ASU Football: Keys to Victory over Stanford
By Mike Slifer
Some keys for an ASU victory over Stanford at tonight’s game in Tempe.
1) Win Special Teams/Field Position
For an opponent like Stanford, field position is critical. Stanford’s offense is a ground and pound attack. They are not a high tempo, explosive offense. Therefore, giving Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan and his unit a long field to traverse is key. Longer drives are harder to sustain. There are more opportunities for them to fail. So, special teams units, particularly the punt team and kickoff coverage has to be spot on for ASU. The Sun Devils would be wise to try to kick away from receiver/return man Ty Montgomery. Montgomery is one of the best returners in the PAC-12 and hurt ASU last season. The coverage units for ASU have been sketchy this season. Through five games, ASU has already given up a touchdown return on a punt (USC) and a kickoff (UCLA). Directional punting and/or sky kicks by ASU’s Matt Haack will be sorely needed.
2) Pass Protection
Stanford’s defense is tops in the nation. They only give up 9 points a game and have only allowed one passing touchdown. They are solid at every position. Stanford has been good at pressuring the quarterback. For now, let’s assume that Mike Bercovici will start for ASU. If Bercovici is allowed to sit in the pocket, he has the ability to shred the defense with his arm. ASU has a talented group of receivers that will be difficult for Stanford to cover for very long. The offensive line and any running back staying in for pass pro has to be spot-on to make sure Bercovici’s jersey is clean. (not getting sacked or knocked down) If they can do that, the ASU offense will have success. With Bercovici in the game, Devils in Detail believes that this is more important than establishing a running game. (although, the ability to run the ball would be enormously helpful)
3) Third Down
Third down is football. Coaches study their opponents on third down more than any other situation. It is a stretch to ask a team to win every third down battle against Stanford. But if ASU wants to win, they have to be more successful than Stanford on third down. This applies for both sides of the ball. For Stanford’s offense, this is where they excelled against ASU last season. A year ago, in both games, it seemed that Stanford always got what they needed on third down. If it was 3rd and 3, they got four. If it was 3rd and 8, they got nine. This young ASU defense has absolutely got to stand firm on third down and get off the field. Offensively, ASU has to reach into their bag of tricks and do whatever is necessary to convert on third downs to extend drives.
4) Tackling
Here is a key to victory that really shouldn’t need an explanation. ASU’s tackling the last two games has been sub-standard. That needs to be corrected immediately. Against a ball-control team like Stanford with a sound running game, poor tackling will equate to a loss. Perhaps an embarrassing loss.
5) Motivation
More so than any other team on the schedule this year, this game with Stanford should have ASU’s full attention. The Cardinal beat ASU twice last year in convincing fashion. Depending on how you characterize it, Stanford broke the hearts of the ASU program and their fans last year. The magnitude of this game combined with the desire for revenge should keep the ASU players focused on doing their job. You would think this would come natural, and perhaps it will. But 18-21 year olds are famous for losing focus in key moments. The leadership on this team needs to lead by example and be locked in mentally and emotionally if they expect to win this game.
This is a “prove it” game for both teams tonight. There are doubters on both sides of the aisle. The voters who rank college teams want to know “who is for real”. The players on both teams know that the winner of this game will be in an excellent position moving forward. In the end, Devils in Detail believes that ASU can win this game, but they will have to play their most flawless game this season to pull it off.