ASU set to open preseason camp with added urgency
To Todd Graham, it feels like Arizona State is preparing for a bowl game. The Sun Devils’ season opener against Texas A&M in Houston is that big, that important.
“It does,” said the ASU coach, approaching his fourth season in Tempe. “It’s really impacted our summer. I can just tell a sense of urgency with our coaches, with our players. You’re kicking off on the road, (against an) SEC West (school) in Houston -- that will get you working.”
The preseason No. 16 Sun Devils will turn up the intensity a notch when they open practice Wednesday with the first of two scheduled sessions: veterans in the morning, newcomers at night.
ASU CAMP PREVIEW:Examining the Sun Devils' defense
This is a change from the norm. Over the last seven seasons, ASU opened against lower-division opponents, contests it won by an average score of 49-8.
Texas A&M is a different beast, an opponent that will require ASU’s undivided attention from the first ball-security drill. Even though conference media picked the Aggies to finish sixth in the seven-team SEC West, they still received 127 votes in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll, which technically puts them 27th in the country. Their logo has been up in ASU’s weight room all season, serving as motivation.
“There’s a certain urgency, a certain bitterness,” senior quarterback Mike Bercovici said. “Whenever you’re running a wind sprint, you know what you’re up against Sept. 5. Going into fall camp, we’re counting down the days until we play. It’s exciting. When you’re a kid growing up, this is what you wait for. You want to play this type of team.”
ASU football preseason depth chart:
The four-team College Football Playoff – entering its second season – encourages programs to schedule strong outside-of-conference action, but most programs open light. Among the Pac-12 schools, five this season open against lower-division schools. Only ASU, Stanford, UCLA and Utah kick off against schools from Power 5 conferences, although Washington’s opener at Boise State is nothing to overlook.
“As a coach, some years you’d like to have a lesser opponent to ease into the season and kind of determine and decide what you got with your team," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who opens Sept. 3 against Michigan. “But if there was a year (for us) to play an opener like this, it would be this year because we have a lot of returning experience.”
ASU is in a similar position. The Sun Devils -- 10-3 last year -- return six starters on offense and all but two on defense. Their depth appears as good as it’s been since Graham arrived in 2011, so they insist they’re ready for this type of early challenge.
ASU CAMP PREVIEW:Examining the Sun Devils' offense
“It’s better this way," junior Devil-backer/defensive end Edmond Boateng said. “Get a good game under you and then you handle things a lot better (later in the season). Last year, we had New Mexico early and then we played UCLA and it kind of went over our heads (a 62-27 loss). I feel like this game beefs us up for the rest of the season.”
Graham’s only complaint: He would’ve liked to have scheduled Texas A&M for a return trip at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, but that possibility never materialized. No matter. Starting Wednesday, the Sun Devils’ season opener will come into even clearer focus. And it has their attention.
“I like that sense of competition, knowing I get to go up and face some of the best receivers in Week 1," senior cornerback Lloyd Carrington said. “Come out of the gate, and my game needs to be at a high level. I have no time to slack off or just sit around and procrastinate. It’s go time.”
RELATED:ASU football practice schedule
CAMP STORY LINES
-Protecting the quarterback. ASU is replacing last year’s starting tackles, a competition that is expected to include junior Evan Goodman, senior Billy McGehee and redshirt freshman Sam Jones. The Sun Devils also could slide left guard Christian Westerman outside.
-Finding a Devil-backer. The hybrid rush-linebacker position is the most important in coach Todd Graham’s aggressive scheme. Last year, ASU looked all preseason for someone explosive and mature enough to handle the job. It never found anyone.
-Ballage’s workload. Sophomore running back Kalen Ballage was perhaps ASU’s top offensive performer during spring practice, but Graham also plans to use him as a pass rusher on defense. How will Ballage’s duties be split?
-Improving special teams. This has been a thorn in Graham’s side since his arrival in the winter of 2011. Shawn Slocum – who spent the previous eight years with the Green Bay Packers – took over as special-teams coach in the spring. How much progress has he made?
Ranking the toughest games on ASU football's schedule:
Contact Doug Haller at Doug.Haller@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4949. Follow him at Twitter.com/DougHaller.