yard score. ``We know what we're all about.''

USC's defense overwhelmed Arizona State, sacking Rudy Carpenter six times and briefly knocking him out of the game with a cut lip. Defensive end Lawrence Jackson had four sacks, most in a game by a Trojans player since 1989.

``They came to hit tonight,'' Carpenter said. ``I think tonight, we were overmatched.''

Southern California broke open a 17-all game with 10 points in the final 5 minutes of the first half, then pulled away from the Sun Devils with 17 more points in the third quarter.

Booty hit Joe McKnight for a 7-yard touchdown midway through the quarter, then connected with Fred Davis for a 34-yard score on fourth-and-2 to give USC a 44-17 lead entering the fourth.

Booty had missed three games with a broken finger and played inconsistently at times. But he was sharp and confident from the start on Thursday night, completing his first seven passes.

``The individual showing from John David was just perfectly timed,'' Carroll said. ``He's back now. He's ready to go. He comes up with a huge night.''

ASU has staged some stirring rallies this season but the Sun Devils had no chance against USC's defense, which allows 16 points per game - sixth in the nation. The Trojans limited ASU to 16 yards on 35 rushes.

It was USC's eighth straight win over Arizona State.

``We didn't play good,'' ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. ``It's sad.

``We just did not play like I thought we would in a game like this,'' Erickson said. ``No excuses. We just didn't do what we needed to do.''

Arizona State trailed 17-7 midway through the first quarter. It was the sixth time the Sun Devils have faced a double-digit deficit in the opening quarter, and they rallied to win four times.

The Trojans opened the game with a seven-play, 51-yard touchdown drive, scoring on a 4-yard pass from Booty to Vidal Hazelton. Booty was 6-for-6 for 45 yards on the opening drive.

ASU answered with a 98-yard kickoff return by Rudy Burgess to tie it 7-all. It was only the second kickoff return for a touchdown by a Sun Devils player at home in the past 21 years.

The Trojans scored the next 10 points, but then the Sun Devils woke up.

ASU cut it to 17-14 on a 4-yard pass from Carpenter to Michael Jones, and Thomas Weber's 25-yard field goal tied it at 17 early in the second quarter.

But USC reeled off the next 27 points, and the Sun Devils didn't score again until they blocked a punt at USC's 20-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

``We just happened to catch them when they played like one of the best teams in the country,'' Erickson said.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Arizona State's Herring nominated for FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award

DALLAS (FWAA) – Arizona State's Keegan Herring has been nominated for the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the 2007 season. Herring, a junior running back, is playing this season despite the deaths of three family members and a close friend in the last few months.
Herring's father, Freeman, died last February. Herring's sister, Denisha Washington, died last June. An aunt died two days later, and a friend soon after.

"Life is not easy right now," Herring told the Arizona Republic last August. "I'm trying to be there for my team, even though I'm still hurting inside."

Although Herring, who was a standout as a freshman in 2005, when he broke the Sun Devils' freshman rushing record, began the 2007 season as a backup, but when Ryan Torain was injured at midseason, he came through. He has 659 yards and four touchdowns as Arizona State has forged an 8-1 record.

My dad always told me you've got the heart of a lion, so that's what I'm always carrying," Herring told the newspaper. "A lot of people say they've got to transport their mind to being hard, aggressive and thinking about the people they love that pass away. That's what I'm going to try to do - take all of my anger and my emotions and try to get it out. Just play football, but now I've got a little bit more heart into it."

For the second straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the FedEx Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award will be announced in December and be presented with the trophy.

CFI: SUN DEVILS HOPE TO SINK DUCKS

BY ARTHUR DiCESARE
PAC-10 INSIDER

The fifth-ranked Ducks and fourth-ranked Sun Devils meet in a pivotal match up at Autzen Stadium on Saturday as each program looks to move closer to a conference title and potential BCS berth. You could make the case that this is the biggest game for each program in ten plus years. The showdown features the top two scoring offenses in the Pac-10. The early edge would have to go towards Oregon due to home field advantage, one of the top-rated offenses in the country, and the fact that they have the best two players in the game in quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart.

The big story all week has been about Rudy Carpenter who was unable to throw in practice Tuesday due to swelling in his sprained right thumb. Carpenter was able to throw on Thursday and Coach Erickson expects the thumb to be no problem come game day. This game has all the makings of an old fashion Texas shootout via Eugene. Oregon with its dynamic spread offense and an Arizona State offense, which relies on balance but has the ability to strike quick with six touchdowns of forty plus yards.

Oregon will rely on their raucous crowd to force Arizona State into some costly penalties, Arizona State averages seven penalties a game. The crowd will help energize the defense that will look to force some key turnovers. Dennis Dixon who will once again be working without two of his top receivers and has only thrown three picks on the season will have to be wary of Arizona States opportunistic secondary that boasts the two top interception leaders in the conference. Arizona State is also limiting opponents to 15.6 points per game best in the Pac-10 and seventh in the nation. I expect Oregon to try and control the game with back Jonathan Stewart, look for him to carry the ball 25 plus times.

Arizona State will use its balance to attack Oregon; quarterback Rudy Carpenter has a two-back system that has both backs on pace for 900 yards. Carpenter also spreads the ball around to his receivers nicely with four receivers having 20 plus catches. Arizona State will have to avoid a trend of getting into early double-digit defects, which they have done three times this year including last week against Cal. Those three games all came at home and eventually turned into wins. Oregon is too talented and their crowd is too strong to allow Arizona State to coast early and come back late.

Arizona State- Oregon is college football’s game of the week, which has BCS implications involved. Many teams around the country will be very interested in the result of this game. I look forward to an exciting game that will feature a little bit of everything and if these are two teams you have not seen you are in for a treat. Both teams are extremely well-coached and have talent and toughness throughout their rosters. The big time playmakers in the back field for Oregon should be the difference and will help the Ducks pull away late, Oregon continues its march towards the Pac-10 crown 31-20.

PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

ASU QB Carpenter unable to throw during practice due to sprained right thumb

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter was unable to throw in practice Tuesday due to swelling in his sprained right thumb.

But coach Dennis Erickson said Carpenter is almost certain to play when the sixth-ranked Sun Devils visit No. 4 Oregon on Saturday.

Carpenter took snaps and handed off but didn't throw Tuesday, his first practice since he sprained the thumb handing off to tailback Keegan Herring in a 31-20 victory over California last weekend.

``He couldn't throw,'' Erickson said. ``His thumb swelled up. It bothers him a little bit.''

Erickson reacted with disbelief when asked if there was any chance Carpenter would sit out against the Ducks.

``He'll play,'' Erickson said. ``I would be shocked if he didn't come out throwing by Thursday, but I'm not a doctor.''

Carpenter didn't speak to reporters.

If Carpenter can't play, the Sun Devils would turn to sophomore Danny Sullivan, who has completed 11 of 14 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty this season.

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES