ASU Football: Sun Devils look to start strong vs. New Mexico State
By Zach Pekale
After 279 days off, ASU football will take the field Thursday night in its 2017 season-opener against New Mexico State University.
Coming off of six consecutive losses to end the 2016 season, Arizona State is looking to open the new year with a bang and help fans forget about missing a bowl game for the first time under head coach Todd Graham.
Kicking off non-conference play, the Sun Devils open with the New Mexico State Aggies, a team they have not seen since 1999. Under Graham, ASU is currently 12-3 in contests outside of the Pac-12.
More from Devils in Detail
- Sun Devils Primer: Game 2 vs Oklahoma State
- Sun Devil Insight: Quarterback Room
- Arizona State Spotlight: Kenny Dillingham
- Arizona State 2023 Season Opener: Off To A Good Start
- Arizona State vs USC Prediction and Promo (Expect Offensive Fireworks)
The Aggies finished 3-9 a season ago but return two key seniors on offense in quarterback Tyler Rogers and running back Larry Rose III. Rogers completed over 55 percent of his passes, finishing with 2,589 yards and 16 touchdowns while Rose averaged 5.4 yards per carry and rushed for 859 yards.
With Billy Napier and Phil Bennett in their first year as offensive and defensive coordinators, both coaches will benefit from having some of Graham’s top returning players to work with.
On offense, redshirt junior Manny Wilkins will start under center after a nagging leg injury derailed a once-promising sophomore season. A dual-threat option, Wilkins is capable of spreading the defense with his legs.
Additionally ASU brings back senior running backs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard as well as its top receiver in sophomore N’Keal Harry. Ballage is looking to build on his 14-touchdown season and Harry is expected to establish himself as one of the top wideouts in the nation.
Defensively, seniors D.J. Calhoun and Koron Crump are expected to be a strong 1-2 punch after Calhoun led the team in tackles with 77 and Crump posted nine sacks last year. On the defensive line, JoJo Wicker and Tashon Smallwood will be effective in stopping the run after recording 21.5 tackles for loss as juniors.
Next: ASU Football: Three players to watch vs. New Mexico State
Arizona State and New Mexico State will kick-off from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz at 7:30 p.m. PST. The game can be viewed on the Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Arizona.