Oct. 12, 1997
Sun Devils Travel to No. 25 Stanford
- Arizona State Sun Devils (4-2, 2-1) at #25 Stanford Cardinal (4-2, 2-1)
- Oct. 18, Stanford Stadium, 12:30 p.m.
Arizona State completes a stretch of three conference road games in four weeks with a trip to Stanford to take on the Cardinal this Saturday at 12:30. It is yet another crucial Pac-10 game as both teams enter the game with 2-1 conference marks. The winner will proclaim itself one of the elite of the conference, while the loser drops back to the pack. ASU is coming off a dominating win over USC, 35-7, while the Cardinal suffered a 28-22 loss at Arizona.
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| Lenzie Jackson caught seven passes for a career-high 132 yards in ASU's 35-7 win over USC. |
Series Summary: Arizona State leads its all-time series with Stanford, 9-4. ASU has won four of the last five and nine of the previous 11 meetings between the two schools. Stanford's only win against ASU in the '90s came in 1995. ASU is 4-2 at Stanford Stadium, including wins in its last two trips to the Farm. ASU head coach Bruce Snyder is 3-4-1 against Stanford in his career (2-3 at Palo Alto), 3-1 with ASU.
Last Meeting: ASU cruised by a Stanford team, 41-9, that would go on to win its next five games in 1996. The fourth-ranked Sun Devils pounced on Stanford early, leading 21-0 after one quarter. ASU penetrated the red zone on each of its first four drives, coming away with three touchdowns. After Stanford cut the lead to 21-9 at halftime, ASU answered with 20 unanswered points in the second half. Jake Plummer passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns while running for another score. Terry Battle rushed for 80 yards while Marlon Farlow ran for 73. ASU's defense limited the Cardinal to 298 yards of total offense.
Over the Air: There is no television for the contest. KMVP (860 AM) is the flagship station for the Sun Devil radio network. Tom Dillon, the Arizona Sportscaster-of-the-Year 16 years running (1981-96), and the voice of the Sun Devils since 1979, once again will handle the play-by-play duties. Former Sun Devil QB and 1987 Rose Bowl MVP Jeff Van Raaphorst (1983-86) returns for his second season as the color analyst. KMVP has teamed with AudioNet to provide all Sun Devil radio broadcasts on the internet. Each broadcast can be accessed at www.audionet.com/schools/asu.
The Polls: While not ranked in either the AP or ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, the Sun Devils are knocking at the door as they are slated 26th in each. Stanford is ranked 23rd by the coaches, 25th by AP.
Superb Secondary: While other defensive backfields in the conference and nation have been more heralded, very few can claim to be as effective as ASU's secondary. The main cast of Courtney Jackson, Jason Simmons, Damien Richardson, Mitchell Freedman and J'Juan Cherry have suffocated opposing teams passing games this season. Only one team has managed to throw for more than 220 yards or complete more than 50 percent of its passes against ASU and four have been held under 200 yards passing. The Sun Devils are ranked 10th in the nation in pass efficiency defense as opposing QBs have combined for a 93.4 mark. Only Washington State has a better mark in the Pac-10 at 87.6. Both would be the lowest marks in the Pac-10 since 1975. Against the Pac-10, ASU's secondary has posted an 80.34 pass efficiency rating. In its last three games, ASU has limited Oregon State, Washington and USC to 36-of-91 (.396) in the air while picking five passes and giving up their only three TDs of the season. Here's a look at how the oppositions starting quarterbacks and a couple of the Pac-10's top receivers have fared against the Sun Devils:
Starting QB Comp. Att. Yds. TD INT
Ty Houghtaling, NMSU 10 26 91 1 2
Ryan Clement, Miami 14 28 175 0 1
Kevin Feterik, BYU 17 30 328 0 0
Tim Alexander, OSU 17 41 193 0 2
Brock Huard, UW 8 19 150 2 1
John Fox, USC 8 23 70 1 1
Pac-10 Receivers Rec. Yds. TD
Roddy Tompkins, OSU 5 66 0
Jerome Pathon, UW 2 58 1
R. Jay Soward, USC 2 19 0
Billy Miller, USC 3 21 0
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| Head Coach Bruce Snyder. |
Head Coach Bruce Snyder: In his sixth season at the helm of ASU's football program ... has led the Sun Devils to 19 wins in their last 23 games ... in 1996, guided the Sun Devils to their second Pac-10 championship, fourth undefeated regular season and second Rose Bowl ... the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1996 as well as Pac-10 Coach of the Year ... compiled 6-5 records in his first, second and fourth seasons in Tempe (1992, 1993, 1995) and a 3-8 mark in 1994 ... prior to posting a 36-26 record in six years at ASU, he was 39-37-1 at Utah State (1976-81) and 29-24-4 at California (1987-91) ... guided Cal to a 10-2 mark and No. 8 ranking in 1991 as the Bears defeated ACC champ Clemson in the Citrus Bowl ... Cal had been to just one bowl since 1958 prior to Snyder guiding the Bears to two consecutive bowl wins in '90 & '91 ... led Utah State to a pair of conference titles in his seven years ... was L.A. Rams running back coach for four years (1983-86), during which he tutored Eric Dickerson as he set the NFL single-season rushing record ... served as an assistant at Oregon, New Mexico State, Utah State and USC ... Snyder earned his 100th career win in ASU's 56-14 win at Arizona last year ... prior to the Rose Bowl, signed a new contract with ASU through the year 2002.
Snyder Climbs ASU Coaching Charts: Head coach Bruce Snyder is in his sixth season at ASU and he needs two wins to become the second-winningest coach in ASU history. With a win against Stanford, Snyder would tie Darryl Rogers, who won 37 games in five seasons during the early '80's. With 11 victories in 1996, Snyder surpassed Larry Marmie, Dixie Howell, Aaron McCreary, Ed Doherty, John Cooper and Dan Devine on ASU's all-time win chart. Snyder's sixth year of service makes him only the fourth coach at ASU to have a tenure of more than five seasons. Frank Kush's 22 seasons and 176 wins are the most in Sun Devil history while McCreary (7 seasons, 1923-29) and ASU's first football coach, Fred Irish (8 seasons), each stayed longer than a half-decade.
Coach Years Record
Frank Kush 1958-79 176-54-1
Darryl Rogers 1980-84 37-18-1
Bruce Snyder 1992-Present 36-26-0
Dan Devine 1955-57 27-3-1
Last Time Out: Arizona State turned in its best performance of the season with a 35-7 win over USC. It was ASU's largest margin of victory in the series between the two schools. Ryan Kealy tossed for 281 yards and three touchdowns, both career highs, while Lenzie Jackson hauled in seven catches for a career high 132 yards. ASU piled up 528 yards of total offense while its defense held the Trojans to 214 total yards, 100 in the air. Pat Tillman spearheaded the defensive performance with 13 tackles as Southern California managed just four first downs and 54 yards in the second half.
On Deck: ASU takes a week off before hosting currently undefeated Washington State at Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field on November 1. The Sun Devils and Cougars kick off at 8 p.m. in a nationally televised game on Fox Sports Net.
Defensive Stand: ASU's defense has handed in some mighty impressive performances in 1997. The first string "D" has given up six touchdowns (four to Washington) in the first six games. In a 23-12 win at Miami, ASU's defense held the Miami offense to two field goals, the first time the Hurricanes had been held without an offensive touchdown in the Orange Bowl since 1984. BYU's 13 points was the fewest it has scored in 25 games. The Sun Devils held Oregon State to 20 yards rushing, the fewest a Beaver squad had run for since 1989. Last week, ASU limited USC to seven points, 15 first downs and 214 total yards - zero, four and 50 in the second half.
ASU's Defense Game-by-Game
Opp. Rush Yds. Pass Yds. Total Pts.
New Mexico St. 107 91 198 10
at Miami 68 220 288 *6
BYU 99 328 427 13
at Oregon St. 20 193 213 *3
at Washington 240 150 390 26
USC 114 100 214 7
Totals 648 1082 1730 *65
(PG) (108.0) (180.3) (288.3) (10.8)
*does not include points scored by opponents defenses
(13 total: 6 vs. Miami, 7 vs. Oregon State)
Tillman for Butkus: Senior outside linebacker Pat Tillman is one of 52 collegiate linebacker's to be named to the Butkus Award watch list. The list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on October 16 and three finalists November 13. The winner will be announced Saturday, December 13. Tillman, a second-team All-Pac-10 performer in 1996, was second on the team in tackles last year with 91. This year, he is second on the team with 43 stops including three sacks and eight tackles for loss. Tillman also leads the team in interceptions with two. Both came against Oregon State and gives Tillman six in his career.
Tillman Game-by-Game Tackles
Opp. UA AT Total TFL-Yds.
New Mexico State 1 3 4 1-2
at Miami 3 4 7 0-0
BYU 5 7 12 2-12
at Oregon St. 5 1 6 2-15
at Washington 0 1 1 1-3
USC 4 9 13 2-3
Totals 18 25 43 8-35
Damien on D: Senior Damien Richardson is a member of the Jim Thorpe Award "watch list" as one of the best defensive backs in college football. The safety has started 28 straight games for ASU and is third on the team with 37 tackles.
The Goods on J.R.: J.R. Redmond is turning heads both on and off the field. The sophomore tailback is 11th in the nation with 171.8 all-purpose yards per game and 30th in the country with 91.3 rushing yards per contest. He leads the team in rushing, punt returns, kickoff returns and is tied for fourth on the team with 10 catches. Redmond's big-play ability has been evident as he has already reeled off runs of 50 and 93 yards. His 93-yard touchdown against New Mexico State tied the fifth-longest run from scrimmage in ASU history and earned Redmond the AT&T Long Distance Run of the Week award. Redmond is also leaving defenders behind on special teams as he is averaging 10.5 yards per punt return and 21.0 yards per kick return. Last week, Redmond ran for one touchdown and 48 yards on 12 carries against USC before leaving the game with a hip strain.
Redmond Game-by-Game Rushing
Game No. Yds. Avg TD
New Mexico State 10 176 17.6 1
at Miami 12 105 8.8 1
BYU 17 66 5.1 0
at Oregon St. 18 77 4.3 0
at Washington 21 76 3.6 1
USC 12 48 4.0 1
Totals 86 548 6.4 4
Redmond Game-by-Game All Purpose
Per Per
Game Rush Rec. Punts KO Total Touch Game
NMSU 10-176 1-13 3-18 2-57 16-264 16.5
at Miami 12-105 5-46 2-53 3-49 22-253 12.1
BYU 13-66 0-0 2-26 4-90 19-182 9.6
at Oregon St. 18-77 1-18 2-1 1-21 22-117 5.3
at Washington 21-76 0-0 5-52 0-0 26-128 4.9
USC 12-48 3-17 1-8 1-14 17-87 5.1
Totals 86-548 10-94 15-158 11-231 122-1031 8.5 171.8
Top Five Runs in ASU history
1. 99 yds., Max Anderson, vs. Wyoming, 1967 (TD)
2. 98 yds., Mark Malone, vs. Utah State, 1979 (TD)
3. 97 yds., Art Malone, vs. Utah, 1968 (TD)
4. 94 yds., Hascall Henshaw, vs. Case Western Reserve, 1940 (TD)
5. 93 yds., J.R. Redmond, vs. New Mexico St. , 1997 (TD)
Tom Dekellis, vs. Whittier, 1938 (TD)
Kealy at the Helm: Redshirt freshman Ryan Kealy won a battle with junior Steve Campbell for the starting QB job in fall camp. Since taking the reigns of ASU's offense, Kealy has showed the poise and promise that earned him the job. Last week against USC, Kealy set career highs in attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns while leading the Sun Devils to their biggest win over USC in school history. After six games, Kealy has posted a 122.86 efficiency rating, completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,154 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Kealy Game-by-Game Passing
Opp. Att. Comp. Int. Pct. Yds. TD Lg.
New Mexico State 19 11 0 57.9 107 1 23
at Miami 26 18 1 69.2 239 1 40
BYU 29 12 0 41.4 153 0 36
at Oregon St. 24 14 2 58.3 194 1 38
at Washington 30 13 1 43.3 180 1 27
USC 34 21 1 61.8 281 3 40
Totals 162 89 5 54.9 1154 7 40
First-Year QBs: As Ryan Kealy proceeds throughout the season, it appears he will have the best campaign for a first year QB in the past 10 years. Kealy's performance against USC, the sixth game of his career, included 21 completions, 3 TDs and 281 yards. Jake Plummer did not have a 21-completion day until the 14th game of his career, a three-TD day until the 16th game of his career or 280+ passing-yard game until the 17th game of his career. Kealy's seven TD passes is three shy of topping any of the four QBs listed below while he's on pace to surpass each in passing yards as well. Here's a look at how the last four regular ASU QBs did their first year in a starting role:
Name, Year G/GS Att. Comp. Yds. TD Int. Pct.
Jake Plummer, 1993 9/6 199 102 1,650 9 7 .513
Grady Benton, 1992 10/8 225 149 1,707 8 9 .662
Brett Powers, 1991 8/8 234 127 1,500 8 11 .543
Paul Justin, 1988 8/5 150 84 1,063 5 2 .560
Looking for Lenzie: Lenzie Jackson has become Ryan Kealy's favorite target as the junior wide receiver leads the team with 28 catches for 403 yards. Jackson turned in seven catches for a career-high 132 yards against USC and in his last three games has 16 catches for 250 yards. Jackson gathered six receptions in both the New Mexico State and Oregon State games. Including the Rose Bowl, Jackson has a catch in 19 straight games.
Jackson Receiving Game-By-Game
Opp. Rec. Yds. TD
New Mexico St. 6 68 1
at Miami 2 21 0
BYU 4 64 0
at Oregon State 6 74 0
at Washington 3 44 0
USC 7 132 1
1997 Totals 28 403 2
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| Tight end Kendrick Bates caught a 27-yard touhdown pass on Saturday. |
Not Just a Blocking Bates: Sophomore tight end Kendrick Bates has proven his 6-4, 243-pound frame can do more than block. Bates is second on the team with 16 catches for 238 yards, averaging a team-high 14.9 yards per catch. Against Pac-10 opposition, Bates is averaging 18.1 yards on eight catches.
Pretty Good Of Late: ASU has been on a roll of late. The Sun Devils won four of their final five games in 1995, put together an 11-1 record in '96 and have come out of the gate with four wins in six games for 1997.
- ASU has won 19 of its last 23 games, including 15 of 17 regular-season contests.
- ASU has won nine of 10 and 11 of its last 13 home games.
- ASU has won eight of nine road games.
- ASU has won 10 of 11 and 13 of its last 15 Pac-10 games.
On the Road Again: Arizona State's loss at Washington snapped the Sun Devils second-longest road winning streak in school history. ASU had won eight straight road games prior to its trip to Seattle. Under Bruce Snyder, the Sun Devils are 13-14 away from home. Four of ASU's first seven games are on the road this season where as last year the Sun Devils didn't venture away from Tempe until the sixth game of the season.
Home Field Advantage: Sun Devil Stadium has provided ASU with a significant home field edge since its inception in 1958. Arizona State is 195-63-3 (.753) all-time in Sun Devil Stadium and 7-1 since the playing surface was dedicated as Frank Kush Field. ASU was undefeated at home in 1996 and drew four of the six largest crowds in ASU history, including a record 74,963 to the Rose Bowl-clinching win over California. ASU drew an average of 63,884 to seven home games in 1996, a jump of 15,003 from the previous season - the largest increase in the nation. The Sun Devils are averaging 61,327 this year.
Pac-10 All-Academic History: Arizona State ranks among the top four football programs in the conference in terms of receiving All-Academic recognition each season. Over the last eight years, only Stanford, Oregon and Washington have had more football players honored for their performance on and off the field. Below is a chart of the number of Pac-10 All-Academic players for each school from 1989-96.
School *Pac-10 All-Academic Players
Stanford 73
Oregon 49
Washington 43
Arizona State 36
Oregon State 36
USC 30
Washington State 29
UCLA 28
California 25
Arizona 24
*since 1989
Academic All-America: The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) has been selecting Academic All-Americans for more than 30 years in all sports. In the Pac-10, Arizona State has been among the all-time leaders in student-athletes honored academically on a national scale, maintaining a 3.2 GPA or higher. Here's how ASU ranks in the Pac-10:
School CoSIDA All-Americans
UCLA 70
Stanford 59
Arizona 46
Arizona State 36
USC 33
Oregon 31
Oregon State 26
California 21
Washington 21
Washington State 21
Big Wins: In the past two seasons, ASU has defeated some of the most storied football programs in college football. In their last 17 games, the Sun Devils have defeated Washington, Nebraska, USC (twice) and Miami. Those four programs have combined for 2,385 wins, 118 bowl appearances and 17 national championships, having won or shared 11 national titles since 1970. Heading into this season, the ASU football program ranked 17th on the all-time winning percentage list, winning 62.9 percent of their games in 85 seasons.
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| Marlon Farlow led the ASU rushing attack with 98 yards against USC. |
Triple Threat: Arizona State has three quality tailbacks and along with fullback Jeff Paulk may have one of the most dangerous backfields in the nation. Starter Michael Martin is averaging 58.8 yards rushing per game while backup J.R. Redmond is 30th in the nation, averaging 91.3 rushing yards per game. ASU's tailbacks go three deep with Marlon Farlow, who rushed for 64 yards in ASU's season opener, 98 last week against USC and is averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
Martin Returns: Senior tailback Michael Martin has returned from a season-ending neck injury he suffered in the UCLA game (6th of the year) last season. He took his place in the Sun Devil starting lineup against New Mexico State and rushed for 64 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries and followed that up with his second career 100-yard game against Miami. Martin in the starting lineup is a good sign for ASU as the Sun Devils are 13-1 with Martin in the starting lineup. A concussion and pinched nerve prevented Martin from practicing and starting against Washington, but he returned to the starting lineup against USC. A preseason Doak Walker Award nominee, Martin has rushed for over 1,000 yards in 14 starts during his Sun Devil career, averaging 75.2 yards per start.
Martin Game-By-Game When Starting
Team Att. Yds. Avg. TD
BYU ('95) 24 78 3.3 0
Oregon ('95) 21 79 3.8 2
UCLA ('95) 25 90 3.6 1
Washington ('96) 20 92 4.6 1
N. Texas ('96) 14 62 4.4 0
Nebraska ('96) 26 77 3.0 0
Oregon ('96) 23 161 6.4 0
Boise State ('96) 8 79 9.9 0
UCLA ('96) 2 4 2.0 0 (injured, broken neck)
New Mexico St. 15 64 4.3 1
Miami 26 103 4.0 0
BYU 16 43 2.7 1
at Oregon St. 14 66 4.7 0 (injured, pinched nerve)
USC 12 56 4.7 0
Total 246 1054 4.3 6
High School Connection: When freshmen Ryan Kealy and Tariq McDonald hooked up for a four-yard touchdown pass in ASU's season-opener, it was the first TD both were involved in as Sun Devils. However, it wasn't the first time the two produced six points. As seniors at Phoenix's St. Mary's High School, Kealy hit McDonald for touchdowns 22 times en route to a state championship. Kealy passed for 2,682 yards and 41 TDs his senior season while McDonald was his favorite target, catching 75 balls for 1,192 yards.
Fast Start: Arizona State has developed a habit of starting fast after it comes out of the lockeroom in 1997. ASU has outscored its opponents 30-6 in the first quarter, shutting out five of six opponents, and 53-10 in the third quarter, blanking four of six. ASU has made its halftime adjustments well in each of the last two years as the Sun Devils outscored opponents 113-23 in the third quarter in 1996. The 113 points was the most by any Pac-10 team in the third quarter while the 23 points given up was the fewest by any Pac-10 team in any quarter.
Maroon Zone: Here's the numbers on how ASU's offense and defense have done inside the 20-yard line.
ASU Pct. Opponents Pct.
Inside 20 23 --- 12 ---
Scored 18 .783 9 .750
TD 11 .478 4 .333
Run TD/Pass TD 6/5 2/2
FG 7 .304 5 .417
Turnover 2 1
Missed FG 2 0
Blocked FG 0 1
End of half/game 1 1
Third Downs: Converting third downs is often dependent on how far you have to go. A look inside the numbers on ASU's and its opponents third-down efficiency:
3rd & ... 1-5 yds. 6-10 yds. Above 10 Total
ASU 20/40 (.500) 10/31 (.323) 3/25 (.120) 33/96 (.343)
Opp. 11/24 (.458) 5/35 (.143) 3/25 (.120) 19/84 (.226)
Automatic: Robert Nycz was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist a year ago and is once again a candidate this year. The senior placekicker has connected on 79 straight extra points and 105 of 106 in his career. Only a blocked attempt at California in 1995 has prevented him from being perfect. Nycz is also reliable when kicking for three points as he has split the uprights on 10 of 14 attempts this season with three of his four misses coming beyond 40 yards. He has connected on 32 of 46 (.695) career field goal attempts. He is 23 of 27 from inside 40 yards and 9 of 17 beyond 40 in his career. He was named Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week Sept. 15 for his career-high three field goals at Miami.
Nycz Career Stats Yr. FGA FGM Pct. Long XPA XPM Pct. Pts. 1995 16 11 .690 48 32 31 .969 64 1996 16 11 .690 46 60 60 1.000 93 1997 14 10 .714 44 14 14 1.000 44 Career 46 32 .696 48 106 105 .991 201 *Nycz was also 2/2 on PATs and 1/1 on FGs (37 yds.) in the 1997 Rose Bowl Yr. G 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Long 1995 11 4/4 3/4 4/6 0/2 48 1996 11 5/5 3/5 3/6 0/0 46 1997 6 2/2 6/7 2/4 0/1 42 Career 28 11/11 12/16 9/16 0/3 48
Special Teams: Here's some numbers pertaining to ASU's special teams:
Kickoffs Ret. Avg. Against TB Avg. Opp. Starting Point
ASU 31 19 20.0 10 23.4
Opp. 21 18 19.2 3 27.7
Punts Ret Avg. Against FC Downed *-20 *-10 TB
ASU 39 20 2.8 7 10 5 2 2
Opp. 46 20 9.7 7 13 10 3 6
*fair caught or downed (includes kicked out of bounds) inside 20/10
Block That Kick: Arizona State has showed a knack for putting a paw on opposing kicks. The Sun Devils have blocked a kick (punt, FG or PAT) in five of their last eight games (including Rose Bowl) dating back to last year. ASU has blocked two field goals and a extra point this season after blocking six kicks a year ago.
Blocks in Last Eight Games:
Arizona FG and punt (Burnstein)
Ohio State FG (Burnstein)
New Mexico St. --
Miami PAT (Yancy)
BYU FG (Battle)
Oregon St. FG (Staat)
Washington --
USC --
Turnover Edge: In its last 23 games (dating back to 1995), ASU has a turnover ratio of +21 (54-32). In that span, ASU has accumulated 23 INTs and 31 fumble recoveries while opponents have registered 19 interceptions and 14 recoveries. ASU is 19-4 during the stretch. This year, however, ASU is -1 in turnover margin and has lost seven fumbles after losing just five all of last year.
Sure Hands: A big reason for ASU's turnover advantage over the last 23 games has been the sure-handed play of its running backs. Sun Devil running backs have lost only three fumbles on a rushing play since the start of the 1995 season, a span of 29 games. That's three fumbles lost in 1,351 rushing attempts. However, two of those lost fumbles have come in ASU's last five games.
Capitalizing: ASU has converted turnovers into points 42 percent of the time while its opponents have scored off of turnovers 46 percent of the time.
Turnovers Resulting In ...
ASU Opponents
12 Opp. Turnovers 13
27 Points 29
3 TD 3
2 FG 3
3 Punt 3
2 MFG 1
1 Turnover 1
0 TO on Downs 1
1 End of Half/Game 1
The Century Mark: ASU has had at least one person rush for 100 or more yards in two of its first six games, both wins. ASU is 218-36-5 (.851) all-time when it has someone top the century mark and is 19-4 (.826) since Bruce Snyder's arrival in Tempe.
Double Whammy: ASU's Michael Martin and J.R. Redmond each ran for over 100 yards against Miami, the first time that had happened to the Hurricanes since 1979. ASU has had two rushers over 100 yards in the same game 33 times in its history, compiling a record of 31-1-1.
ASU in the Polls: Here's a look at ASU's path in both major polls in 1997:
Date AP ESPN/USA Today
Preseason -- --
Aug. 31 -- --
Sept. 7 24 --
Sept. 14 14 17
Sept. 21 25 23
Sept. 28 25 22
Oct. 5 -- --
Oct. 12 -- --
Defending the Title: 1997 marks the second time Arizona State has defended a Pac-10 championship in the 19 years the Sun Devils have been a member of the league. The Sun Devils captured their first Pac-10 title in 1986 and followed up with a 7-4-1 season in 1987 that included a trip to the Freedom Bowl, ASU's last bowl appearance before last year. ASU has totaled 16 conference championships, picking up seven each as a member of the Border Conference and WAC. In its 15 previous title defenses, ASU has repeated as champion five times - winning back-to-back Border crowns in 1939-40 and picking up five straight trophies from 1969-73 in the WAC. On average, ASU has won 7.4 games the year after a conference crown.
The Year After: Four of the 10 previous Pac-10 champions went on to repeat the following year. USC and Washington each won or shared three consecutive titles, the Trojans from 1987-89 and the Huskies from 1990-92. A look back at how the champion(s) have fared the following year:
Year Champion Next Year
1986 ASU 7-4-1, 4th
1987 USC 10-2, 1st
UCLA 10-2, 2nd
1988 USC 9-2-1, 1st
1989 USC 8-4-1, 2nd
1990 Washington 12-0, 1st
1991 Washington 9-3, 1st
1992 Washington 7-4, ineligible
Stanford 4-7, 7th
1993 UCLA 5-6, 5th
Arizona 8-4, 2nd
USC 8-3-1, 2nd
1994 Oregon 9-3, 3rd
1995 USC 6-6, 5th
Washington 9-3, 2nd
Sizing up the Schedule: ASU's 1997 schedule was ranked the 10th-toughest in the nation in an NCAA preseason survey. In addition to the always tough Pac-10 slate, the Sun Devils have added nonconference foes Miami, BYU and New Mexico State. Five of the Sun Devil opponents went to bowls a year ago: Miami (Carquest), BYU (Cotton), Washington (Holiday), Stanford (Sun) and California (Aloha). The Sun Devils face all but BYU on the road. ASU's 11 opponents combined for a 70-60 mark last season while only two won less than five games. Four of ASU's first seven games are on the road this season which is in stark contrast to a year ago when the Sun Devils' first five games were in Tempe. On the flip side, ASU finishes up with three of its final four games at home.
Pac-10 Poll: Arizona State has been picked to finish fifth in the Pac-10 in a preseason poll of West Coast media members that regularly cover the league. Washington received 28 of 31 first-place votes to be tabbed as the favorite for 1997. The complete poll:
1. Washington (28) 306 6. Arizona 151
2. Stanford (3) 263 7. Washington St. 142
3. USC 228 8. Oregon 114
4. UCLA 217 9. California 74
5. Arizona St. 175 10. Oregon St. 35
Preseason Pundits: As ASU heads into the 1997 season, the preseason college football annuals rank the Sun Devils anywhere from 12th to 35th in the nation while selecting ASU to finish somewhere between third and sixth in defense of its Pac-10 title. Below is a list of various preseason magazine and internet predictions for ASU:
ASU in Nation ASU in Pac-10
Lindy's 20th 3rd
Preview Sports 18th 6th
Athlon 35th 5th
The Sporting News 33rd 5th
Street & Smith's 17th 3rd
Blitz 26th
College Sports News 12th
Fans Only 25th
Youth is Served: Thirteen of ASU's 22 opening day starters were underclassmen (juniors or younger) including nine on offense. Three starters, QB Ryan Kealy, RG Victor Leyva and LB Stephen Trejo, were redshirt freshmen.
A Game of Firsts: After losing 12 starters off of last year's squad, ASU's season-opener against New Mexico State saw a lot of firsts for many of those trying to replace them. Twenty-two players saw their first action, and 10 started for the first time. A look at who did what for the first time:
First Appearance First Start
Ryan Kealy Ryan Kealy, QB
Victor Leyva Victor Leyva, RG
Stephen Trejo Troy Davis, RT
Darrin Ransom Darrin Ransom, FB
J'Juan Cherry Kenny Mitchell, WR
Brian Forth Jeremy Staat, RDT
Jamel Ready Hamilton Mee, RE
Christon Rance Stephen Trejo, ILB
Adam Archuleta Paul Reynolds, ILB
Mark Polchow Phillip Brown, FS
Jeff Boyer
Joe Cesta First Touchdown
Terrelle Smith Darrin Ransom
Korey Ramsay Tariq McDonald
Marvel Smith
Jeff Johannesen First TD Pass
Tariq McDonald Ryan Kealy
Brian Jennings Steve Campbell
Matt Cercone
Jason Moore First Reception
Che Britton Tariq McDonald (TD)
Quincy Yancy
Mirror Image: A comparison of Bruce Snyder's five seasons at Cal and his first five seasons at ASU reveals striking similarities. Snyder's record during his five years (1987-91) at California was 29-24-4 (.544) while his record after five years at ASU stood at 32-24 (.571).
At California At Arizona State
Year Record Bowl Year Record Bowl
1987 3-6-2 1992 6-5
1988 5-5-1 1993 6-5
1989 4-7-0 1994 3-8
1990 7-4-1 Copper 1995 6-5
1991 10-2-0 Citrus 1996 11-1 Rose
Totals 29-24-4 Totals 32-24
1996 in Review: ASU finished last season ranked fourth in both major polls after going 11-1 and 8-0 in the Pac-10, winning its second Pac-10 title. The Sun Devils completed an undefeated regular season, the fourth in ASU history, before falling to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Sun Devil QB Jake Plummer, OT Juan Roque, TB Terry Battle and DE Derrick Rodgers each received All-America recognition as Roque was a consensus pick and Plummer finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Head coach Bruce Snyder was the consensus choice for National Coach of the Year, winning 14 of a possible 16 awards, and earned his second Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor.
#11 Hangs Forever: Danny White's joined his father, Wilford "Whizzer" White, and Bobby Mulgado as the only Sun Devils to have their jersey retired during halftime of the BYU game. Danny played at ASU from 1971-73 and was the Sun Devils starting QB each year, compiling a three-year record of 31-4 leading his team to three straight WAC titles and three Fiesta Bowl wins. A charter member of ASU's Hall of Fame, White played 13 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and was a member of their Super Bowl XII Championship team. White is currently head coach and general manager of the Arizona Rattlers where he has won two Arena Bowl titles, including the 1997 crown.
Hall of Fame Year: Former Sun Devils Danny White and Mike Haynes each are receiving Hall of Fame recognition in 1997. White, ASU's starting QB from 1971-73, was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in January, becoming the first Sun Devil player to ever receive that honor. Haynes, a Sun Devil from 1972-75, became the third (John Henry Johnson, Charley Taylor) ASU player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during a July ceremony.
ASU Libraries: ASU's Athletic Department forwarded $50,000 to the ASU Library System in a pregame presentation prior to the USC game. Members of the Student Athlete Advisory Board and ASU head coaches made the presentation together to the ASU Library system which has distinguished itself as one of the top 35 academic research libraries in the United States or Canada.
Returning Honorees: Five Sun Devils return from seasons that earned them All-Pac-10 recognition a year ago (listed below). However, ASU will have to attempt to fill the shoes of 11 others who earned Pac-10 accolades, including five first-team performers.
Name, Pos. 1996 Pac-10 Honor
Kyle Murphy, LG 2nd team
Pat Tillman, OLB 2nd team
Robert Nycz, PK honorable mention
Grey Ruegamer, RT honorable mention
Jason Simmons, CB honorable mention
Leader of the Pac: Arizona State's undefeated march to the Pac-10 championship a year ago was dominating, as evidenced by the fact ASU led the conference in all but one major statistical category. The Sun Devils' rushing offense, total offense, scoring offense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense were each ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10. Only ASU's passing offense failed to lead the league, ranking fifth. Here's a look inside the numbers:
Category Score (Rank in Pac-10, margin)
Rushing Offense 248.5 ypg (1st, + 18.5)
Passing Offense 243.9 ypg (5th)
Total Offense 492.5 ypg (1st, + 34.9)
Scoring Offense 42.8 ppg (1st, + 8.4)
Rushing Defense 98.0 ypg (1st, + 5.0)
Pass Eff. Defense 104.15 rating (1st, + 2.66)
Total Defense 304.7 ypg (1st, + 16.1 ypg)
Scoring Defense 17.8 ppg (1st, + 2.3 ppg)
Worst-to-First: After ranking last in the Pac-10 in defense in 1995, ASU's climb to the top of the conference chart was the first time in Pac-10 history a school has gone from worst-to-first in one season. ASU's top-notch defense marked the fourth time ASU has paced the league, but the first time since 1983.
Draft Success: Arizona State had eight football players selected in the 1997 NFL Draft, tied for the most in the nation with Miami and Nebraska (see chart below). In addition, ASU had six other players sign free agent contracts, giving it 14 players in NFL camps in 1997 from its 1996 squad. To break it down, of ASU's 22 starters on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl, 11 (6 defensive, 5 offensive) are now in the NFL with the Sun Devils first string punter and two reserves joining them in the professional ranks.
Team Players Drafted
1. ASU 8
Miami
Nebraska
4. Florida State 7
Ohio State
6. Colorado 6
Texas
Virginia
In the NFL: Arizona State has 24 former players currently on NFL rosters including eight players from last year's squad. Terry Battle (Lions), Steve Bush (Bengals), Jake Plummer (Cardinals), Keith Poole (Saints), Derrick Rodgers (Dolphins), Juan Roque (Lions), Derek Smith (Redskins) and Scott Von der Ahe (Colts) all played for Snyder a year ago and are now in the NFL ranks.
Bowl Lineup: The top four finishers in the Pac-10 race are once again guaranteed bowl games following the season. Additionally, four bowls (Las Vegas, Motor City, Independence and Humanitarian) have open slots. A look at where, when and against whom the Pac-10 will go bowling after the '97 season:
Bowl Site Date TV Matchup
Aloha Honolulu Dec. 25 ABC Pac-10 #4 vs. Big 12 #5
Holiday San Diego Dec. 29 ESPN WAC #1/Pac-10 #2 vs. Big 12 #3
Sun El Paso Dec. 31 CBS Pac-10 #3 vs. Big Ten #5
Cotton Dallas Jan. 1 CBS Big 12 #2 vs. WAC #1/ Pac-10 #2
Rose Pasadena Jan. 1 ABC Pac-10 #1 vs. Big Ten #1
Hula Bowl: ASU head coach Bruce Snyder will be one of the two head coaches at this year's Hula Bowl, featuring collegiate football's best seniors. Sun Devils Damien Richardson and Robert Nycz are also slated to play in the contest, January 18, 1998.
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| Safety Mitchell Freedman snared his second career interception against USC. |
Bits & Bites: Butkus Award candidate Pat Tillman enjoys rock climbing and snow/water skiing ... OG Kyle Murphy plans on a career in sports journalism ... Lou Groza Award candidate Robert Nycz's father was a linebacker at Dartmouth .... DL Vince Amey hit a grand slam in high school ... former NBA star Sidney Moncreif is a relative of DT Albrey Battle ... the 6-3, 289-pound Battle can slam dunk a basketball ... WR Ricky Boyer's uncle, Tim Boyer, played football at San Diego State and in the WFL ... TB J.R. Redmond ran a 21.9 200-meter dash without practicing ... SS Damien Richardson was nominated and appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy before choosing ASU ... with a major in bioengineering, Richardson's summer job required him to determine why accidents with appliances happened ... OT Grey Ruegamer's uncle, Bob Frisbee, played football at the University of Minnesota and for the Minnesota Vikings ... OL Mike Barnes aspires to be an athletic trainer ... Barnes' father played football and ran track at Chico State ... S Phillip Brown's uncle, Donald Smith, played for the Green Bay Packers ... QB Steve Campbell's father was a four-time football letterman at Northern Arizona University ... CB J'Juan Cherry has a family lineage that includes his brother, Jerod, who was a defensive back at California; a cousin, Khalid Shabazz, who currently plays in the backfield at Cal; a cousin, Kwame Ellis, who is a defensive back at Stanford; and an uncle, Deron Cherry, played 11 seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs ... CB Kareem Clark's cousin is former Houston Oiler Earl Campbell ... DL Leroy Hawkins is contemplating a career in the FBI ... ... Center Randy Leaphart's brother, Robert, lettered at Washington and played in the 1982 Rose Bowl ... WR Tariq McDonald's father, a semifinalist at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic trials in the 400m and 200m, was a member of the Phoenix Junior College 4x100 and 4x400 national championship team ... DL Hamilton Mee has a twin brother, Harrison, and twin sisters, Kim and Kelly ... RE Terelle Smith has eight brothers/sisters and has a black belt in karate ... FB Kevin Tommasini is one of seven kids ... Tommasini's father played football at Oregon ... LB Stephen Trejo is one of nine kids.
ASU in the NCAA: Here's where ASU ranks in the nation:
Individual Player Category Place Stat J.R. Redmond All-Purpose 11th 171.8 ypg J.R. Redmond Rushing 30th 91.3 ypg J.R. Redmond Punt Returns 29th 10.5 ypr Robert Nycz Field Goals t10th 1.67 fgpg Marcus Williams Punting 49th 41.9 ypp Team Category Place Stat ASU Rushing Offense 37th 171.7 ypg ASU Passing Offense 58th 203.2 ypg ASU Total Offense 56th 374.8 ypg ASU Scoring Offense 64th 22.7 ppg ASU Rushing Defense 29th 108.0 ypg ASU Pass Eff. Defense 10th 93.4 ASU Total Defense 19th 288.3 ypg ASU Scoring Defense 11th 13.0 ppg ASU Net Punting 15th 40.5 ypp ASU Punt Returns 44th 9.7 ypr ASU Kickoff Returns 76th 19.2 ypr ASU Turnover Margin t66th -0.17 pg
National Radio: Three Sun Devil games are slated for national radio broadcasts. Those three games are:
Date Game Radio Network
Sept. 20 BYU Airspace Communications
Oct. 11 USC Westwood One
Nov. 28 Arizona Westwood One
On the Tube: Seven of ASU's 11 games are already scheduled for live television with the possibility of more games being added to the TV lineup as the season moves along. Games already scheduled this season include:
Date Game TV
Sept. 6 New Mexico St. KTVK-TV
Sept. 13 at Miami CBS (65% of nation)
Sept. 20 BYU Fox Sports Net (national)
Oct. 4 at Washington Fox Sports Net (national)
Oct. 11 USC ABC (regional)
Nov. 1 Washington State Fox Sports Net (national)
Nov. 28 Arizona Fox Sports Net (national)
Home Page: ASU, in partnership with University Netcasting, launched its brand new official home page on the world wide web. The latest news, results and statistics can be found at www.TheSunDevils.com.
Weekly Press Conference: Bruce Snyder holds a weekly press conference every Monday prior to scheduled football games. The press conference is held at noon in the fifth-floor conference room at the ICA Building. Every effort will be made to arrange a teleconference with the opposing head coach and if possible, players will also be available.
Faxback: The Pac-10 offers a faxback service for the media to obtain releases, results and statistics. To obtain the faxback phone number, please contact either the Pac-10 office or ASU media relations. ASU Football's codes are:
Release 111050
Notes/Depth Chart Only 111051
Stats Only 111052
Latest Game Stats 111053
Latest Game Book 111054
Schedule/Scoreboard 111055
Roster 111056
Satellite Feed: The Pac-10 provides a weekly satellite feed featuring interviews with coaches and selected players regarding upcoming games along with highlight footage. The half hour feed airs every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. PDT through Nov. 26. Coordinates for the feed are Telestar 5, Transponder 23 (C-Band). Trouble numbers: Master Control 310-286-3800 or Erin Heiny at 510-932-4411.
Pac-10 Teleconference: Every-other Tuesday beginning September 16, each head coach in the Pac-10 conference will be available for 10 minutes in a teleconference. Taped replays of the teleconference will also be available. The schedule is listed below. For the teleconference telephone number please contact the Pac-10 or Arizona State media relations.
Days Call Schedule (Pacific Time)
Tue., Sept. 16 9:30 a.m. Moderator opens call
Tue., Sept. 30 9:35 a.m. Mike Riley - Oregon State
Tue., Oct. 14 9:45 a.m. John Robinson - USC
Tue. Oct. 28 9:55 a.m. Tyrone Willingham - Stanford
Tue., Nov. 11 10:05 a.m. Tom Holmoe - California
10:15 a.m. Dick Tomey - Arizona
10:25 a.m. Mike Price - Washington St.
10:35 a.m. Bruce Snyder - ASU
10:45 a.m. Mike Bellotti - Oregon
10:55 a.m. Bob Toledo - UCLA
11:05 a.m. Jim Lambright - Washington
The Bruce Snyder Show: KTVK-TV/NewsChannel 3, the exclusive television station of Arizona State athletics, is also the home of "The Bruce Snyder Show," each Saturday of the ASU football schedule. Snyder will join host Tim Healey to provide in-depth coverage of ASU football. The show airs at noon each Saturday the Sun Devils play.
Snyder on the Radio: Bruce Snyder joins KMVP host Brad Cesmat for a weekly call-in show on the Sun Devils' flagship radio station. "Talk To The Coach" airs each Tuesday from 6:45 - 7:15 p.m. This week's show airs at a special time on Tuesday at noon.
Radio Network: KMVP (860 AM) is the flagship station of the ASU Radio Network which includes:
Station City
KTAR (620 AM) Phoenix
KAAA (1230 AM) Kingman
KATO (1230 AM) Safford
KDJI (1270 AM) Holbrook
KIKO (106.1 FM) Globe/Miami
KTUC (1400 AM) Tucson
KVWM (970 AM) Show Low
KYBC (1600 AM) Cottonwood
KYCA (1490 AM) Prescott