ASU Football Success has largely hinged on it’s defense these past two seasons. That old cliche, “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins games,” has merit. Just check in with the Super Bowl champion, Seattle Seahawks.

The defense clearly won the Seahawks this game in which they held the league’s top offense to an embarrassing 8 points. Seattle also scored 21 points off of four Denver turnovers yesterday, which included two pick-6’s in the first half.

Watching Seattle’s relentless pressure on Peyton Manning and the Bronco offense, I couldn’t help but be reminded of our Sun Devils’ defensive style these past two years.

ASU Football Success has revived football program has developed a reputation for dominating the turnover battle, a key factor in winning games. In fact in 2013, the Pac-12 South Champions finished at the top of the conference in turnover margin.

ASU Football Success

In 2012 and 2013, ASU defenses, led by Coach Graham and Coach Paul Randolph, forced a staggering 63 turnovers. How good was that? It was second most out of 120 teams. Of those 63 takeaways, they intercepted 42 passes, which was also good for second nationally.

OLB D.J. Calhoun to sign with the Sun Devils on Wednesday, Feb. 5

Last season alone, ASU Football Success could be attributed to amongst other things, 5 pick-6’s, which tied for best in the country. Compare that to the last three years under Coach Dennis Erickson in which ASU had only 4 interceptions returned for touchdowns.

In 2013 when ASU’s ball-hawks came off the field following a turnover, the Sun Devil offense also did it’s part. In all, the Devils outscored their opponents by 104 points (146-42) off of takeaways. Now get this – ASU’s 146 points on turnovers accounted for 22% of their total points on the season.

To put that into even more perspective, the Sun Devils scored the 11th most points in the country (just shy of 40 per game).

Despite losses on defense to graduation and the NFL draft, Coach Graham will not veer from the philosophy that Defense Wins Sun Devil Football Games.

Fourteen of Graham’s 25 verbal commitments to the 2014 class play on the defensive side of the ball. Of those, three are 4-Star high school recruits including linemen, Tashon Smallwood and Renell Wren, and linebacker, D.J. Calhoun.

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Want to prove you’re a DieHard Sun Devil and contribute to ASU Football Success? It’s simple. Join the Sun Devil Club.  -DieHard Devil