Nov. 9, 1997
Sun Devils Set for Homecoming Date with Oregon
- Oregon Ducks (5-4, 2-4) at #15 Arizona State Sun Devils (7-2, 5-1)
- Nov. 15, Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field, 4:30 p.m. (MST)
With two games left to play, ASU is part of a four-team log jam at the top of the Pac-10 Conference that will play itself out in the next three weeks to determine who represents the conference in the Rose Bowl. ASU returns home this Saturday, November 15, to take on Oregon at 4:30 MST (3:30 PST). The game will be televised live on the Fox syndication network. The Sun Devils have won four straight games and 13 of their last 14 Pac-10 contests. Oregon is 5-4 overall, 2-4 in the Pac-10 after defeating Washington in Seattle, 31-28.
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| Creig Spann scored his first career touchdown in the win at Cal. (File Photo) |
- ASU has won 22 of its last 26 games, including 18 of 20 regular-season contests.
- ASU has won 10 of 11 and 12 of its last 14 home games.
- ASU has won 10 of 11 road games.
- ASU has won 13 of 14 and 16 of its last 18 Pac-10 games.
- ASU has won 6 straight Pac-10 home games.
Series Summary: Arizona State leads its all-time series with Oregon 12-5. ASU has won the last two meetings including a 48-27 win at Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field last year. ASU head coach Bruce Snyder is 5-4 against his alma mater, 2-3 while at ASU.
Over the Air: Fox Sports will produce a live syndicated broadcast that can be seen in the Phoenix area on KTVK-TV, Channel 3. The game will also be shown live on 24 stations throughout the western U.S. Steve Physioc and David Norrie will call the action. 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: Arizona State is tabbed at No. 15 in both the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Oregon is not ranked.
Hall of Fame/Homecoming: ASU will induct five new members into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame prior to Saturday's contest and will honor them at halftime of the Oregon game, also Homecoming at ASU. Daniell Ammaccapane (golf), Vernon Maxwell (football, Kim Neal (gymnastics), Rick Walker (track and field) and Lisa Zeis (gymnastics) comprise the Class of 1997. ASU is 51-13-3 all-time in Homecoming games, winning 11 of its las 12 Homecoming games.
The Stretch Run: After posting a bowl-qualifying sixth win of the season against Washington State, just where the Sun Devils might go will be determined in November. The Pac-10 has arrangements with four bowl games for its member institutions and any team not going to the Rose Bowl is also available to the Bowl Alliance. Finishing strong has been a Sun Devil trait during the Snyder era at ASU. The Sun Devils are 11-6 in November under Snyder (5-3 at home), but three of those losses came in one year -- 1994. Other than that year, ASU has finished strong under Snyder.
Record in Final Five Regular Season Games Under Snyder
Year Record Note
1992 3-2 Won Final Two
1993 4-1 Includes wins over UW & UCLA
1994 1-4 Finished season 3-8
1995 4-1 Began Stretch of 20 wins in 24 games
1996 5-0 11-0 regular season
1997 3-0 Beaten two Top 25 teams - Stanford & WSU
Total 20-8
Last 26: ASU's 22-4 record in its last 26 games is among the top 10 marks in the country over that span. Here's a look at the top teams in the country over their last 26 games:
Record Over Last 25 Games
Team Record Pct.
Nebraska 24-2 .923
Florida State 23-3 .885
Tennessee 23-3 .885
Arizona State 22-4 .846
Florida 22-4 .846
North Carolina 22-4 .846
Ohio State 22-4 .846
Penn State 22-4 .846
Virginia Tech 22-4 .846
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| Quarterback Ryan Kealy |
Last Meeting: ASU drowned the Ducks with 309 yards rushing and 591 yards of total offense for a 48-27 victory one week after ASU beat top-ranked Nebraska. Michael Martin racked up a career-best 161 yards on 25 carries while Jake Plummer passed for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns on 21-of-37 passing. ASU never trailed after Kendrick Bates' first career TD opened the scoring, building a 27-10 halftime lead. The Sun Devils never led by less than 14 in the second half. Although the Sun Devil defense gave up 468 yards passing, ASU's Pat Tillman had an extraordinary day, earning Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors by notching an interception, recovering a fumble and registering one sack, five tackles, seven assists and two tackles for loss.
Kealy at the Helm: Redshirt freshman Ryan Kealy is distinguishing himself as the top freshman quarterback in ASU history and among the best in Pac-10 history. Kealy won a battle with junior Steve Campbell for the starting QB job in fall camp by showing the poise and promise he has displayed since starting the season-opener against New Mexico State. ASU opened up its offense for the USC game and Kealy has responded. In ASU's last four games, Kealy is 72 of 129 (.558) for 998 yards (249.5 per game) with nine TDs, 2 INTs and a 140.7 pass efficiency rating. Overall, Kealy has posted a 127.65 efficiency rating, completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 1,871 yards with 13 touchdowns and six 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
at Stanford 36 14 1 38.8 195 0 46
WSU 36 23 0 63.8 245 4 39
at Cal 23 14 0 60.9 277 2 67
Totals 257 140 6 54.5 1871 13 67
Freshman QBs: As Ryan Kealy proceeds throughout the season, he is having the best year a freshman QB has had at ASU and among the best a in Pac-10 history. Kealy has already broken ASU freshman records for touchdowns and yards and is 10 away from breaking the completion record. 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. Here's a look at the top four freshman QBs at ASU followed by the best in Pac-10 history.
Freshman QBs at ASU
Name, Year Att. Comp. TD Int. Yds.
Ryan Kealy, 1997 257 140 13 6 1871
Jake Plummer, 1993 199 102 9 7 1650
Grady Benton, 1992 225 149 8 9 1707
Dennis Sproul, 1974 199 96 10 13 1438
Leading Freshman QBs in Pac-10 History
Yards
Name, School Year Yds.
Tommy Maddux, UCLA 1990 2682
Todd Marinovich, USC 1989 2400
John Paye, Stanford 1983 1971
Bill Musgrave, Oregon 1987 1936
Ryan Kealy, ASU 1997 1871
Bret Johnson, UCLA 1989 1791
Grady Benton, ASU 1992 1707
Cade McNown, UCLA 1995 1698
Steve Stenstrom, Stanford 1991 1683
Brock Huard, UW 1996 1678
Touchdowns
Name, School Year TDs
Tommy Maddux, UCLA 1990 17
Ortege Jenkins, Arizona 1997 16
Todd Marinovich, USC 1989 16
Steve Stenstrom, Stanford 1991 15
Ryan Kealy, ASU 1997 13
Brock Huard, UW 1996 13
Bill Musgrave, Oregon 1987 13
Bret Johnson, UCLA 1989 12
John Paye, Stanford 1983 10
Dennis Sproul, ASU 1974 10
Completions
Name, School Year Comp.
Todd Marinovich, USC 1989 219
Tommy Maddux, UCLA 1990 182
John Paye, Stanford 1983 150
Grady Benton, ASU 1992 149
Bret Johnson, UCLA 1989 145
Ryan Kealy, ASU 1997 140
Bill Musgrave, Oregon 1987 139
Jason Palumbis, Stanford 1988 128
Cade McNown, UCLA 1995 122
Steve Stenstrom, Stanford 1991 119
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 three teams have managed to complete more than 50 percent of its passes against ASU and five have been held under 200 yards passing. The Sun Devils are ranked 15th in the nation in pass efficiency defense as opposing QBs have combined for a 102.4 mark. That efficiency rating would be the lowest in the league since 1975 when Washington recorded an 89.0, beating out ASU's 104.2 league-best rating last year. Against the Pac-10, ASU's secondary has posted an 100.62 pass efficiency rating. In its last six games, ASU has limited the best passing conference in the nation to 101-of-216 (.468) in the air while picking 10 passes. Here's a look at how the opposition's starting quarterbacks and a few 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
Chad Hutchinson, Stan. 20 35 214 0 2
Ryan Leaf, WSU 24 49 447 3 1
Justin Vedder, Cal 31 17 173 1 2
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
Troy Walters, Stan. 8 113 0
Chris Jackson, WSU 4 73 1
Kevin McKenzie, WSU 6 75 1
Bobby Shaw, Cal 6 76 1
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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 22 wins in their last 26 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 39-26 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 became the second-winningest coach in ASU history with ASU's win over Washington State. Snyder surpassed 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. This weekend's game against his alma mater, Oregon, will be the 200th in his coaching career.
Coach Years Record
Frank Kush 1958-79 176-54-1
Bruce Snyder 1992-Present 39-26-0
Darryl Rogers 1980-84 37-18-1
Last Time Out: Arizona State remained just once-beaten in the conference with a 28-21 win at California. The Sun Devils staked a 17-0 halftime lead with three second quarter scores. ASU extended its lead to 28-7 late in the third quarter and held off a late Cal rally for its 13th Pac-10 win in its last 14 conference games. J.R. Redmond declared his health with 114 yards on 27 carries on the ground and 264 all-purpose yards. Ryan Kealy passed for 277 yards on 14-of-23 passing, hitting six different receivers, and two TDs.
On Deck: After taking a week off, ASU completes its regular season on Friday, November 28, with its annual clash against arch-rival Arizona. Game time is set for 4:30 (MST) as the game will be seen live by a national television audience on Fox Sports Net.
Tillman On A Tear: Senior outside linebacker Pat Tillman is leading Arizona State's defense on and off the field. 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 leads the team and is among the conference leaders with 68 stops including four sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Tillman also shares the team leads in interceptions with three, giving Tillman seven in his career. Against Stanford, Tillman registered 11 tackles, 10 unassisted, and three tackles for loss, earning him Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Tillman is also a standard for his teammates in the classroom, where he has a 3.82 GPA in marketing. Burger King recognized his accomplishments by awarding a $10,000 scholarship to ASU in his name.
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
at Stanford 10 1 11 3-12
WSU 2 2 4 0-0
at Cal 10 0 10 1-7
Totals 40 28 68 12-54
The Goods on J.R.: J.R. Redmond is turning heads both on and off the field. The sophomore tailback is ninth in the nation with 170.8 all-purpose yards per game and leads the team with 87.1 rushing yards per contest. He also leads the team in punt returns and kickoff returns and is fifth on the team with 15 catches. Redmond's big-play ability has been evident as he has 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, a Doak Walker Award nominee, is also leaving defenders behind on special teams as he is averaging 9.8 yards per punt return and 23.2 yards per kick return. Redmond suffered a hip strain against USC that sidelined him for much of the second half against the Trojans and prevented him from making the trip to Stanford.
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
at Stanford DNP - Injured (Hip Strain)
WSU 8 35 4.4 0
at Cal 27 114 4.2 1
Totals 121 697 5.8 5
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
at Stanford DNP - Injured (Hip Strain)
WSU 8-35 3-36 0-0 0-0 11-71 6.5
at Cal 27-114 2-56 6-47 1-47 36-264 7.3
Totals 121-697 15-186 21-205 12-278 169-1366 8.1 170.8
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)
Defensive Stand: ASU's defense has handed in some mighty impressive performances in 1997. Arizona State is 16th in the nation in scoring defense, 16th in rushing defense and 15th in pass efficiency defense. 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. ASU limited USC to seven points, 15 first downs and 214 total yards - zero, four and 50 in the second half. Stanford's 14 points was the fewest it had scored since losing to ASU 41-9 in 1996. Against Washington State, the Sun Devils held what was the second-best offense in the nation coming into the game to its second lowest point total of the season.
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
at Stanford 114 285 399 14
WSU 51 447 498 31
at Cal 126 173 299 *14
Totals 939 1987 2926 *124
(PG) (104.3) (220.8) (325.1) (13.8)
*does not include points scored by opponents defenses
(20 total: 6 vs. Miami, 7 vs. Oregon State, 7 vs. California)
Safety Valves: ASU coaches know they can take some chances because of the two safeties they have in the secondary Senior Damien Richardson is a member of the Jim Thorpe Award "watch list" as one of the best defensive backs in college football. The strong safety has started 31 straight games for ASU and is second on the team with 61 tackles. Junior free safety Mitchell Freedman is tied for the team lead with three interceptions and his sack of WSU's Ryan Leaf which led to a fumble and return for TD is one of the biggest plays of ASU's season.
Looking for Lenzie: Lenzie Jackson has become Ryan Kealy's favorite target as the junior wide receiver leads the team with 43 catches for 589 yards. Jackson has been sizzling in his last four games, catching 22 passes for 318 yards and three TDs. Jackson pulled in a career-high nine catches against Washington State and turned in a career-high 132 yards against USC. Including the Rose Bowl, Jackson has a catch in 22 straight games and has 90 in his career.
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
at Stanford 4 82 0
WSU 9 89 2
at Cal 2 15 0
1997 Totals 43 589 4
1996 36 505 3
1995 6 37 1
Career 85 1131 8
(Rose Bowl: 5 catches)
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 third on the team with 20 catches for 277 yards, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. Among Pac-10 tight ends, Bates is second only to Oregon's Blake Spence in catches and yardage.
Pac-10 Tight Ends
Player Rec. Yds. TDs
Blake Spence, Oregon 34 553 5
Kendrick Bates, ASU 20 277 1
Mike Grieb, UCLA 15 151 2
Cam Cleeland, UW 15 224 2
Love Jefferson, WSU 12 162 3
Joe Kuykendall, OSU 11 101 0
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| Marlon Farlow has averaged over seven yards per carry in 1997. (File Photo) |
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 joins J.R. Redmond over the 600-yard mark with 602 rushing yards and is averaging 66.9 yards rushing per game while Redmond leads the team with 87.1 rushing yards per game. ASU's tailbacks go three deep with Marlon Farlow, who rushed for a career high 129 yards on 13 carries against Stanford and compiled 227 yards in two games with Redmond sidelined with an injury (98 vs. USC). Farlow has rushed for 365 yards this year, averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
Martin Returns: Senior tailback Michael Martin notched his second consecutive and fourth career 100-yard game against Washington State, rushing for 111 yards on 20 carries to follow his 124-yard performance at Stanford. That's a total of 240 yards and a 5.5 yard average in those two games. Martin returned this year 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 16-1 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. He suffered a neck strain against Cal which held him out of the game after 3 carries. Martin has rushed for over 1,000 yards in 17 starts during his Sun Devil career, averaging 80.5 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
at Stanford 23 124 5.4 1
WSU 20 111 5.6 0
at Cal 3 14 4.7 0 (injured, neck strain)
Total 292 1303 4.5 7
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 15-14 away from home, having won 10 of their last 11 and four of five this year. Four of ASU's first seven games were 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 196-63-3 (.754) all-time in Sun Devil Stadium and 8-1 since the playing surface was dedicated as Frank Kush Field. ASU has won six straight Pac-10 home games. ASU was undefeated at home in 1996 and has drawn five of the seven largest crowds in ASU history in the past two years, 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. This year, ASU drew the fifth-largest crowd in ASU history to the WSU game (73,644) and is averaging 64,406 fans per game.
Pac-10 Player of the Week: Three Sun Devils have been named Pac-10 Player of the Week following outstanding performances this season:
Player Game Note
Robert Nycz Miami tied career high with 3 FGs
Ryan Kealy USC 21/34, 281 yds., 3 TDs
Pat Tillman Stanford 11 tackles (10 unassisted), INT
Ryan Kealy* WSU 23/36, 245 yds, 4 TDs
Marcus Williams WSU ASU record 53.6 yd. avg on 7 punts
*first time a freshman QB has been named Pac-10 Player of the Week
twice in one season since Todd Marinovich in 1989
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 19 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.
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 44-6 in the first quarter, shutting out seven of eight opponents, and 64-27 in the third quarter, blanking five of nine. 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 34 --- 19 ---
Scored 27 .794 16 .842
TD 18 .529 10 .526
Run TD/Pass TD 10/8 4/3
FG 9 .265 6 .316
Turnover 3 1
TOD 1 0
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 29/61 (.475) 16/49 (.327) 5/35 (.143) 50/145 (.345)
Opp. 15/38 (.395) 13/58 (.224) 6/37 (.162) 34/133 (.256)
Automatic: Robert Nycz was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist a year ago and is once again a semifinalist this year. The senior placekicker has connected on 90 straight extra points and 116 of 117 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 14 of 20 attempts this season with four of his six misses coming beyond 40 yards. He has connected on 36 of 52 (.692) career field goal attempts. He is 25 of 30 from inside 40 yards and 11 of 22 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 .688 48 32 31 .969 64 1996 16 11 .688 46 60 60 1.000 93 1997 20 14 .700 46 25 25 1.000 67 Career 52 36 .692 48 117 116 .991 224 *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 9 3/3 7/9 4/6 0/2 46 Career 30 12/12 13/18 11/18 0/4 48
Williams A Weapon: Senior punter and kickoff man Marcus Williams has become a valuable weapon for ASU in the battle for field position. Williams is 26th in the nation with a 43.6 yard average, but more importantly - he is the main reason ASU is seventh in the nation with a 41.0 net punting average. Williams 43.6 yard average is the best at ASU since 1984 (John Meyer, 43.8) and he set a Sun Devil record with a 53.6 yard average on seven kicks against Washington State. Williams is also the Sun Devil kickoff man and has booted 24 touchbacks on 51 kickoffs (.471) as opponents are starting at an average of the 21.9 yard line after ASU kickoffs.
Special Teams: Here's some numbers pertaining to ASU's special teams:
Kickoffs Ret. Avg. Against TB Avg. Opp. Starting Point
ASU 51 24 19.0 24 21.4
Opp. 34 24 20.6 8 28.9
Punts Ret Avg. Against FC Downed *-20 *-10 TB
ASU 60 30 5.1 14 13 11 6 3
Opp. 70 38 9.7 9 16 12 4 7
*fair caught or downed (includes kicked out of bounds) inside 20/10
Turnover Edge: In its last 26 games (dating back to 1995), ASU has a turnover ratio of +29 (66-37). In that span, ASU has accumulated 28 INTs and 38 fumble recoveries while opponents have registered 20 interceptions and 17 recoveries. ASU is 22-4 during the stretch. This year, ASU is +7 in turnover margin and is +8 in its last three games.
Sure Hands: A big reason for ASU's turnover advantage over the last 26 games has been the sure-handed play of its running backs. Sun Devil running backs have lost only four fumbles on a rushing play since the start of the 1995 season, a span of 32 games. That's four fumbles lost in 1,484 rushing attempts. However, three of those lost fumbles have come in ASU's last eight games.
Capitalizing: ASU has converted turnovers into points 41 percent of the time while its opponents have scored off of turnovers 50 percent of the time.
Turnovers Resulting In ...
ASU Opponents
24 Opp. Turnovers 17
61 Points 43
7 TD 5
4 FG 3
7 Punt 4
3 MFG 1
1 Turnover 2
0 TO on Downs 1
2 End of Half/Game 1
The Century Mark: ASU has had at least one person rush for 100 or more yards in five of its nine games in 1997, all wins. ASU is 221-36-5 (.853) all-time when it has someone top the century mark and is 22-4 (.846) 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. Against Stanford, Martin joined Marlon Farlow in both topping the 100-yard mark. ASU has had two rushers over 100 yards in the same game 34 times in its history, compiling a record of 32-1-1. This is the first year since 1973 that more than one combination of backs has combined for over 100 yards. Woody Green, Ben Malone and Fred Williams--in some combination--paired to rush for over 100 yards each five times. That was also the last year it has happened more than twice.
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 -- --
Oct. 19 23 22
Oct. 26 20 21
Nov. 2 15 16
Nov. 9 15 15
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 were 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 was 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 headed 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
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
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
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
Dodging Draft Blues: Of the eight college programs that lost six or more players to the NFL draft only ASU, Nebraska, Ohio State and Florida State are ranked in the Top 25.
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.
Missing the Bruins: The Pac-10 schedule includes eight conference games and the conference rotates which team a school misses every two years. ASU will miss UCLA in 1997 and 1998.
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| Center Grey Ruegamer anchors the Sun Devil offensive line. (File Photo) |
Three Dot Data: WR Creig Spann's 67-yard touchdown catch was his first career TD grab and the longest reception of his career ... it was also Ryan Kealy's longest toss, TD or otherwise ... J.R. Redmond's 27 rushing attempts at California was a career high ... ASU will end the season 2-1 against teams picked ahead of them in the annual Pac-10 preseason poll (beat Stanford, USC; lost to Washington; don't play UCLA) ... P Marcus Williams' 53.6 yard per punt average against Washington State was a school record for a seven-punt performance ... In going 2 of 12 on third down conversions, Stanford didn't convert on 10 straight third downs ... in the past four games, ASU opponents are 23-of-89(.258) on third-down conversions ... TB Marlon Farlow set a career high with 129 yards on 13 carries against Stanford ... FB Jeff Paulk's two rushing TDs against Stanford was a career high and all three of his career rushing TDs have come at the Cardinal ... QB Ryan Kealy's career highs have come in his last four games: 36 attempts (Stanford & WSU), 23 completions (WSU), 281 yards (USC) and 4 touchdowns (WSU) ... WR Lenzie Jackson set career highs with nine catches against Washington State and 132 yards receiving against USC ... the Sun Devils 28-point win was their largest margin of victory against USC ... seven players have interceptions for ASU this year ... the Huskies are the only team to score a point against the Sun Devils in the first quarter ... ASU has given up just seven passing TDs (4 to Ryan Leaf) and six rushing TDs this season ... ASU's offensive performance against Washington was one of its worst in recent memory as the 231 total yards was the fewest since the 1992 Arizona game (Nov. 21, 191 yards), the 15 first downs was the fewest since Oct. 28, 1995, at Oregon (14) and the 51 net rushing yards was the fewest since Oct. 22, 1994, vs. Washington State ... FS Mitchell Freedman's 15 tackles at Washington was a career high ... LB Pat Tillman's two interceptions against Oregon State was a career high and the first time since 1991 that ASU has had a player with two picks. Adam Brass and Darren Woodson both had two INTs a piece against Cal in '91 ... TE Kendrick Bates' 38-yard catch vs. Oregon State was a career high ... ASU's 10 points against BYU was its fewest since a 31-0 loss to USC on Sept. 30, 1995 and its fewest at home since a 47-10 loss to Miami on Sept. 10, 1994 ... the 13 points ASU allowed to BYU in the loss was the fewest points allowed by ASU in a loss since a 13-6 defeat against USC in 1990 ... TE Kendrick Bates' team-high five catches against BYU was a career best ... when Michael Martin and J.R. Redmond each ran for over 100 yards against Miami, it was the first time since 1979 that the Hurricanes had allowed two rushers to do that in the same game ... the 23-12 win at Miami was the Hurricanes first loss in a home-opener since 1985 (Florida) ... the Hurricanes offense was held without a touchdown, the first time that has happened in the Orange Bowl since 1984 (Florida State) ... TB Marlon Farlow established a career high with a 63-yard run against Stanford ... TB J.R. Redmond's 176 yards rushing against New Mexico State was a career high ... Michael Martin's 26 carries against Miami is a career high ... prior to Farlow and Redmond each gaining 100 yards against Miami, the last time two backs rushed for 100+ yards each was last year when Terry Battle and Jeff Paulk did it against Oregon State ... prior to this year, the last time ASU had two backs go over 100-yards in the same game twice in a season was 1993 ... Redmond's five catches against Miami was a career high ... WR Kenny Mitchell's 40-yard catch that led to ASU's game-clinching score at Miami was a career high ... PK Robert Nycz's three field goals at Miami tied a career high.
Bits & Bites: LB 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.
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. 8 at California Fox Syndication (regional)
Nov. 15 Oregon Fox Syndication (regional)
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.
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
Here's where ASU ranks in the nation:Individual Player Category Place Stat J.R. Redmond All-Purpose 9th 170.8 ypg J.R. Redmond Rushing t43rd 87.1 ypg J.R. Redmond Punt Returns 41st 9.8 ypr J.R. Redmond Kickoff Returns 45th 23.2 ypr Ryan Kealy Pass Efficiency t48th 127.7 Ricky Boyer Punt Returns 43rd 9.7 ypr Robert Nycz Field Goals 8th 1.56 fgpg Robert Nycz Scoring 38th 7.44 ppg Marcus Williams Punting 26th 43.6 ypp Team Category Place Stat ASU Rushing Offense 33rd 175.1 ypg ASU Passing Offense 47th 216.8 ypg ASU Total Offense 36th 391.9 ypg ASU Scoring Offense 49th 26.6 ppg ASU Rushing Defense 16th 104.3 ypg ASU Pass Eff. Defense 15th 102.39 ASU Total Defense 30th 325.1 ypg ASU Scoring Defense 16th 16.0 ppg ASU Net Punting 7th 41.0 ypp ASU Punt Returns 44th 9.7 ypr ASU Kickoff Returns 53rd 20.6 ypr ASU Turnover Margin t19th +0.78 pg