Bleacher Report - Arizona State Football

Arizona State VS. UCLA: The Preview

Kristian Siuta — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:38:40 -0500

Well, the decision that fans in Tempe were waiting anxiously for has been announced.

Sophomore quarterback Samson Szakacsy will be under center in his home state of California, with one job in mind: Leave the Rose Bowl with an Arizona State Sun Devil victory.

Surely, that is the ideal situation for Head Coach Dennis Erickson.

Erickson has played musical chairs at quarterback all season long, and the fans at Frank Kush Field have been calling for different names to play quarterback.

At times, Szakacsy's name was not even mentioned.

Until last weekend's performance in Eugene.

Szakacsy does not have a full game experience under his belt, but in his second half relief appearance of Brock Osweiler, Szakacsy passed and ran for a touchdown in the Sun Devils 44-21 loss.

However, Erickson must have seen something that he liked in Szakacsy, to hand over the reigns to the Sun Devils in their final two games.

Maybe it was that spark, a little bit of energy, the athletic ability, or the calm demeanor of the redshirt Sophomore quarterback that warranted another shot in a full game.

Unfortunately, fans in Westwood now have something else to worry about in the game this Saturday.

If Danny Sullivan or Brock Osweiler were starting for ASU, the UCLA defense would not have to worry about keeping an eye on the quarterback on run plays, because let's be honest, Sullivan or Osweiler are not going anywhere quickly.

Szakacsy inserted into the quarterback position gives the Sun Devils an added threat on every single play, whether it's a run or a pass. Szakacsy has proven that he can make a lot out of nothing by extending the play with his legs.

UCLA's defense has yet to truly see a dual-threat quarterback this season, other than Washington's Jake Locker. The Bruins were lucky enough to catch Oregon when their star offensive leader, Jeremiah Masoli, was injured.

When UCLA played Washington, Locker was utilized more as a pocket passer in that game, than taking advantage of his athletic ability with his legs. Locker finished with only 23 yards on the ground, but passed for 235 yards.

Now the Bruins will face a quarterback that has wide receiver or defensive back-type speed, who can also throw on the run, or in the pocket, with precision and velocity.

All of those traits sound well and good, but it is unfortunate that Szakacsy was not healthy enough early in the season to prove his worth as the starter.

Who knows, maybe the Sun Devils would have a totally different record heading into their final two games?

The stories to watch for UCLA consist of their struggling quarterback play with Kevin Prince and Kevin Craft, as well as their defense trying to shutdown the ASU offense, similar to what Stanford, Oregon, and USC did to the Sun Devils did this season.

Prince will be the quarterback for the Bruins following a stellar performance against Washington State last week (314 yards passing, 76 yards rushing, and two total touchdowns). By looking at those numbers, it looks like the Bruins' defense will be well prepared for the athletic Szakacsy on Saturday.

But how effective will UCLA be at stopping or shutting down the ASU rushing attack? Because as all football fans, coaches, players, and staff members know, to be successful, you must be able to run the football on offense and stop the run on defense. That is where it starts and ends for both of these teams.

The winner of this game, will be the team that runs the football with consistency and effectiveness, and manages to slow down the opposing teams running game.

But as in any game, turnovers, mistakes, and penalties will play a major role in determining the outcome.

Arizona State beat UCLA with four defensive touchdowns last season in a 34-9 blowout victory, but as of late, the Sun Devils have not forced the turnover numbers that fans and players became accustomed to earlier this season.

For Arizona State, the penalties are still a major issue, and it seems to be unresolved week after week.

The Sun Devils have to limit those critical mental and emotional mistakes that might cost their team field position, yards, and maybe even the game.

ASU Key Player

Samson Szakacsy QB

Yes, I know that Szakacsy has been all the talk this week, online, on the radio, and in the newspapers, but the hype must live up to the billing, or else this season can turn from a nightmare into a funeral procession.

The weight of the world, or at least Tempe, AZ is on the shoulders of a quarterback who has never made a start in his career and has a questionable elbow.

That doesn't seem like the formula for success to me, but Erickson is confident in his abilities as a play-maker in the offense, and you have to respect that the coach has faith in Szakacsy's style to get the job done as well.

If Szakacsy puts together a full performance like he did in the second half against Oregon last weekend, the Sun Devils will be in great shape to earn the victory.

However, if Szakacsy lays an egg in Pasadena, and either Sullivan or Osweiler have to relieve him, well than all hopes and dreams of a potential bowl game go right down the toilet.

UCLA Key Player

Kevin Prince QB

I am going to stick with the quarterbacks as the highlight performers this Saturday.

Sure, the quarterback touches the ball on every single play; that is why his job as a field general is so important.

Prince has had to take some lumps and some beatings while learning on the job this season, but as of late, the redshirt Freshman has transformed himself into a very solid and capable quarterback for UCLA and Head Coach Rick Neuheisel.

Although Prince has only thrown six touchdowns this season, he has managed to find the end zone four times in his last three games. UCLA's record over that stretch was 2-1.

Now Prince has added another dimension to his game, using his legs to keep drives going, which has led to UCLA's possessions turning into touchdowns instead of punts or field goal attempts.

For both of these teams, as the quarterbacks go, so goes the team!

The Prediction

This game has all the looks to be a hard fought defensive struggle, but in recent weeks both offenses have found new signs of life.

For ASU, Szakacsy has given the offensive unit a jump start, and seems to have given Erickson another playmaker on the field.

The Sun Devils' defense will have to perform better this week against UCLA than ASU looked last Saturday against the Ducks. Like I said, the first initiative on defense for ASU must be to contain the UCLA rushing attack.

I don't think that UCLA will suddenly switch to a spread option attack like Oregon, or a powerful two-back running game like Stanford, so ASU should have a good amount of success on defense. The success and production that ASU has on defense will force UCLA to throw into tight coverages, and I think that is where the game will be decided once again.

Last season in Tempe, Arizona State shutdown the UCLA offense, and forced then starter, Craft to throw, and throw he did. Craft gift wrapped the game for the Sun Devils with his four interceptions all returned for touchdowns.

I don't see Prince throwing four interceptions, but in a crucial situation late in the contest, I think Prince will try to make a play, and the ball-hawking defense of ASU will come up with the turnover, and the Sun Devils will never look back.

Final Score: ASU 27 UCLA 20

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Two-Game Gauntlet for Arizona State and UCLA Begins Saturday at Rose Bowl

Kristian Siuta — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:29 -0500

For Arizona State, the stage is set, with two games to play for all the marbles.

The first matchup in a two-game gauntlet begins at the Rose Bowl against the UCLA Bruins. The only idea in the heads of the players on both teams will be, "My school needs this victory!"

So with that being said, what will we, the fans, remember about this 2009 Sun Devil football season?

Right now, sitting with a 4-6 record with two games to play (just like last season), Arizona State is in line to start their third different quarterback in as many weeks. The man is sophomore Samson Szakacsy, who grew up about two hours north of the Rose Bowl.

Former starters Danny Sullivan and Brock Osweiler are all still a little banged up following the trip to Oregon. According to Dennis Erickson, Szakacsy showed enough in the second half against the Ducks to warrant a chance at revitalizing the season in Tempe.

And what better place to earn your first start than "The Granddaddy of Them All?"

And who knows, maybe Szakacsy makes the plays for ASU to earn bowl eligibility and turn the season into a success.

But can the California native bring the energy or spark to the offensive unit that they have desperately missed this season?

The UCLA Bruin coaching staff will certainly be knowledgeable of the athletic ability of Szakacsy while he is on the field. Even during broken play situations, when the pocket collapsed, the speedster managed to earn yards with his legs and keep the offense moving down the field.

Unfortunately against Oregon, the offense did not do enough in the fourth quarter to claw their way back into the contest, and the defense, for one of the few times this season, did not help themselves out either. Oregon rushed for 268 yards on the ground against the normally stifling ASU defense, and the Sun Devils boarded their flight with a four-game losing streak in hand.

Arizona State was in this same situation last season, heading into their final two games with a 4-6 record. Fans held onto the fact that the Sun Devils ended with a struggling UCLA squad at home and a trip to Tucson to face the Wildcats—their in-state rival who ASU had beaten in three straight meetings.

Sure, everything looked to be going according to script. The demoralized Bruins left Sun Devil Stadium last year wondering what hit them, as UCLA gave up four defensive touchdowns to the maroon and gold in a 34-9 ASU victory. Now, with a 5-6 record heading into the Territorial Cup, or Duel in the Desert, ASU liked its chances.

Sure, some of the talk on radio programs and in the newspapers surrounded the fact that ASU has had the Wildcats' number in recent seasons and former quarterback Rudy Carpenter "would not lose to Arizona."

And that was true, up until last year's meeting.

Led by Willie Tuitama at quarterback, Arizona finally managed to beat the Sun Devils in a must win game for both teams. The Wildcats laid a 31-10 beat down on ASU, and ruined any dreams of a fifth consecutive bowl-bound season. Instead, U of A dealt the Sun Devils their first bowl-less season since 2003.

Now in 2009, the story is eerily similar.

Erickson's squad now has to travel to the Rose Bowl and face off against a UCLA team that has begun to show signs of life again. UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel witnessed the Bruins' five-game losing streak during the meat of their schedule this season, and in the past two weeks UCLA has righted the ship against the Washington schools.

Now, with a 5-5 record, the Bruins are looking to earn bowl eligibility this upcoming Saturday against Erickson's Sun Devils.

The Bruins' chances of earning their sixth win of the season seem a lot higher this weekend versus Arizona State than in two weeks against the reeling USC Trojans at the Coliseum.

Last season the Sun Devils had a proven leader and warrior at quarterback in Rudy Carpenter. This season, it appears that Samson Szakacsy will have to shoulder the burden of getting Arizona State back into the bowl season.

So, with the stage set for both teams, ASU and UCLA embark on their two-game elimination rounds beginning this Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

This contest might shape up to be the under-the-radar game of the week in the PAC-10, so tune in to see all the hard hitting action.

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Arizona State Football and Samson "the Truth" Szakacsy

Michael Hamburg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:23:16 -0500

Week after week, loss after loss, Sun Devil fans are becoming less interested in our football program. Even though the Pac-10 is still wide open the Devils could still possibly be bowl eligible if they follow a four-game losing streak with two straight wins.

This week ASU goes to Westwood to play a 5-5 UCLA team that is also trying to keep their bowl hopes alive. The buzz around the Tempe campus has been quiet but one thing that looked great last week at Oregon was Samson Szakacsy.

Going into the Oregon game Brock Osweiler was the named the starter but after he was injured in the second quarter the red shirt sophomore got his first significant amount of playing time and took full advantage of it, displaying his speed and accuracy, he almost looked like a poor mans Jeremiah Masoli.

For the first time this season our offense looked alive and fluent with Samson under center and one thing that should be a no brainer for coach Erickson is to let Samson start. How Danny Sullivan’s name can still be mentioned as the starting quarterback blows my mind.

The Oregon game was over when LaMichael James scored two first quarter touchdowns but I was still into the game every time Samson stepped on the field. Samson’s injured elbow looked great and he really looks like the truth.

The only thing that really matters as long as the Devils are not looking at a BCS bowl is beating the Wildcats from Tucson. The Territorial Cup is the longest active rivalry in the country and even if ASU hasn’t won one game this season the only game that matters is the match up against the kitties from southern Arizona.

I feel it this week, if Samson starts I believe we can get a win in SoCal and go into the University of Arizona game with much needed momentum. Yes, this has been a disappointing season for the Devils but with new recruits and Erickson’s players finally getting accustomed to the spread offense, I expect the next few years to be eminent.

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The Never-Ending Story: Who Will Start at QB For Arizona State?

Kristian Siuta — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:11:47 -0500

If there ever was a do-or-die scenario in a team's season, this weekend for the Sun Devils is the beginning of a two game slate that can define a terrible season, or a salvaged one.

And still the question surrounding Arizona State heading into their 10th game of the season is still adamantly swirling around the quarterback position.

So, who should Dennis Erickson select to start at the Rose Bowl Saturday night?

Well, former starter and senior quarterback Danny Sullivan has had a full weeks rest for his ailing bicep injury, and will be re-evaluated as the week progresses. As will Brock Osweiler, who injured his shoulder during his first career start last Saturday in Eugene.

But all the talk around campus has been of the long haired, free-spirit quarterback of the future, Samson Szakacsy. Maybe it's a little bit of "what have you done for me lately" syndrome, but the fans in Tempe have taken a liking to the California native.

Szakacsy brings flare, mobility, and excitement to the quarterback position. All of those attributes have been dearly missed by Sun Devil fans since the great Jake Plummer walked the sun-drenched campus.

But I don't want to count my eggs before they hatch. Samson Szakacsy provided a necessary spark for Erickson's offense last weekend, but how will his elbow hold up, after his first true game experience since high school?

Adrenaline can do wondrous things in the heat of battle, but how will these quarterbacks manage down the stretch, when wins are at a premium, now more than ever?

The question is, who will Erickson turn to, when he knows how much the UCLA game means for Arizona State this Saturday?

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ASU Now Faces Two Must Win Games Following a Rough Trip To Oregon

Kristian Siuta — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:42:24 -0500

No one inside Sun Devil nation expected much out of Arizona State's visit to Autzen Stadium, but midway through the third quarter ASU was closing in on a potential upset. However, the Oregon Ducks' rushing attack proved to be too much for the normally dominating Sun Devil Defense.

Oregon started the first quarter strong, and showed no sign of a hangover after their loss to Stanford on Saturday. Jeremiah Masoli engineered two scoring drives that combined to chew up only two minutes and twenty-seven seconds of clock.

The Sun Devils' defense could not stop the spread option attack engineered by coach Chip Kelly and mastered on the field by Masoli. Although, the Ducks did jump out to a fourteen point lead, the Sun Devils did not give up, even when the score read: Ducks 31 ASU 7.

But for Sun Devil fans, they were anticipating their first real look at true Freshman quarterback Brock Osweiler. Well Osweiler didn't look any better than what Sullivan's production output would have been. Autzen Stadium was going to be the first look at the raucous crowd in Eugene, but the quarterback that stood out in the performance, was Samson Szakacsy.

Dennis Erickson has been searching for an explosive playmaker on offense, testing out Jamal Myles, Kyle Williams, and Chris McGaha in slot positions, but the touch, the missing link in a high flying offense, was at quarterback. And believe it or not, everyone from the die-hard fans, the students, players, and even coaches knew the difference maker was at quarterback.

Szakacsy was the piece of the puzzle that was missing. In Erickson's spread offense, the quarterback was never a threat to run, with the speedy Szakacsy under center, he was always a threat to make a play with his legs. Even on called pass plays, the long haired, free-spirit was elusive, and smart when picking up extra yardage on his numerous scrambles.

But Szakacsy also showed, his surgically repaired arm is still not one-hundred percent. On Some deep out routes, the painful elbow would not hold up, and nearly turned into points for Oregon. However, Szakacsy was effective leading the Sun Devils back into the game in the third quarter.

With the score 31-7 in favor of Oregon, Szakacsy knew the task at hand was herculean, at the least, but with nearly no experience in practice or in games, he used raw ability to lead a formidable comeback and bring the Sun Devils within ten points late in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, ASU's final firework of the game, occurred with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter. Szakacsy rolled out to his right, extending the play, and found Senior receiver Kyle Williams in the back corner of the end zone for a Sun Devil touchdown.

From that point on, Dennis Erickson and the ASU defense had no answer for the high scoring Ducks. Defensive Coordinator Craig Bray and his defense has held opponents to 87.5 yards per game on the ground heading into this contest. Well, those rushing statistics took a huge hit Saturday night. Oregon rushed for 268 yards on the ground, that same number eclipsed the total yards that Arizona State totaled.

ASU only managed 211 total yards on the night, however, the Sun Devils held the football for over thirty-six minutes. The difference in the contest, was the running game for both teams. Arizona State did not explode on the ground, like Stanford's production last week in their upset of Oregon, but as Stanford proved against the Sun Devils in October, teams can run against the ASU front seven.

Jeremiah Masoli and Lamichael James had big play after big play, through the air and on the ground. James and Masoli combined for all five touchdowns for the Ducks. Masoli with his arm, and LaMichael James with his legs, the Ducks had the Sun Devils out-manned from the start.

However, from this point on the Sun Devils cannot be out-manned in a contests, whether in ability, gameplan, or final result. The Sun Devils' record now stands at 4-6, with two games remaining. Obviously, the scenario is a must win, or lose or go home attitude.The Sun Devils will head to Pasadena next Saturday with to have a virtual playoff with the Bruins, to see which team remains in search of bowl eligibility heading into their rivalry game.

If ASU wins, the Sun Devils will have to beat the Arizona Wildcats at home to hope for an outside shot at earning a bowl birth. If UCLA wins next weekend against ASU, then the Bruins will be bowl eligible. If the Bruins lose to ASU, then a must win situation against their crosstown rival USC looms.

As for the story heading into the UCLA-ASU game, well, unfortunately the headlines in Tempe, will still revolve around the unsettled quarterback spot. And perhaps that is your sign for a struggling 4-6 season. The Sun Devils have major questions at quarterback with two games left in the season. That is a disappointment.

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