WASHINGTON HUSKIES vs. ARIZONA STATE
When: Kickoff TBA, Saturday, Nov. 8
Where: Husky Stadium
TV: TBA
2007 RECAP: First-year Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson led quite a turnaround in the desert last fall. He took a disillusioned team on an eight-game winning streak and led them to the Holiday Bowl with a 10-3 final record.
It wasn't all fun and games, though. Especially for quarterback Rudy Carpenter. Carpenter put up solid numbers (61.8 completion percent, 3,202 yards, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) despite being sacked 55 times.
Freshman kicker Thomas Weber came on as a surprise to win the Lou Gorza Award by going 24 of 25 in field-goal attempts.
A soft pre-season schedule helped the Sun Devils get their mojo going with Erickson, but the intensity picked up at the end and Arizona State lost three of its last five games. (Their two wins were by a total of seven points to UCLA and Arizona.)
2008 OUTLOOK: With 16 returning starters, the Pac-10's most experienced quarterback and a good defensive front, Arizona State could turn into a top-10-type of team.
That development, however, is no sure thing with the offensive line and the linebackers being the biggest question marks.
Erickson's offense is primed with Carpenter at the helm. A running-back-by committee approach will fall mostly onto Keegan Herring (815 yards, five TDs) with Dmitri Nance and Shaun DeWitty on standby.
The offense will continue to shift more to a spread scheme so Carpenter can get the ball out of his hand faster. Chris McGaha, Michael Jones and Kyle Williams will lead the receivers, which will often go out four or five at a time.
The line returns both starting guards and Jon Hargis has moved from defense to left tackle. Erickson is hoping for addition by subtraction to improve this unit. The jury is still out.
Defensively, the line returns three of four starters.
Texas exposed the linebackers in the Holiday Bowl and, to avoid an another embarrassing showing Sept. 20 against Georgia, Travis Goethel (the lone returning starter), Gerald Munns and Ryan McFoy have to do better. Munns had a strong spring and could be a star in the making.
The secondary is tough with safety Troy Nolan and sophomore corner Omar Bolden returning.
PEEK AT PERSONNEL: Meet sack master Dexter Davis and opposite end Luis Vasquez. Both earned Pac-10 post-season honors and combined for 15 sacks and 25 tackles for loss.
They are sandwiched around returning tackle David Smith, but two incoming junior-college transfers figure to mix it up. If Eugene Germany and Spencer Gasu are stout, this defensive line could be among the nation's best.
If they aren't, the Sun Devils still have two ends that should give opposing quarterbacks fits.
WHAT THE HUSKIES CAN EXPECT: The Huskies third-quarter woes of the early part of last season reached a valley when the Sun Devils put 21 points on them to erase a 17-13 half-time lead. Arizona State went on to pound the Huskies 44-20 in Tempe.
It wasn't a pretty game once the Sun Devils started to break big runs. It got uglier as the Huskies panicked.
The last three seasons, the Huskies have lost to Arizona State because they lost their composure.
Washington should be able to play with the Sun Devils assuming the defensive line is healthy and has steadily progressed through the '08 season.
They should be right in this game if whoever is carrying the ball can break a seam.
They should be right with them if a Husky emerges as a consistent field-goal kicker.
If those three things happen – and the Huskies keep their composure, there is no reason they shouldn't pull out what will be considered a late-season upset.
