ARIZONA STATE FOOTBALL

ASU’s Herm Edwards: ‘Aura of the team is different, you just feel it’

Feb 16, 2021, 11:17 AM

ASU football head coach Herm Edwards interviews with Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports ...

ASU football head coach Herm Edwards interviews with Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Feb. 10, 2020. (Matt Layman/Arizona Sports)

(Matt Layman/Arizona Sports)

A new year brings a renewed sense of optimism for the Arizona State Sun Devils football team.

After the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season left ASU with only a 2-2 record, head coach Herm Edwards is confident in what the 2021 Sun Devils can bring to the table as he heads into his fourth year at the helm.

“I knew I was going to have fun, but I never knew it would be this much fun,” told Arizona Sports’ Doug & Wolf on Tuesday.

“Especially when you say four years and you’ve watched the growth of the team and the type of players that we’re able to recruit now and just the foundation that we’ve built over the last four years. It’s headed in the right direction.”

The head coach revealed that the first official practice of spring ball will be on March 3.

Edwards said he was watching conditioning drills and could see the leadership and maturity from his players, especially those that started as freshmen in the head coach’s first two years at ASU.

“The team runs it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” he added. “The players on the team are holding each other accountable and it’s like they’re growing up, they figured it out.”

Edwards mentioned that there’s an “aura” on the defensive side of the ball going into next season, as the Sun Devils will have the most experience they’ve ever had under defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce.

“We have a lot of guys that can come back. You feel comfortable when you watch them line up,” Edwards said. “These guys have played with each other a lot and they have a little aura about them right now.

“Now we still have to go out and do it — there’s a lot of road to still travel — but the aura of the team is different, you just feel it.”

On the offensive side of things, Edwards watched a simulated practice on Monday in which the team didn’t actually have a football, but still lined up and ran the offense at full speed.

“The quick movement and the pace — it was interesting that all of a sudden, they were just able to flow,” he said. “The offense looked like they had done this before. You can just tell in the confidence in the players that those four games were important. That season was important to us to establish that.”

And with all the hype surrounding the 2021 Arizona State football team, Edwards hopes to once again play in front of a raucous crowd at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

“We miss them. We miss their passion. We miss the excitement of them being in the stands. There were a few last year, but we want to get it going again,” he said. “I think everything that they’re hearing and reading right now, they’re excited about watching us. We don’t want to disappoint them, but we need their support.

“We cannot wait until that crowd walks back into that stadium because there’s nothing quite like it. When that thing is full, those fans, they’re a 12th player for us to be quite honest. And we missed them. I missed them last year, I truly missed them.”

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona State Football

Head coach Kenny Dillingham...

Vincent DeAngelis

Defense stands out at Arizona State football spring practice with ‘attack the ball’ mentality

The Arizona State defensive line has impressed head coach Kenny Dillingham and defensive coordinator Brian Ward early in spring practice.

2 hours ago

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham reacts during the second half of the team's NCAA college footb...

Vincent DeAngelis

Kenny Dillingham talks Jaden Rashada injury, revamped roster ahead of spring ball

ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham addressed quarterback Jaden Rashada's injury, revamped roster and NIL ahead of start of spring ball

6 days ago

Jaden Rashada on the football field...

Arizona Sports

Report: ASU’s Jaden Rashada dealing with thumb injury, will miss spring ball

ASU's Jaden Rashada won't be a full participant in spring ball due to a thumb injury on his throwing hand suffered earlier in the year.

7 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: What is Bobby Hurley’s future at Arizona State?

On the latest State of the Sun Devil podcast the guys react to the end of men's basketball season, and wonder what the future of the program will be and how the offseason will unfold. Plus, reactions to football's pro day.

13 days ago

ASU football field...

Dan Bickley

Arizona State reaches rock bottom at end of Pac-12 stay

Rock bottom is mostly a metaphor, a cliché for sports teams that have fallen and can’t get up. But you can find it on the map at ASU.

14 days ago

Michael Crow, Arizona State University president...

Kevin Zimmerman

Now would be a good time for Arizona State to hire an athletic director

Who's to make a decision on Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley without an athletic director? Michael Crow must make a decision soon.

14 days ago

ASU’s Herm Edwards: ‘Aura of the team is different, you just feel it’