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Devils in Detail
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ASU Football: Comparing Edwards, Kelly as first-year coaches

ByZach Pekale|
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 20: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins congratulates his players after his team scored a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Rose Bowl on October 20, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 20: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins congratulates his players after his team scored a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Rose Bowl on October 20, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

After six seasons of Todd Graham and Jim Mora, ASU football and UCLA both made head coaching changes that have had mixed results.

Nearly one year ago to the date, the state of the football programs at Arizona State and UCLA were nearly identical. Both the Sun Devils’ and Bruins’ records were hovering at or below .500 in the midst of underwhelming seasons.

CoachesTodd GrahamandJim Morawere fired from their respective schools, replaced byHerm Edwardsat ASU andChip Kellyin Westwood.

With Saturday marking a full calendar year since the teams last played, a 44-37 win for UCLA in Pasadena, we examine the progress made by the two first-year head coaches.

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To evaluate, the topics of debate are recruiting and on-field performance.

Recruiting

Kelly: C

Edwards: B-

According to 247Sports, neither ASU nor UCLA have an attention-grabbing class in 2019. The Sun Devils’ class is ranked No. 50 nationally while the Bruins’ is at No. 80.

The deciding factors that favor ASU here is Edwards’ ability to secure commitments from quarterbacks Joey Yellen and Ethan Long.

With redshirt seniorManny Wilkinsexhausting his remaining eligibility this season, the duo is expected to compete withDillon Sterling-Colefor the starting job. Yellen, a four-star recruit and Long, a three-star, are both pro-style signal callers that fit Edwards’ offensive scheme.

On-field performance

Kelly: C-

Edwards: B+

A Week 1 loss to Cincinnati set the tone early for Kelly’s first season at UCLA. The situation worsened, however, when quarterbackWilton Speightwas injured during the game.

Forced into a starting role, freshmanDorian Thompson-Robinsonstruggled to adjust to the speed of college football. The four-star recruit served as a stopgap before Speight returned, but the offense showed marginal improvement under the graduate transfer.

Sitting at 2-7 and out of contention for a bowl game, the Bruins’ 21.2 points per game ranks bottom-10 among all Division-I teams while the defensive struggles are just as evident. Allowing over 33 points per contest, UCLA has conceded at least 30 points in all but one game.

QuarterbackJosh Rosen’s early departure to the NFL came with an expected drop-off in scoring and productivity. But Kelly, a offensive mastermind at Oregon, has failed to generate consistent scoring through nine games.

Alternatively, ASU appears to be on the rise under Edwards.

At 5-4 with control of their destiny in the Pac-12 South, the Sun Devils could very well be playing for the conference title in Edwards’ first year. Three straight wins separate the program from a trip to Santa Clara.

Should the team not make the Pac-12 Championship Game, victories over two ranked teams in addition to a road win at USC would be a strong baseline to build off of in Tempe.

With a top-40 scoring defense and dynamic offensive playmakers in sophomoreEno Benjaminand juniorN’Keal Harry, Edwards and his staff have pieced together a multi-dimensional team with a number of key contributors returning in 2019.

Edge: Edwards

ASU and UCLA meet on Saturday with Edwards and Kelly as opposing head coaches for the first time.

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