Arizona State Sun Devils

Tempe, AZ – Through seven games in 2013, ASU 5-2 (3-1) sits atop the Pac-12 South.

With the toughest part of the schedule behind them, the Devils feel confident going into their final five conference games. However, the competition is tough: Washington St., Utah, Oregon St., UCLA and Arizona.

We are at what is hopefully the perfect half-way mark of 2013. Because to play seven more games, the Devils will have to win the PAC-12 South title which would ensure a 13th game in the PAC-12 Championship. Then win or lose, game #14 will come in the form of a Bowl game. 

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Looking back a year ago, one thing can’t be overstated about 2012. In one year, new Head Coach Todd Graham’s staff and team who “bought in” established a new identity for Sun Devil Football, finishing 8-5 including three straight Wins and ASU’s victory in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

There’s truth in the old cliche, “To know where you’re going, you have to know from where you came.”

Let’s look back at key developments from the first seven games of 2012, when the Sun Devils sat at exactly the same record that they are at now, 5-2 (3-1).

Game #1, Aug. 30, 2012 – ASU vs. NAU: W, 63-6

• Marion Grice led all rushers with 107 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns 
• The Sun Devils rushed for a combined 305 yards on 51 attempts (5.98 per attempt) 
• Taylor Kelly made his first career start going 15-19 for 247 yards and one touchdown. 
• Kelly also rushed six times for 43 yards. 
• Brandon Magee made two tackles and one interception, which he returned 45 yards for a touchdown. It was his first and only career pick six.  
• ASU allowed 237 total yards (88 rushing, 149 passing) 

Game #2, Sept. 8, 2012 – ASU vs. Illinois: W, 45-14

#52 Carl Bradford pulls Illinois QB’s Jersey

• The Sun Devils forced three interceptions, two from linebacker Carlos Mendoza. 
• A shoulder injury would end Mendoza’s season against the Illini 
• QB Michael Eubank threw five passes completing all of them for 69 yards and tossing two touchdowns. 
• Eubank also ran seven times for 51 yards and another score. 
• TE Chris Coyle hauled in 10 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
• ASU sacked Illinois six times for -35 yards. 
• ASU racked up 510 total yards of offense, (192 rush, 318 pass)

Game #3, Sept. 15, 2012 – ASU at Missouri: L, 20-24 

• Taylor Kelly was 14 for 23 passing for 178 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. 
• Kelly had a team-high 15 rushes for 59 yards. 
• The Sun Devils were held to 113 yards rushing, their second lowest total of the season. 
• LB Brandon Magee recorded his second interception in three games. 

  Utah’s two-time 1,000 yard rusher, John White, was shut down by ASU’s defense, gaining only 18 net yards on 14 carries.

• Magee led all Sun Devils with 12 total tackles. 
• ASU controlled time of possession, holding the ball for 34:51 to Missouri’s 25:09 
• The Sun Devils were lights-out on third down, allowing Missouri to convert only twice in 12 attempts. 

Game #4, Sept. 22, 2012 – ASU vs. Utah: W, 37-7

Freshman RB, #8 D.J. Foster

• Utah’s two-time 1,000 yard rusher, John White, was shut down by ASU’s defense, gaining only 18 net yards on 14 carries.  
• ASU’s defense allowed only 129 yards of total offense. 
• The defense only allowed two drives of more than 26 yards. 
• 21 of ASU’s 37 points came in the first quarter. 
• QB Taylor Kelly threw 326 yards on 19 completions as well as three touchdowns and one interception. 
• RB D.J. Foster rushed a team-high seven times and 70 yards as well as catching one pass for 26 yards. 
• LB Brandon Magee had a game-high 10 tackles as well as a forced fumble that he recovered. 

Game #5, Sept. 29, 2012 – ASU at Cal: W, 27-17

• ASU sacked Cal QB Zach Maynard seven times, tied for the most in a game all-season 
• DT Will Sutton and DE Junior Onyeali combined for five of the seven sacks.
• The Sun Devil offense ran a whopping 94 offensive plays for 409 yards. 
• Of those 94 plays, ASU ran the ball 48 times (51%) but only gained 116 yards (2.4 yards per rush) and didn’t score a rushing touchdown.
• K Alex Garoutte had a rough day going 2 for 5 on field goals, one of which was blocked.  
• ASU fumbled the ball three times but didn’t lose any of them.  
• WR Kevin Ozier caught three passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns. 

Game #6, Oct. 11, 2012 – ASU at Colorado: W, 51-17 

• The Sun Devils put on their second-best offensive performance of the year with 593 yards of total offense (261 rush, 332 pass) 
• Taylor Kelly passed for 308 yards on 20-28 passing and tossed five touchdowns.  
• RB Marion Grice did most of his damage as a receiver, catching five passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns. 
• RB Cameron Marshall rumbled for 98 yards on 13 carries. 
• RB D.J. Foster led the team with 132 all-purpose yards (61 rush, 71 receiving)
• LB Brandon Magee made a game-high nine solo tackles as well as sacking Colorado QB Jordan Webb twice 
• DT Will Sutton also chipped in two sacks. 

Game #7, Oct 18, 2012 – ASU vs. No. 2 Oregon: L, 21-43 

Sun Devil #10 Keelan Johnson jumping to block an Oregon Field goal

• ASU scored on its very first offensive play, a 28-yard strike from QB Taylor Kelly to WR Kevin Ozier. 
• ASU suffered demoralizing injuries to DT Will Sutton and DE Junior Onyeali in the first quarter.
• The Sun Devil defense was gashed for a season-high 406 rushing yards. 
• The Sun Devil defense gave up touchdown runs of 71 and 86 yards. 
• QB Taylor Kelly was 10 of 18 passing for 93 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was also sacked five times. 
• QB Michael Eubank didn’t fare much better, going 10 for 19 passing for 123 yards, one touchdown and two picks. 
• S Alden Darby led ASU in tackles with 12. 
• The Sun Devils outscored Oregon 14-0 in the second half but it was too little, too late by then. 

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There are certainly some similarities and differences between what ASU did in the first half of 2012 and what we have seen in 2013.

But the question is, will the 2013 Sun Devils push that rock further up the hill with their remaining schedule?