ASU Football: A Chat About Stanford
By Mike Slifer
Recently, Devils in Detail exchanged questions with Stanford Football analyst Hank Waddles. His answers to our questions were posted Thursday.
Today, we answer his questions about Saturday’s game.
1) Stanford’s Hank Waddles: So we know there’s some uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position. Can you talk about the strengths and weaknesses of Taylor and Bercovici? Coach Graham has said both will play. Is that a good idea? Does it matter?
Devils in Detail:
Bercovici is pretty much a pocket passer. He’s not a slug, but he’s not a dual-threat. And he’s a gun-slinger. He’s a talented passer, but sometimes a little reckless. That’s how he got beat out by Kelly in the first place-trying to fit balls into tight windows and getting them picked off. But when he’s on, he’s on–and can pick a defense apart.
Kelly is a typical dual-threat QB. He can really run. He makes that zone-read option really tough to defend. Arguably, just his presence alone will open up more room for running back DJ Foster. But he is more of a game manager. He doesn’t throw down the field as well as Bercovici. But he takes care of the ball and makes good decisions.
I think the coaches will start Bercovici because Kelly isn’t at 100% yet. Even if he was, he’s going to be rusty. This isn’t the game to shake off rust. Berco is healthy and ready to go, getting lots of reps in the last month with the first team. However, don’t be surprised if Kelly comes out to play quarterback when ASU is in the Red Zone, especially inside the 12 yard line.
2) Hank Waddles: I’m not sure I want to hear your answer, but tell me about Jaelen Strong anyway. He seemed to be dormant in the early part of the season, but then he woke up and thrashed the two L.A. schools. What makes him so good? Is there any way Stanford stops him on Saturday?
Devils in Detail:
Good point. And there is no doubt that this issue is part of the discussion amongst the coaches when talking about who should start at quarterback. ASU fans were asking that same question during the first three games; “why doesn’t Kelly throw it to Jaelon Strong more often?”. I don’t believe that Strong was in any kind of slump or that other teams were scheming him. I believe that Taylor Kelly heard the message about relying too much on Strong last season and made a concerted effort to spread the ball around. In that process, he almost ignored Strong. Bercovici, on the other hand, hasn’t gotten that message and keeps throwing the ball to Strong so he can just make a play. On top of that, Bercovici can really spin the ball, so the back-shoulder fades to Strong are almost impossible to defend.
He’s good for a couple of reasons, first he catches everything. (good hands are important for receivers, after all) But his size/speed combination makes him difficult to match-up with. Jaelon can really run. He’s fast enough that last year, he was used as a kick returner. That’s not unusual for slot-back receivers who are 5-10″, 185. But he’s got excellent wheels for a 6’4″, 225 pound frame. Finally, Strong just has good receiver instincts. Instincts that can’t necessarily be taught. His body control, footwork, head/shoulder fakes, stop/start quickness, hand movement, etc make it hard for defenders to know when and where he’s going to break off his route.
3) Hank Waddles: What’s going on with the running game and D.J. Foster? He opened with 510 yards in his first three games, but only gained a total of 43 against UCLA and USC. Are there concerns there?
Devils in Detail:
There are definitely some concerns for the recent running game woes. I was actually concerned earlier on. If you look back, many of DJ’s big runs were more the result of his talent as opposed to great blocking up front. He bounced or spun off defenders or just outran them. (Weber State, New Mexico, Colorado) But the LA schools wouldn’t let him do that. There’s nothing wrong with DJ. If he gets a crease, he could hit a home run. It seems to me that this offensive line is not as proficient at run blocking as everyone had assumed. They’re not terrible, but they aren’t dominant, either. I don’t think the coaches look at the stats as much as they do performance. This is a pass-happy system to begin with, so the coaches have no problem throwing the ball to move the chains. But against that Stanford defense, the inability to run the ball could be a huge problem.
4) Hank Waddles: Looking ASU’s season as a whole, they’ve got two blowout wins over non-conference teams, a blowout loss at the hands of UCLA, and a miracle win over USC. How good is this team, really? Do they deserve their #17 ranking? What are the expectations for the remainder of the season?
Devils in Detail:
Excellent question. If you want to get into what anybody “deserves”, stand by for a heated discussion. The loss to UCLA was a total team loss: Four turnovers by the offense (leading to 24 points), special teams gave up a TD, defense missed tackles and gave up big plays. Against USC, the defense only forced one three and out, the very last USC possession. Putting the miracle ‘Jael Mary’ play aside, ASU probably shouldn’t have won that game. The other three victories were blowouts in the end that had precarious moments, especially in the second quarter. So, to honestly answer your question, no, I do not believe they are worthy of a #17 ranking. Their defense is not good enough. The special teams are sketchy. Offensively, they can move the ball, but they are one dimensional right now. I hate to say it, but I believe that unless they figure something out, they are in for a rude awakening.
As for expectations, the players and coaches don’t care about any of that. They aim to win the conference and think that they can. They take a W and move on, trying to improve and win the next one.
5) Hank Waddles: Stanford’s offense had been struggling before they woke up in the loving arms of the Washington State defense last Friday night. What can we expect to see from the ASU defense? How will they attack Stanford? Who are the defensive stars?
Devils in Detail:
I think ASU’s defense is going to struggle. They’ll have to alter their front a little bit, moving another guy down into the box to help defend the run. And they’ll put some bigger, less mobile bodies in there, as well. But the defensive front has gotten “pushed around” by lesser opponents than Stanford, so it will be a challenge for ASU to hold their ground up front. Head coach Todd Graham prides himself on having an attacking, aggressive defense, (and he’ll definitely roll the dice a few times with blitzes) but I’d be willing to bet that they might play more conservatively this week, taking a “bend but don’t break” approach. Who knows.
As far as who to watch for on the ASU defense. Safety Damarious Randall is a ball-hawk. He’s really talented. You’ll see him flying around, along with fellow safety Jordan Simone, who had 20 tackles against USC. In my opinion, the most important defender to watch for ASU is linebacker Salamo Fiso (#58). He is the only real prototypical run-stopping, gap-filling linebacker that ASU has. He thrives in the downhill game, defensively. And as a red-shirt sophomore, he’s the “old man” of this unit, having three years in the system.
6) Hank Waddles: Finally, how do you expect the game to go? Who will win, what will the final score be, and how will we get there?
Devils in Detail:
6) I’m predicting a Stanford win, 28-24. I think Stanford will do what Stanford has done to ASU for the last five years, run it down their throat and burn clock doing it. The Cardinal will give up a couple of big plays to keep things interesting. But Stanford prevails in the end.