ASU looks ahead to Cal Golden Bears
Sep 25, 2012, 9:25 PM | Updated: 10:29 pm
Three and one.
It’s not perfect, but not a bad record. It’s almost right where you want to be. Three blowout wins, with a close loss mixed in to give players and coaches the motivation to improve their play on the field. As soon as some fundamental problems are solved, Arizona State could be a force to be reckoned within the Pac-12.
“Fundamentally, I would tell you is where we got to have the most improvement,” Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said in Monday’s press conference. “But I was really proud of them, because I’ve challenged them for several weeks and I thought they stepped up and met that challenge.”
ASU’s dominance on the football field was evident last Saturday, as they built an early 21-0 lead en route to a 37-7 win over Utah at Sun Devil Stadium.
ASU’s defense was solid and unyielding against Utah, allowing just seven points to the Utes after letting Missouri score 24 in the only loss of the young season. However, this week the defense has its hands full with Cal’s array of offensive weapons.
“This is by far, I think, in my opinion, the most talented offense that we’ve played,” Graham said, “I think this is far and away the biggest challenge for us defensively this week.”
Quarterback Zach Maynard, along with the rest of the offense, are a dynamic group of players that put pressure on the opposing defense. In the four games so far, Maynard has a 63.4 percent completion rate and four touchdowns with four interceptions.
Graham touted Cal’s wide receiver Keenan Allen, who has 29 receptions for 309 yards so far this season, saying that he is “one of the best receivers in the country.” Along with Allen, California has an electrifying trio of running backs that rival any in the Pac-12. Isi Sofele is the workhorse with 53 carries for 228 yards, while Brenden Bigelow has demonstrated incredible big play ability. The sophomore is averaging a mind-boggling 20.6 yards on 10 carries this season. And then there’s senior C.J. Anderson, who has also run for 157 yards on 28 carries.
“This is the best running attack that we’ve faced,” Graham said. “These guys got three running backs that are really quality.”
One player who is leading the relentless defense to stop the Golden Bears is Will Sutton. The junior from Corona, California has been dominant in 2012, registering 26 total tackles, a career-high six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
“The sky is the limit for him,” Graham said. “In four games I can’t imagine there is a defensive tackle in the country that has played better than Will Sutton has, so he’s been pretty good.”
ASU has had trouble with Cal, losing the last four games and eight out of the last nine. Arizona State hasn’t won in Berkeley since 1997.
