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| | Monday, September 6 | |||||
| 1998 Record: 5-6 (4-4) | 1998 statistics | 1999 schedule Head coach: Bruce Snyder Returning starters: 16 (offense 7, defense 8) Outlook If Bruce Snyder is a smart man, and judging by his coaching success he is, he will stress Arizona State's general lack of quality play last season and keep any talk of "expectations" or "projections" as far away from the Sun Devils as possible. Last season's collapse to 5-6 rocked the program which had been on the doorstep of a national championship after a two-year record of 20-4. Jake Plummer is now three years removed from the program, and the Sun Devils still need to establish a post-Plummer identity. The offense was ready to be built around J.R. Redmond, but he was spread too thin last season and was slowed due to injuries. For all his hype, Redmond has failed to rush for more than 883 yards in a single season. Inconsistent Ryan Kealy needs to recover from being benched for a short time last season, and much of the rest of the offense is up for grabs. Seven starters return for a defensive unit which not only lacked a big-play ability, but also gave up far too many (allowing 406.5 yards per game and a league-high 23 touchdown passes). Offense Kealy came off a remarkable freshman season in 1997 with plenty of expectations but struggled last season. Despite his troubles, Kealy still managed to throw for 2,161 yards and 19 TDs. Both men who filled in behind Kealy last season are gone, meaning another stretch of inconsistency will leave the Sun Devils with little choice but to stick with Kealy. Redmond, who is also one of the nation's most dangerous return men, needs to stay healthy and know his limits. Are the extra four yards per punt return more important than the 30 or so carries he can't take because of wear and tear? He has a nose for the end zone, but much of his production has come without having to be the main man in the offense. Kealy must find a new corps of receivers to stretch the field or Redmond won't see much running room around the line of scrimmage. Redmond might see some time split out wide if Snyder feels the team needs a potent threat outside more than a running back (Davaren Hightower, Delvon Flowers and Kyran Jones supply plenty of backfield depth). Opening holes for whoever carries the ball is a reworked line built around all-conference candidate Marvel Smith at tackle. Scott Peters, who has moved from guard to center, and tackle Victor Leyva are the other returnees along the line. Tight end is a position of strength -- Kendrick Bates and Todd Heap should see plenty of balls thrown their way due to the lack of wide receiver depth. Tariq McDonald, the top returning pass-catcher but he was held out of spring drills to work on academics, is back and ready to be Kealy's primary target. It's a good sign if: Kealy plays like he did in 1997, not 1998. It's a bad sign if: Redmond is stiffled, putting even more pressure on the quarterback. Defense All four starters return along the line -- tackles Ryan Reilly and Junior Ioane and ends Erik Flowers and Quincy Yancey. Ioane's a load at 312 pounds, and if he can manage to take on more than one lineman per play, that should help open pass-rush lanes for the rest of the team. Arizona State had only 24 sacks last season. Outside linebackers Eric Fields and Adam Archuleta (18 tackles for loss) are also back but their slight stature (Fields is 219 pounds, Archuleta 208) puts more pressure on the guys up front to stop the run. Burly Stephen Trejo (6-3, 255 pounds) also returns, but he's the only one at full strength. Archuleta and Fields are battling hamstring problems. With so many experienced players back, there should be plenty of collective shame after defense ranked 90th in the country last season. The secondary has only one starter returning, but that might be a good thing for a unit which allowed a conference-leading 23 touchdown passes. J'Juan Cherry was dismissed from the team in July for academic reasons, leaving Courtney Jackson as the sole returnee. Jackson led the team with four interceptions last season but was held out of spring drills due to an ankle injury. The lack of experience probably means Arizona State will play more nickel and dime packages early in the season. Christon Rance and Courtney Palmore have been moved from safety to corner to provide depth. Willie Daniel and Monte Franks will compete at strong safety, with Craig Koontz, Alfred Williams and Brandon Faulkner battling it out at free safety. It's a good sign if: The Sun Devils are able to pressure opponents with an improved pass rush. It's a bad sign if: Teams figure out how to exploit a relatively inexperienced secondary. Special Teams The Sun Devils have a unique weapon in Redmond, provided he can withstand the pounding of returning punts and kickoffs. Punter Stephen Baker returns after a superb freshman season. Baker averaged 45.7 yards per punt last season. He will most likely give up place-kicking duties to freshman Mike Barth -- Snyder has said he wants Baker to do one or the other. Neither kicker has looked that solid in fall practice. -- Greg Collins |
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