How Bad are the 2008 Sun Devils? Historically Bad.
We knew this season was bad, and now we have a historical benchmark against which to compare the 2008 Sun Devils. Here’s a hint: We’re about to tie a record currently held by guys who represented this logo.
We knew things were going badly for the Sun Devils even before they dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday. Sometimes it helps to put these types of things in perspective before you, say, throw yourself off the Mill Avenue bridge.
Unfortunately, the historical precedent Arizona State is now approaching doesn’t exactly encourage us to back away from the edge. Quite the contrary. It turns out that ASU’s current five-game losing streak is tied for the second longest in program history.
As this chart illustrates, one more loss would tie the 2008 Sun Devils with the 1929 Arizona State Teachers College Bulldogs for the longest losing streak in program history.
| Year | Coach | Consecutive Losses |
| 1929 | Aaron McCreary | 6: UTEP, Arizona, NAU, Arizona, NAU, Loyola-Marymout |
| 1937 | Rudy Lavik | 5: Arizona, UCSB, San Diego Marines, NAU, New Mexico |
| 1947 | Ed Doherty | 5: UTEP, Arizona, W. Texas St., Nev., Hardin-Simmons |
| 1990 | Larry Marmie | 5: Missouri, Washington, California, Oregon, USC |
| 2001 | Dirk Koetter | 5: Washington, Oregon, Wash. St., Arizona, UCLA |
| 2008 | Dennis Erickson | 5: UNLV, Georgia, USC, Cal, Oregon |
So, where will the current streak stand when it finally ends? Five is wishful thinking as ASU is an 11-point underdog at Oregon State this weekend. Six is a possibility as we visit winless Washington next weekend, but we’re not counting out any team against our Sun Devils this year.
This year’s streak is especially frustrating when one considers the team’s stunning performance last year, our high hopes entering the season and the sudden success of our rivals down South. To paraphrase Erickson after Saturday’s game, we’re getting “out-everythinged” by our Division I-A opponents.
It’s too bad we couldn’t schedule a home-and-home against NAU this year like they did in 1929.
What’s your take, Sun Devils?
Can you recall a more depressing time to be a fan of Sun Devil football? If so, drop a line in the comments below.
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And here’s another look at Oregon’s LaGarrette Brown literally rolling over ASU defender Lawrence Guy on the way to a very strange touchdown on Saturday.
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