As destinations go, the state of California is no great favorite of the Arizona State football team under coach Dirk Koetter. The Sun Devils are 0-10 against Pac-10 teams in the “Golden State” since Koetter took over the program in 2001. Arizona State, ranked 22nd in the latest national rankings, will try to end that drought against No. 21 California at Berkeley on Saturday. Koetter's ASU teams are 0-3 against the Bears, regardless of where the game was played. The teams last faced each other in 2004, when Cal beat the Sun Devils in Berkeley 27-0. With the expanded schedule that has each team facing the other nine, Arizona State (3-0) plays its conference opener against the Bears (2-1).
“We didn't play very well a couple of years ago when we went up there,” Koetter said, “so this will be a challenge for us and we're excited about it.”
While the Sun Devils' usually potent offense often misfired in last Saturday's 21-3 victory at winless Colorado, Arizona State's defense was strong, as it has been through the early season. The Sun Devils lead NCAA Division-I with 18 sacks and are 23rd overall in scoring defense, allowing 38 points total in victories over Northern Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. The schedule gets a whole lot tougher now with consecutive conference games against California, Oregon and USC. “Our numbers on ‘D' are really outstanding right now,” Koetter said at his regular Monday news conference, “but let's face it, these next three games we're playing not only three of the best offenses in the Pac-10 but probably three of the best in the country. And Cal's might be the best. Cal might have the best skill guys, when you consider their running backs and receivers.”
Arizona State expects its offense to be among the elite, too, but quarterback Rudy Carpenter is off to a rocky start. After emerging victorious in the fight with Sam Keller for the starting job, Carpenter has not been the efficient machine he was a year earlier as a freshman, especially against Colorado. “Of our four turnovers, three of them were just poor decisions,” Koetter said. “Rudy Carpenter is the man, and there's no question he's the leader of our team, but Rudy's made his living making good decisions with the football. Both interceptions were very preventable and totally on Rudy. It's not like he was under duress, all he had to do was set his feet and make the throw.” Last season, when he took over for the injured Keller, Carpenter completed 68 percent of his passes for 17 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Through three games this year, the Arizona State sophomore has completed 63 percent for nine touchdowns, but with four interceptions, two of them against Colorado. Koetter said Carpenter might be pressing. “You could possibly say that,” Koetter said. “It might be the case. Rudy's a perfectionist, there's no question at that. But he's played enough games now I don't see why that should be an issue. I think we've just got to get back to making great decisions and everything else will take care of itself.”
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