Arizona State athletic director Lisa Love made a calculated gamble when she hired Dennis Erickson. There was no question about Erickson’s coaching acumen. He’s won everywhere he’s been in college, with the exception of his one-year stint at Idaho. But Erickson came with a checkered past, both personally and in the manner in which his teams played.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Sun Devils

Dennis Erickson surprised a lot of people when he led the Sun Devils to a 10–3 record in 2007 and a berth against Texas in the Holiday Bowl. Erickson not only won more games than expected, but he also energized a fan base that had grown weary of ASU’s inconsistency under Dirk Koetter. Saturday nights at Sun Devil Stadium once again became the place to be. Erickson’s task will be much more difficult this season. He doesn’t have as favorable a schedule as he did in 2007, and there are serious questions to be answered on both the offensive line and at running back. Primarily, can the offensive line keep quarterback Rudy Carpenter upright? He and backup Danny Sullivan were sacked 55 times last season, and it was a miracle Carpenter started every game. In the backfield, Ryan Torain took his punishing style to the NFL, and Keegan Herring has yet to prove if he can stay healthy. If teams are not concerned about ASU’s ability to run the ball, they’ll tee off on Carpenter. The success Erickson had in ’07 has raised expectations, but ASU is still not a Pac-10 powerhouse. Given the tougher schedule and the fact the Devils won’t sneak up on anyone this fall, it wouldn’t be a surprise if ASU took a small step back.

Both those concerns were washed away in 2007. ASU won 10 games, Erickson stayed out of trouble and the Sun Devils played, for the most part, disciplined, smart football. The trick now will be to build on that success and move forward.

The pieces are there: ASU returns six starters offensively, including quarterback Rudy Carpenter, and seven on the defensive side of the ball.

The Sun Devils will score points; the question is whether they can make enough stops to win 10 games again. ASU ranked ninth in the Pac-10 in red zone defense last year and seventh in quarterback sacks with 29. Both those statistics need to improve if ASU hopes to play in a BCS game. The Sun Devils also will have to do a better job of protecting Carpenter, who took a beating in almost every game. It’s unlikely he’ll stay healthy for a second straight year if he’s sacked 50-plus times again.

But there’s more optimism surrounding the program than there has been in years. Now ASU has to prove it can beat college football’s elite teams. It was decisively beaten by the three best teams it played last year: Oregon, USC and Texas. “The biggest thing with us is just getting better,” Erickson says. “We had a decent year last year, but if we want to compete for a championship, we have to get better.”

Quarterbacks 

Carpenter is not the prototype quarterback. He holds onto the ball too long, he tends to overthrows receivers, and he has a low release point, leading to balls batted down at the line of scrimmage. But Carpenter, as unorthodox as he may be, gets the job done. He threw for 3,202 yards and 25 touchdowns last year and started every game despite being sacked a Pac-10-high 54 times. Carpenter is a fiery player who sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him. He angrily launched his helmet onto the field several times in 2007, causing some to suggest his temper was hurting the Sun Devils. But his outbursts never affected his play. Backup Danny Sullivan played well in the Holiday Bowl and will get the shot if Carpenter gets hurt. But keep an eye on redshirt freshman Samson Szakacsy, who impressed Erickson in spring ball.

Running backs

The departure of Ryan Torain to the NFL opens up the starting job, and there’s a possibility Erickson may employ a committee approach this season. Senior Keegan Herring is the top returning running back in the Pac-10, but he’s been bothered by assorted injuries throughout his career. Herring has the speed and agility to turn a 6-yard gain into a 60-yard touchdown, but he also has a habit of running east-to-west rather than attacking the line of scrimmage. Juniors Dimitri Nance and Shaun DeWitty are on call if Herring can’t stay healthy. Nance has more experience, but DeWitty is the more intriguing prospect. He was redshirted last year because ASU had a surplus of running backs, but he has the combination of size — 6'2", 217 pounds — and speed Erickson covets. DeWitty has to learn to run with a lower base so he’s not tackled as easily.

Receivers

Erickson plans to use more four- and five-wide receiver sets this season, and he has the depth at wideout to do it. This may be ASU’s deepest position, with two returning starters and a slew of talented youngsters. Junior Chris McGaha is arguably the best possession receiver in the country. He runs terrific routes and rarely drops a pass. He became Carpenter’s go-to receiver last year with 61 catches for 830 yards. Senior Michael Jones (10 TDs) is the big-play receiver, while junior Kyle Williams will replace Rudy Burgess as the slot receiver. The fourth spot should go to sophomore Kerry Taylor, who caught only eight passes last season but impressed the coaching staff with his athleticism and pass-catching ability. Redshirt freshman Dan Knapp could open some eyes at tight end and could eventually be the best player from the Sun Devils’ 2007 recruiting class.

Offensive linemen

This will be the most-watched position in the fall. ASU’s offensive line allowed 55 quarterback sacks last season, although some of those could be attributed to Carpenter holding onto the ball too long. The Sun Devils lost three starters along the front, including their best lineman, center Mike Pollak. One interesting experiment will involve the move of sophomore Jon Hargis to left tackle. Hargis came to ASU as an offensive lineman, then was switched to defense. But Erickson moved him back to offense in the spring, and he was starting at tackle and protecting Carpenter’s blind side. ASU signed two highly touted guards in Zach Schlink and Andrew Sampson, but it’s difficult for true freshmen to start on the offensive line. Erickson just has to hope his returning players do a better job pass blocking than they did last year.

Defensive linemen

ASU has the makings of an imposing defensive line. Ends Luis Vasquez and Dexter Davis combined for 15 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss. They might be the best bookends in the Pac-10, although Davis, at 252 pounds, is vulnerable against the run. A key will be the development of sophomore tackle Jonathan English. He had a tendency to take plays off as a freshman, but he lost 25 pounds in the offseason and has the potential to be a solid run-stopper. English and fellow tackles David Smith and Saia Falahola have to stay healthy and play well. ASU has some depth inside, but not a lot of talent. Freshman Lawrence Guy, one of Erickson’s most heralded recruits, could see playing time immediately.

Linebackers

ASU’s lack of speed among the linebacking corps was exposed in the Holiday Bowl last December when Texas’ Jamaal Charles rushed for 161 yards and routinely beat ASU’s defenders to the outside. To that end, Erickson has moved former safety Ryan McFoy to weak-side linebacker. McFoy will be undersized, but Erickson hopes he’ll be able to use his speed to roam sideline-to-sideline. The Devils do have depth returning in Travis Goethel, Gerald Munns, Morris Wooten and Mike Nixon, but with the exception of Goethel, they haven’t distinguished themselves as every-down players. If either Munns or Wooten can play well consistently at middle linebacker, and McFoy improves the overall athleticism of the unit, the linebacking corps could turn into a team strength.

Defensive backs

ASU lost two starters in safety Josh Barrett and cornerback Justin Tryon, but the two returning starters have a chance to be special players. Senior safety Troy Nolan was second-team All-Pac-10 last season and led the team with six interceptions. He could be an All-American and a high NFL draft pick. Sophomore cornerback Omar Bolden spurned USC for ASU and started as a freshman. He had only one interception, but he has the ability to be a shut-down corner. The other two starting spots are up for grabs. Senior Rodney Cox likely will start at safety, but he’s been a backup his entire career. And ASU needs to find a cornerback to pair with Bolden. Junior college transfer Terell Carr will get the first shot. ASU’s coaches are high on him, and they had better be right. There’s not much talent behind him.

Specialists

All Thomas Weber did as a redshirt freshman was make 24-of-25 field goal attempts and win the Lou Groza award. Weber also took over punting duties last season but ranked eighth in the Pac-10. ASU would be better served to find a punter so Weber can concentrate on placekicking. ASU’s return game is in good hands with Williams (9.7 yards per punt return in 2007).

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