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Arizona State Sun Devils

4-8, 6-5 ATS, 9th Place in Pac-10

Odds to Win 2010 BCS Championship: +20000 at Bookmaker Sportsbook

Head coach Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils were Pac-10 co-champions just three years ago. Since then, it has been a steady decline to the bottom of the league. Now, the team is missing several leaders and will have to rebuild behind a new quarterback and a new offensive scheme.

Offensive Outlook: Quarterback Danny Sullivan was a disappointment to Sun Devils fans. He completed just 53.8 percent of his passes for 1,939 yards, ten scores, and nine picks, leading the nation’s 90th ranked offense. Now that Sullivan has graduated, there are two players competing to replace him. Backup Brock Osweiler completed 24 of 55 passes for 249 yards, two scores, and two interceptions as a freshman last year. The favorite, however, is Michigan transfer Steven Threet. Threet started eight games in 2008 for the Wolverines, compiling 1,105 yards, nine touchdowns, and seven picks. The team’s top two wide receivers have also graduated. Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha both caught 57 balls and combined for 12 scores. Their departure gives junior Gerell Robinson a chance to show off his talent. Senior Kerry Taylor will also move up the depth chart and get a great chance to add to last year’s 259 yards on 22 catches. As if losing their top receivers and starting quarterback isn’t enough, the Sun Devils also lose top running back Dimitri Nance. Nance scored six times and gained 795 yards on 188 carries. Sophomore Cameron Marshall is the favorite to replace him. With so many question marks, this offense is going to need major time to put everything together.

Defensive Outlook: Last year’s defense was the upside of the Sun Devils. The team allowed a 13th best 297.6 yards per game and a 26th best 21.1 points per game. Opposing quarterbacks were sacked 23 times and converted a mere 29.7% of third downs. A key loss is safety Jarrell Holman, who led the unit with three interceptions. The depth at linebacker and safety remains, with several juniors on the roster. Expect this unit to remain strong, but with an unstable offense, the pressure to perform may be greater than usual.

The Final Word: Arizona State is looking at a second straight year in the Pac-10 basement. The offense, at the very least, is in disarray, with no returning leaders. It will take time for the new pieces to gel and the defense will be charged with propping them up in the meantime. The schedule is no help either, with three of the team’s first four conference games on the road.

2010 Arizona State Sun Devils Prediction: 3-9, 9th place in Pac-10

2010 Arizona State Sun Devils Schedule
9/4 Portland State
9/11 Northern Arizona
9/18 @ Wisconsin
9/25 Oregon
10/2 @ Oregon State
10/9 @ Washington
10/30 Washington State
11/6 @ USC
11/13 Stanford
11/26 UCLA
12/2 @ Arizona