ASU Student Paper: Devils defense has improved thus far

Unit is 38th after finishing 114th last season

 by Chris Ramirez

The surprise of the ASU football team after three games has undoubtedly been the performance of defense.  The Sun Devil "D" has only given up 38 points combined in games against NAU, Nevada and Colorado, and has allowed just seven points in the second half all season. A contributing factor in ASU staying strong until the final ticks of the clock is the large number of players rotating on and off the field.  Defensive coordinator Bill Miller and his staff rotates players at the linebacker positions and in the secondary based on what defensive schemes are called. He also prefers to rotate the entire defensive line every series.  "To see four fresh defensive linemen go in the middle of a drive and not really have much of a letdown, that's a great feeling," coach Dirk Koetter said.

The starting defensive linemen - redshirt freshman Dexter Davis, junior Michael Marquardt, senior Jordan Hill and senior Kyle Caldwell - are relieved by sophomore Wes Evans, senior Will Kofe, sophomore David Smith and junior Kellen Mills.  Junior transfer Tranell Morant also is seeing playing time as he works his way back from an injury.  Koetter said he sees Hill as an example of a player getting more rest.  "Jordan was averaging 60-something snaps a game last year," Koetter said. "He's playing about 35 snaps a game this year so that has to be helping him. I think it is helping all those guys stay fresh." The rested linemen will be a factor as the year wears on for ASU. In fact, they have already had an early impact.

The Sun Devils are currently No. 1 in the nation in sacks with a total of 18. The next closest school is the University of Missouri with 13.  "It is a huge turnaround from last year when we had only 22 sacks for the whole season," Koetter said.  Senior linebacker Derron Ware leads the way for ASU with four sacks as 11 other players have chipped in with at least one.  Ware is also in a six-way tie for sixth in the nation for total sacks (4), all of which he registered against NAU. ASU is currently No. 38 nationally in total defense after finishing 114 out of 117 Division I teams in 2005. It used a total of 55 players on both sides of the ball against Colorado.  "We're really playing almost two-deep across the board," Koetter said. "I'm very happy about that as it's going to pay dividends for us and there's not really much of a drop off [in talent]."  

Facing a Heisman hopeful

The truest test to date for ASU's defense will come this Saturday when the team travels to California to tangle with the University of California. California is ranked No. 10 offensively in the country and features junior running back Marshawn Lynch, a possible Heisman candidate. Lynch already has 325 yards on 45 carries this season, averaging 7.2 yards a carry, and three touchdowns.  Lynch was limited to only six carries in California's 42-16 win over Portland State last week because of an ankle sprain, but still managed to gain 112 yards and score one touchdown.   His final play of the game, which came in the second quarter, was a career-long 71-yard touchdown run.

Koetter said Lynch has the ability to go the distance on every play.  "He's the rare combination of speed and power," Koetter said. "You got to get guys to the ball because he can break tackles." The last time ASU played California in 2004 it had to cope with another talented running back.

J.J. Arrington, now with the Arizona Cardinals, carried the ball 30 times for 188 yards and one touchdown against the Sun Devils in a 27-0 California win. Arrington ran for 2,018 yards in 2004, which was good enough to finish in 8th place in the Heisman Trophy voting.  Koetter said Arrington had "a heck of a year" in 2004, but that Lynch scares him a little bit more.  "I think Lynch has better combination of size, strength and power than Arrington," Koetter said. "He makes you hold your breath a little bit more."