#72 Arizona State Football 2012 Preview


Arizona State Sun Devils

2012 Overall Rank: # 72
#8 Pac-12 Conference
Arizona State College Football 2012 Team Preview
Arizona State Team Page

 

Arizona State had a roller coaster ride of a season. They were ranked as high as 18th in the AP poll and were off to a tremendous start, reeling off five wins in their first six contests. Then the tide changed and the Sun Devils found themselves on the losing end for much of the reminder of the year, winning only one more game and dropping six, including five straight to end the season. The slide prompted a coaching change and the Sun Devils hired the ultra successful Todd Graham, who is an offensive guru.

2011 Record: (6-7, 4-5)
2011 Bowl: Maaco Las Vegas Bowl VS Boise State (L 24-56)  
Coach: Todd Graham (0-0 at ASU, 49-29 overall)  
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Norvell
Defensive Coordinator: Paul Randolph   

Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Cameron Marshall, RB, 1,098 yards
Passing: Jamal Miles, WR, 35 yards  
Receiving: Jamal Miles 361 yards  
Tackles:  Alden Darby, DB, 51
Sacks: Davon Coleman, DL, 2.5
Interceptions: Keelan Johnson, DB, 2  

Other Key Returnees: K Alex Garoutte, WR Kyle Middlebrooks

Key Losses: QB Brock Osweiler, WR Gerell Robinson, WR Aaron Pfugrad, LB Vontaze Burfict, LB Colin Parker

Strengths:
The Sun Devils have been known for having a high flying offense and they lived up to expectations in 2011, racking up 316 yards per game through the air. They are replacing their stud signal caller in Brock Osweiler, but Todd Graham is an offensive genius who will have no problems molding a new quarterback to replace him. They return their dominate running back, Cameron Marshall, who will likely be asked to shoulder a major load to help groom their new quarterback. The soon to be senior should be ready to thrive in this role. Arizona State’s offense will still be locked, loaded, and ready to score often in 2012, as their best offensive days are ahead of them.

Weaknesses:
Arizona State’s defense has been their Achilles’ heel and it looks to be the same old song and dance this year as they were decimated by players leaving. Their top five tacklers are all gone as well as their leading sack artist. They also lost Clint Floyd who picked off four passes a year ago. This unit will need to be improved, despite losing many of its best players, for the Sun Devils to be competitive in the dangerous Pac-12. When breaking down the numbers, Arizona State’s passing defense struggled much more than their rushing counterpart, so that should be the emphasis in 2012. Defense has never been this team’s strong suit, and 2012 should see many more shootouts, just like Sun Devil fans are use to watching.

The Bottom Line:
Todd Graham is a fantastic head coach who will turn this program around in time. It will not happen overnight and there will be some growing pains, but they will turn that corner. They will continue to be an offensive minded team, but under Coach Graham should improve and be even more dangerous. This is a team to keep an eye on in 2012 and forward.

Projected Bowl: New Mexico Bowl

2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 129.08 (85th in the nation, 8th in conference)  
Passing Offense: 316.69 (10th, 3rd)  
Total Offense: 445.77 (25th, 5th)  
Scoring Offense: 33.15 (28th, 5th)
Rushing Defense: 149.08 (57th, 6th)  
Pass Defense: 273.00 (108th, 10th)  
Total Defense: 422.08 (91st, 8th)  
Scoring Defense: 28.62 (74th, 6th)  
Turnover Margin: .69 (17th, 2nd)  
Sacks: 1.92 (59th, 9th)  
Sacks Allowed: 2.15 (T-73rd, 6th)

Madness 2012 Football Recruit Rankings:
#106 D.J. Foster