Arizona State Matchup

With Tyson out, I think they use the QB designed runs more to offset the straight handoffs to Skattebo. Play action rollout, qb reads/options, getting Levitt on the edge. They know they'll need a wrinkle. And while it's not putting the ball in the air, and getting chunk yards, it may be just enough to get the 7 or 8 guys in the box on their heels, and not 100% focused on Skattebo.
So probably looking at defense giving up early yardage. ASU scheming to keep us on skates, getting up early and hoping Heacock doesn't adjust too quickly.

Might be a game of catch-up in the second half.
 
I think the ACC champ will be ahead of the Big XII champ no matter what, so their game doesn't factor into whether or not style points matter.
Clemson (17) is currently behind ASU (15) and ISU (16). There's no reason they should jump the BigXII winner, unless there's some "style points" factor (they blow out SMU). But they have 3 losses and the BigXII champ will have one 2 - and SMU would be BY FAR their best win of the year - currently it's a 4-pt win at Pitt. They have no wins over ranked teams.
 
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Bacon and Willich would have been pre-season starters that are out. Bacon was regarded as maybe the best player on the defense and our best pass rusher, so he has been a big loss since going down in Week 1. Until McLaughlin returned a couple weeks ago, all three starters were out for the whole season.

At one point in the season there were linebackers playing you could characterize as 4th or 5th string, but the position has somewhat stabilized with the return McLaughlin and the improvement of younger players as they’ve gained experience and returned from their own minor injuries. Aside from Bacon and Willich, I’m not sure who else is currently out. Basically every linebacker in the first three lines of the depth chart has missed time at some point this year.
Thanks, friend. I communicated that back to my den of heathens.

We definitely know the pain of pre-season injuries. ASU's o-line was decimated last year before the season had even begun, then we lost every quarterback to the point that Skattebo and Conyers (TE who transferred to Tech) were actually throwing passes.

I wish there was a way to turn injuries "off" for every team so we could always compete against each other at full strength. But I suppose that's part of the challenge.
 
You understand where the Iowa state 3-3 press/man cloud defense comes from, right? The 3 defensive linemen you mentioned are play 90% end. Big citrus will move inside some.
I don't, no. I'm definitely not an expert on it. Just doing my best fanalysis I can with what I know haha.

Who is/are your primary DTs if those other guys are primarily at end?
 
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Thanks, friend. I communicated that back to my den of heathens.

We definitely know the pain of pre-season injuries. ASU's o-line was decimated last year before the season had even begun, then we lost every quarterback to the point that Skattebo and Conyers (TE who transferred to Tech) were actually throwing passes.

I wish there was a way to turn injuries "off" for every team so we could always compete against each other at full strength. But I suppose that's part of the challenge.
I also wish there was a way each team could revert back to their old logos. Pitchfork devil is iconic
 
I don't, no. I'm definitely not an expert on it. Just doing my best fanalysis I can with what I know haha.

Who is/are your primary DTs if those other guys are primarily at end?
It's more about scheme than personnel. Our Defensive Coordinator (Heacock) is nicknamed "The Professor" around here. Expect a base defense from ISU the first drive. It's quite common for the opposing team to drive right down the field on the opening drive. Heacock watches what the offense is trying to attack then will make adjustments to take that away from the offense.
 
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As an opposing fan who is excited about this part of the matchup - I've done a deep dive on PFF data.
Great post - wish every opposing team fan would post like this!
Where I'm expecting ASU to attack you guys is off tackle to force your DBs in to matchups with Skat. Ebel misses 26.3% of tackles with an average depth of tackle (ADOT) of 3.4 yards, Purcahse misses 23.1% with an ADOT of 5.2 yards, Cooper misses 21.7% of tackles with an ADOT of 5.6 yards.
I'm surprised by that a bit - just based off the eye test, Purchase especially has made some huge plays against RBs in big situations. Hopefully Malik Verdon is playing, because he's the best of the 3 safeties at coming down and meeting the RB physically - although Freyler will too. Cooper is smaller and does struggle with that at times. Ebel is one of the young LBs that probably won't play quite as much with some others being healthy
Peterson, Onyedim, and Orange have really solid run defense ratings on PFF and so I doubt we try to run right up the middle too often. Coleman (LG) and Iheanachor (RT) are ASU's best run blockers on the o-line, and I'd expect us to run off tackle on both sides and possibly hit the left A/B gaps if your DEs line up outside of our OTs to prevent the OT runs. ASU has been really good in 12 personnel going off tackle. Our OTs can close off a whole side of your defensive line and force your LBs / DBs to need to tackle Skatt. We've been doing that all season very effectively.
With the way our 3-3-5 defense has lined up most of the year, Peterson-Orange-Onyedim often line up with (really weird looking) very small splits. They are all inside the guards basically, I think the strategy is to get the tackles to come in and double, freeing up the LBs to attack and contain the edges. It looks like a formation that would scream for an off-tackle run, and at times this season it has been, but often there's 3 LBs and Safeties meeting the back at the line of scrimmage.

Then when passing those three are the only ones rushing the QB with 8 dropping in coverage (one LB will spy the QB). With the lack of dynamic receivers for ASU in this game, I'd expect to see this a lot - it forces the QB to be very accurate and very patient, taking underneath stuff - and the back 7 rally to dropoffs insanely fast. We have been burned over the top a couple times when dropping 8, since the QB has time to load up and send it deep.
 
I don't, no. I'm definitely not an expert on it. Just doing my best fanalysis I can with what I know haha.

Who is/are your primary DTs if those other guys are primarily at end?
It’s called the ISU defense because it’s something our DC came up with. More have seen it now but our DC is the best with it. Our linebackers were a mess most of the season. We’ve gotten a lot of them back the last 2-3 weeks finally. A lot depends on them reading right and when you have a 4th string walk on doing it, it’s not good. If verdon plays, he really cleans up a lot of the passing game alowimh freyler to basically play strong safety and run support. He’s 50-50 right now.

With the backer trouble, they couldn’t blitz to save their lives so we would only send 3 on the rush and drop them. That allowed the qb to get a lot of scramble yards. A couple of the backers who started during the losses probably will never see the field until they are seniors, and then it’s unlikely.
 
Do you guys do designed runs with Becht? Or are his running yards also kind of a matter of scrambling?
More scrambling? There is some designed stuff, but mostly I'd say scrambles with a few designed things sprinkled in.

And I totally get your point, however, I'm expecting a lot of SL tomorrow because its the conference title game. Like, I get the concern, but at the same time... who knows if you'll be back? I know both AZ State and Iowa State are seemingly set up for long term success, etc, but the reality is - no one ever really knows for sure that they'll be back. So I think both coaches to some degree, at least, play balls to the wall and don't hold anything back.



I'll say this.... I've always liked rooting for Arizona State kind of as a secondary type of team. And if not Iowa State... then while 98% of me will be disappointed tomorrow, the other 2% will be able to root for you guys and appreciate your story as well
 
Asking this question on behalf of my fellow Sun Devil fans. Some of us think you guys still have multiple starting LBs out. One thought you had 3-4. I mentioned (based on your talk here and the injury reports) that it seems you only have 1 out (Bacon.) But I obviously don't know if he's a starter.

Could anyone help a guy out on this one? Who are the guys you got back? Are there any still out besides Bacon whose impact is missed?
Cael Brezina didn't play in the first game but started the second game and multiple games after that. At one point he got hurt, and while he has played some since then, he hasn't played more than around 8 snaps in a game since his injury.
 
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Clemson (17) is currently behind ASU (15) and ISU (16). There's no reason they should jump the BigXII winner, unless there's some "style points" factor (they blow out SMU). But they have 3 losses and the BigXII champ will have one 2 - and SMU would be BY FAR their best win of the year - currently it's a 4-pt win at Pitt. They have no wins over ranked teams.
1) We don't have any ranked wins, either.
2) They'd get more credit for beating #8 than we would for beating #15. I suspect it'd be enough to move them ahead of us.
3) I hope I'm wrong.
 
I don't, no. I'm definitely not an expert on it. Just doing my best fanalysis I can with what I know haha.

Who is/are your primary DTs if those other guys are primarily at end?
DT's we have 3, though they don't entirely line up as a NG - Orange probably is the best, Singleton is the most experienced and Hawk will play some as a frosh.

LB's - geting McLaughlin back and Sadowsky's development and return has been huge. Both were expected to start or have been starters. Ellis getting back also helps he's been a key contributor, so along with Ebel, that gives us a really pretty decent group of 3 "vets" or more veteran backers. McLaughlin didn't return till CIncy and Sadowsky- played I think in most games but also was a little banged up and didn't play a ton ton until around Cincy either I believe in terms of down to down etc.
 
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Maybe based on the entire season. Daniels played like a Heisman against us, throwing and running. Leavit won't be better than that.
Perhaps not. But I guess my overall point is just this. He looks like he could be special. And it seemed like CW and BB were over looking him in the preview and its not quite accurate to think if we stop Cam the rest is cake. Leavitt is a very good QB, who, and I hope he stays, I imagine will get some nice NIL offers at some point, unless he's already got a pretty penny
 
Other than the obvious, how in the hell are people getting a Mike Alstott comp for Skattebo?

There are plenty of backs that were good yards after contact guys that are a lot closer comp than a 6’2 250 lb short yardage back that ran like a 4.75 at the combine.