Echo from the Buttes: A Sun Devil Sports Blog for ASU Students and Grads, Sun Devil Fans and Residents of Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Maricopa County
I think Burfict’s number in HS is #7. Check out his myspace page. He boldly predicts where only John Cooper has predicted before… ASU and National Titles. Long live the Taze.
Matt – Whether right or wrong about how ASU is handling the scheduling, I believe that ASU should position themselves to contend for the PAC 10 title on an annual basis. So, we are on the same page there. The question is whether playing ULM or BYU helps us accomplish that goal.
Based on the parody that we have seen in college football over the last two or three years, I don’t believe that any game is a gimmie anymore. I think we can ask Rudy Carpenter about UNLV, Michigan about Appalaichan St, West Virginia about East Carolina, and Pitt about Bowling Green.
That said, I believe that a young team like we will have next year will potentially benefit more from a game against ULM (hence the spirit of my comments yesterday) as opposed to BYU for the simple reason that we can continue to work on building the confidence of a young qb and execute the running game against a weaker foe in preparation for the Georgia game and conference play.
Then, again, we won’t know that until the end of next season whether ASU made a good scheduling decision or not. If we are all writing to this blog complaining because we didn’t make a BCS Bowl game as a result of the computerized scoring, then, yes, it will be difficult to swallow that ASU canceled the BYU game. But, then again, hindsight is 20-20.
I believe there are lots of reasons for our mediocrity over the last 20 years (i.e. average coaching, average recruiting, and average to below average in-state talent). Obviously Kush wasn’t perfect in terms of how he ran the program… hence ASU being on probation in the early 80s as a result; however, he did make ASU attractive to recruits from out of State. Likewise, we typically had a top 5 defense nationally and was nationally ranked on a yearly basis.
I think the state of the football program is that we are ultimately building something that can contend for the Pac 10 title on an annual basis. Personally, I would have really liked to see us play BYU because it would have been a fun game to watch: their offense vs. our improving defense. My concern is if BYU got into a groove offensively, would our offense be able to keep up with them in a high scoring game? Would a loss have the same impact that the UNLV loss had this past season when we were nationally ranked? With an untested QB and running game, we don’t know the answer to that. Who knows?? Both could be stellar.
When I look at the schedule, I would like to have two big wins under our belt before we head into Georgia. Having BYU, then a bye week before Georgia probably would not have been what the doctor would have ordered considering the youth that we have on our team. A win at Georgia will have a greater impact on our program than a win at home vs. BYU and a loss at Georgia would… Just my opinion, though!
Although not as sexy, I think we are better off having ULM and Idaho St. on our schedule prior to Georgia as opposed to having BYU in the equation. After all, we will have a green QB and will be retooling an ineffective running game. I would rather put those two things to the test against those two teams vs. throwing our new troops into fire and possibly flush the rest of the season down the toilet with a really bad loss to BYU.
Video: Chandler Running Back Taylor Walstad Commits to ASU
March 4th, 2009 at 8:39 pmI have heard good things about Marshall… but who knows how that will translate from HS to college.
Video: Chandler Running Back Taylor Walstad Commits to ASU
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:18 amCan’t wait to see Osweiler and him in our backfield.
It’s Signing Day: Expect the Unexpected—Even from Vontaze Burfict
February 8th, 2009 at 9:44 amI think Burfict’s number in HS is #7. Check out his myspace page. He boldly predicts where only John Cooper has predicted before… ASU and National Titles. Long live the Taze.
BYU A.D. Says ASU Chickened Out of Canceled Football Game
January 8th, 2009 at 4:58 pmMatt – Whether right or wrong about how ASU is handling the scheduling, I believe that ASU should position themselves to contend for the PAC 10 title on an annual basis. So, we are on the same page there. The question is whether playing ULM or BYU helps us accomplish that goal.
Based on the parody that we have seen in college football over the last two or three years, I don’t believe that any game is a gimmie anymore. I think we can ask Rudy Carpenter about UNLV, Michigan about Appalaichan St, West Virginia about East Carolina, and Pitt about Bowling Green.
That said, I believe that a young team like we will have next year will potentially benefit more from a game against ULM (hence the spirit of my comments yesterday) as opposed to BYU for the simple reason that we can continue to work on building the confidence of a young qb and execute the running game against a weaker foe in preparation for the Georgia game and conference play.
Then, again, we won’t know that until the end of next season whether ASU made a good scheduling decision or not. If we are all writing to this blog complaining because we didn’t make a BCS Bowl game as a result of the computerized scoring, then, yes, it will be difficult to swallow that ASU canceled the BYU game. But, then again, hindsight is 20-20.
I believe there are lots of reasons for our mediocrity over the last 20 years (i.e. average coaching, average recruiting, and average to below average in-state talent). Obviously Kush wasn’t perfect in terms of how he ran the program… hence ASU being on probation in the early 80s as a result; however, he did make ASU attractive to recruits from out of State. Likewise, we typically had a top 5 defense nationally and was nationally ranked on a yearly basis.
BYU A.D. Says ASU Chickened Out of Canceled Football Game
January 8th, 2009 at 8:28 amI think the state of the football program is that we are ultimately building something that can contend for the Pac 10 title on an annual basis. Personally, I would have really liked to see us play BYU because it would have been a fun game to watch: their offense vs. our improving defense. My concern is if BYU got into a groove offensively, would our offense be able to keep up with them in a high scoring game? Would a loss have the same impact that the UNLV loss had this past season when we were nationally ranked? With an untested QB and running game, we don’t know the answer to that. Who knows?? Both could be stellar.
When I look at the schedule, I would like to have two big wins under our belt before we head into Georgia. Having BYU, then a bye week before Georgia probably would not have been what the doctor would have ordered considering the youth that we have on our team. A win at Georgia will have a greater impact on our program than a win at home vs. BYU and a loss at Georgia would… Just my opinion, though!
ASU Sun Devils Officially Dumped from BYU Football Schedule
January 6th, 2009 at 7:10 pmAlthough not as sexy, I think we are better off having ULM and Idaho St. on our schedule prior to Georgia as opposed to having BYU in the equation. After all, we will have a green QB and will be retooling an ineffective running game. I would rather put those two things to the test against those two teams vs. throwing our new troops into fire and possibly flush the rest of the season down the toilet with a really bad loss to BYU.