NCAA Football FanHouse

New Bubble to Help Sun Devils Beat the Heat

Sean Hawkins — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:16:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, Arizona State Football

Normally you hear about this kind of thing from a northern weather school, but if you've ever been to a day game at Sun Devil Stadium in September or October, you can understand the idea. After working practice schedules around the oppressive heat for so long, ASU has finally constructed an indoor bubble, large enough to house a couple of practice fields with room to spare.

The cost was high, at just around $8.6 million. But to hear ASU associate athletic director Dawn Rogers tell it, this thing is worth every penny.

"During August and pretty much through October we practice at night due to the extreme heat," Rogers said. "That makes it really difficult for players to get up and lift (weight train) at 6 a.m., go to class all day and then to study table and practice. It makes their day extremely long.
"It also makes it difficult for them to recover. What the air structure does is allow us to start with a normal schedule beginning in August and continue on until the team is able to go outside for day practices."

But it doesn't stop there. Rogers went on to say that this isn't just a football facility, but one that several sports will enjoy. Even the band will get use out of it. And finally, the cost of the air conditioning won't be too steep. Partly because they won't have to cool it year-round, but they are looking into using solar panels to help produce the energy needed to cool the facility.

Now will this help on the football field? Time will tell. Other severe weather teams have certainly embraced the bubble idea. But to be able to keep their student-athletes on a somewhat regular schedule, in a cool, comfortable, and potentially environment-friendly structure? I guess the only question is what took so long for this to happen.

New Bubble to Help Sun Devils Beat the Heat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Old School: Arizona State Ends the Nebraska Streak, 1996

Brian Cook — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:36:00 EST

Filed under: Nebraska Football, Big 12, NCAA FB Video, Arizona State Football

"Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.

It's hard to imagine how dominant Nebraska was in 1996. The gold standard for excellence this millennium, USC, has won a couple national titles but has only one undefeated season in the Carroll era. Even when they were obviously the best team, they weren't flat unbeatable.

Nebraska was. After a crushing 18-16 defeat against Florida State in the 1994 Orange Bowl (about which more here), the Huskers went on the warpath. 1994: 13-0, national champions, no team within two scores save Miami in the bowl game. 1995: 12-0, national champions, no team closer than 14 points. Obliterated Florida 62-14 in the bowl game. They opened the 1996 season by hammering Michigan State and Oklahoma State by a combined score of 114-31. Nebraska was never going to lose again.

Enter Arizona State. Enter Derrick Rodgers. Exit streak.

(via EDSBS.)

Old School: Arizona State Ends the Nebraska Streak, 1996 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 08 May 2008 21:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pat Tillman Makes College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

Brian Grummell — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, NCAA FB History, The Word, Arizona State Football

Tillman was a Pac-10 defensive player of the year at Arizona State before playing several years in the NFL. He later joined the US Army Rangers unit where he was later killed by friendly fire during an operation in Afghanistan.

Since that time, Tillman's become a national hero of sorts, while his family has battled to pursue possible negligence that led to his death and how the military handled the investigation of the friendly fire incident.

I can't speak for his NFL career, but he was an absolute demon while at ASU as an undersized safety/linebacker. Tillman was on the 1997 Rose Bowl ASU team that nearly won the national championship before surrendering a last-minute touchdown drive to Ohio State.

Tillman's name is among 74 others on the ballot. Inductees will be announced May 1. Like Tillman, coach and broadcaster Lou Holtz is also making his first appearance on the HOF ballot.

Pat Tillman Makes College Football Hall of Fame Ballot originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Arizona State Is a JUCO, What Is Arizona?

Brian Cook — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, Arizona Football, Arizona State Football

Mike Stoops got off a zinger in his signing day press conference when asked about more successful in-state rival Arizona State:

"Each school has to recruit to their school and what kind of requirements they (have)," Stoops said. "Arizona State has turned into a JC, and we're a four-year college. According to all the players, they say it's easier to go to school there, easier to get in."

Stoops laughed. "I thought we all had the same requirements."

This may well be true. Arizona State takes a lot of two-year players. But if there's any BCS school in the country that should avoid the subject of academics at all costs, it's Arizona:

NCAA academic indicators for athletes in school - the Academic Progress Rate - show Arizona football with a score of 883, well below the 925 standard. Arizona State is at 926.

The Wildcats were the only BCS team in the nation to get socked with scholarship penalties from the APR last year; they are the most academically irresponsible program in the country.

All this... and no bowls ever. Arizona! Not a JC! Not even a C!

If Arizona State Is a JUCO, What Is Arizona? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US Army All-American Bowl Liveblogging! (First Half)

Brian Stouffer — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 13:08:00 EST

Filed under: California Football, Michigan Football, Minnesota Football, Notre Dame Football, Pittsburgh Football, Virginia Tech Football, NCAA FB Recruiting, NCAA FB Media Watch, Arizona State Football

Picture the scene... you're sitting around your house on a Saturday morning and your girlfriend calls you and asks if you want to have brunch with her family. Normally, you'd be fairly amenable to free silver dollar pancakes, even if it means enduring some awkward conversation, but today is not a normal day. It's the high-school all-star game. Sorry, tootsie, but home boy has a date with Tom Lemming today, and no amount of waffles or eggs Benedict can interrupt.

If any of this made sense to you, congratulations, you're a junkie.

Just to remind you all, this game is sponsored by the U.S. army, so the over/under on lame Army commercials is like a million.

A lot of these blue-chippers will be announcing their college choices. When that happens, I'll put the contents in bold face, so you can skip over my pithy commentary and get right to the commitments, if that's your thing.
And we're off to the races! Virginia running back Ryan Williams puts on the Virginia Tech hat. Not terribly surprising that he picked his hometown school over Rutgers and Boston College.

Michigan-bound Sam McGuffie takes the opening kickoff and does not hurdle over any defenders. You can almost hear the entire crowd sigh with disappointment. Now it's time to see Notre Dame commit Dayne Crist take over the West offense. The announcers said he went to the same high school as Jimmy Clausen in the intro, but that's not correct. Hooray, fact checking!

The West drive stalls, and we have a punt and our first two Army commercials. Zing. Now it's time to see Tyrelle Pryor, the presumptive number one recruit in the universe ever. Rich Rodriguez is somewhere, salivating.

Covaughn Deboskie, RB from Arizona announces... for Cal! At least I think he did. He had his (daughter? sister?) pick a hat, so he might not have had any say in the decision. Oh well. Meanwhile, Tyrelle Pryor has scored on a nifty little read option. He's 6'6", for you keeping score at home. 7-0, East.

Army commercial count: 3.

Brandon Smith, DB from New Jersey, picks... Michigan. Good pickup for Michigan. That kid's got quite the head of hair on him. Plus, the announcers said he might play QB for Rodriguez's spread if they don't get Pryor. Hmmm.

The QB for the West is Andrew Luck, heading to Stanford. They said his dad's name is Oliver. Oliver Luck. As in, "even with Oliver Luck, she couldn't avoid the falling piano."

Army commercial count: 4

No commitments after this commercial break, they're just interviewing somebody who looks like Abe Vigoda.

Touchdown, West. Gabbert (Missouri commit) on a pretty fade to Dan Buckner. 7-7.

East QB Star Jackson (no, not Star Jones) has thrown two passes... an interception and a 50 yard touchdown. East, 14-7. And now we are treated to a Brady Quinn commercial, bringing the Notre Dame blow job level up to critical mass. Hold on tight, lads.

West is running some Emory & Henry. Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist drops the snap and it is recovered by ND DL Sean Cwynar. Notre Dame Notre Dame Notre Dame.

Marquis Gray, QB from Indiana chooses... Minnesota! Best of luck to him in the Twin Cities. A long field goal for the East has enough leg but sails wide. That was Notre Dame WR John Goodman holding. Notre Dame Notre Dame.

Sam McGuffie goes two more plays without jumping over anybody. The bloodthirsty crowd pelts the field with tomatoes and beer cans in a hail of boos.

Army commercial count: 5

Shane Hale, LB from Pennsylvania chooses... Pitt! My God, is there anything the Wannstache can't do? Nice catch! Meanwhile, West makes a field goal to pull within 14-10.

Army commercial count: 6

Gerrell Robinson, WR from Arizona chooses... Arizona State! Nooooo.... he spurns the Irish. The production crew is panicking. Shut this game down!

Army commercial count: 7

US Army All-American Bowl Liveblogging! (First Half) originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 13:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Staffer Getting the Bartman Treatment

Brian Grummell — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:33:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Football, Big 12, Pac 10, NCAA FB Video, The Word, Arizona State Football

No pictures, no YouTube (yet) as this is live television folks. Texas was leading Arizona State 21-0 after the first quarter in tonight's Holiday Bowl, then things got interesting.

After marching deep into Texas territory, ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter appeared to lateral the ball backwards as he was about to get sacked. Texas' defense pursued the loose ball as it neared the Longhorn sidelines then everything went to hell.

The Longhorns recovered the ball after some bobbles, but replay appeared to show a Texas staff member on the field barely touching the ball. Replay officials re-examined the play and determined that it had been a touch and returned the ball to ASU and flagged Texas for unsportsmanlike conduct. ASU immediately scored a 7-yard touchdown pass to bring the game to 21-7 and re-introduce them into what had been a Texas blowout.

Ever since, ESPN has been showing shot after shot of the staffer looking miserable on the sidelines. Credit to Kirk Herbstreit for bringing up the Steve Bartman example as ESPN cannot look away from the guy. Personally I watched the replay and it's hard to see where he touched the ball. He came darn close but appears to have just gotten his hand back as the ball skirted by him. Replay officials better be darn sure that he did in fact touch it because that has completely changed the complexion of this game.

Update: ESPN is now informing us that the staffer's name is Chris Jesse and he is Mack Brown's stepson.

Update: Image via referring thread (thanks) at FreeRepublic.com

Update: One more image (below). Someone get that puppy up on YouTube already!

Update: VIDEO after the jump (many thanks to Awful Announcing)

Texas Staffer Getting the Bartman Treatment originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BCS Still Hates the Pac Ten

Scott Olin Schmidt — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:14:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, Bowl Games, NCAA FB History, Arizona State Football

Since joining the Bowl Championship Series system, the Pac Ten has been the perennial odd-man out, and history repeated itself again as the Kansas Jayhawks were selected to play in the Orange Bowl, leaving Arizona State as the off-man out.

Pac Ten Commissioner Tom Hansen is likely not amused--but nor should be be surprised. The BCS has a history of giving the conference the short end of the stick.

In 2001, the Oregon Ducks were jumped over by a Nebraska team that lost its final game and left out of the Rose Bowl. Two years later, USC was ranked #1 in both human polls, but left out of the Title Game. A year later, Mack Brown lobbied enough pollsters to jump Cal for the final automatic qualifying spot and a Rose Bowl berth, and in 2005, Oregon missed an automatic BCS berth by one slot.
To the Pac Ten, that means a loss of $4.5 million--for the third time in four years--or nearly $1.5 million per school, as revenues are divided evenly--not to mention the Bowl markeing revenue lost for the programs due to disparities in merchandising opportunities between, say, the Fiesta Bowl and the Holiday Bowl.

So with Arizona State facing Texas in San Diego and USC fighting the Illini in Pasadena, the rest of the Pac Ten Bowl season will be as follows: Oregon vs. South Florida in the Sun Bowl, UCLA-BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl, Oregon State-Maryland in the Emerald Bowl and California-Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

BCS Still Hates the Pac Ten originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA's Rose Bowl Stench

Scott Olin Schmidt — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:51:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Football, USC Football, Pac 10, BCS, Arizona State Football

That stench the college football world is smelling these days is coming from Pasadena--where the Grandaddy of them All could be forced to put an undefeated Hawaii team that nobody thinks is any good against a 7-5 UCLA squad that lost to the Worst College Football Team Ever(R), Notre Dame.

If UCLA beats USC and Arizona State falls to Arizona on Saturday, the five-loss Bruins will win a four-way tiebreaker and become the Pac Ten representative for the 2008 Rose Bowl Game, presented by Citi--and let the puns begin!

If Ohio State also gets picked up for the BCS Title Game, Tournament of Roses officials will have their choice of teams, but UCLA-Illinois just seems like a glorified Sun Bowl Matchup. Remember, a UCLA qualification for the Rose Bowl would open the door to the BCS for a number of other teams.* For the sake of staging a competitive bowl game, the Rose Bowl might turn next to Hawaii--though we understand Georgia has the inside track if the opponent is either USC or Arizona State.

So how did the Rose Bowl get into this mess?

Well, the Pac Ten still plays by the old-school Bowl rules where non-conference games are not factored in to the Rose Bowl selection, so UCLA could potentially match USC, Arizona State and the winner of Oregon-Oregon State with three conference losses, creating a four-way tie. Under Rose Bowl selection rules, "If that is not the case, a comparison of the tied teams' records against the other tied teams shall be made and the team having the best record against the other tied teams shall be the Rose Bowl representative. If two or more teams are still tied after this comparison, the appropriate two-team or multiple-team tie-breaking procedures shall be repeated among those teams still under consideration."

If it is Oregon in the mix, then USC and ASU would be eliminated first because they'd have two losses among the four teams, and UCLA would hold the advantage because they beat Oregon last week. If it is Oregon State, then the Beavers would be eliminated on account of losing to USC, ASU and UCLA, then the next rule goes into effect: "If more than two teams are still tied after the process above is completed, each remaining tied team's record against the team occupying the highest position in the final regular season standings shall be compared, with the procedure continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, each team's collective record against the tied teams as a group shall be used."

The next group of teams in that scenario would be a pair of 5-4 teams like Oregon and Arizona--which would eliminate ASU since they lost to both and revert to the head-to head result between USC and UCLA.

If something seems wrong with this system to you, then you are not alone. The Pac Ten rewards losing to its bottom-feeders. Lose to the best teams in the conference and you lose the tiebreaker. Lose to bottom-feeders Washington or Arizona, or better yet both, and your team holds an advantage in a tie.

Luckily for the Holiday, Sun and other bowls with Pac-Ten tie-ins, they have their own free will.

We asked Pac Ten Commissioner Tom Hansen whether the Holiday Bowl would be forced to take UCLA in the event of a three-way tie for second place and he responded, "The Rose Bowl tiebreaker is used only for that game. Thereafter, each bowl may pick among tied teams." I am sure that will bring a sigh of relief to folks in San Diego, Los Angeles and Tempe--as I am certain the Holiday Bowl would pick either USC or Arizona State before taking a five-loss Bruin squad.

*See Brendan Loy's note in the comments for the equally mind-boggling BCS eligibility rules.

UCLA's Rose Bowl Stench originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USC Parties Like It's 2005 in Tempe

Scott Olin Schmidt — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:36:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Fans, Arizona State Football

The USC Trojans used the national stage of Thanksgiving evening to make Arizona State look like turkeys, turning the Sun Devils' world upside down en route to a 44-24 win.

From the opening drive, the Trojans looked like the squads which competed for National Championships, not Sun Bowl berths, driving the length of the field for a quick touchdown.

Trojan quarterback John David Booty's 375-yard performance came from distributing the ball efficiently and finally connecting on long passes to Patrick Turner and Ronald Johnson.

On defense, the Trojans stifled Arizona State, limiting the Sun Devils to zero yards on 27 carries through three quarters.

More game notes...

Little Richard's Kelly Clarkson Moment... Little Richard performed the halftime show in Tempe Thursday, but the speaker system did not work for most of his first set. USC fans were reminded of the 2005 Orange Bowl game, when Kelly Clarkson faced similar technical difficulties.

Home Cookin' Referees... Even though USC won by 20 points, it could have been more than 30 were it not for some very home-friendly calls and non-calls by the officials. We'd go into detail, but can promise that Pete Carroll be sending a love letter to Pac Ten headquarters after some bogus penalties kept ASU drives alive while the Sun Devils were not called for unsportsmanlike conduct--both by Rudy Carpenter--and roughing the passer on two key Trojan plays.

About those fans... Arizona State's fans proved once again to be the White Trash of the Pac Ten. Before the game--even yesterday--Trojan fans in Tempe were met with jeers and boos. Even my parents, who flew from Texas to meet me for the game, were harassed on a few occasions before them game. One Sun Devil supporter who was in the USC section was arrested for throwing items at USC fans late in the third quarter.

Eight More Years! USC has now beaten Arizona State eight times in a row.

Bowl implications... USC clinched at least a Sun Bowl berth with the win, while ASU was eliminated from any National Championship consideration. If USC beats UCLA next week, they can clinch at least a share of the Pac Ten Title but would need Oregon to lose to either UCLA or Oregon State before claiming a Rose Bowl Berth. A win over UCLA will probably mean a BCS at-large bid for the Trojans. Lose to UCLA and USC would need help from Arizona or two Oregon losses to make the Holiday Bowl.

USC Parties Like It's 2005 in Tempe originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watching Dixon's Knee

Charles Rich — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:57:00 EST

Filed under: Oregon Football, Pac 10, Arizona State Football

Oregon's Dennis Dixon, statistically didn't have an overwhelming night against Arizona State. Only 189 passing yards but he made them count with 4 TD passes. The scariest thing, though, was that Dixon twisted his knee in the 4th quarter. He was kept out of the game after that and said it wasn't serious. Safe bet that there will be lots of monitoring and treatments. The good news, is that Oregon has a bye next week to give Dixon extra recovery time.

Oregon, though, didn't take any chances. Not only was he kept on the sideline for the rest of the game, but as the game neared the end it was apparent that the students were going to storm the field. The Ducks sent Dixon off to the locker room before that, to avoid any further risk.

Arizona State kept the game close in the first half, but kept having to settle for field goals despite piling up yards. In the second half, the Sun Devils just couldn't stop the big play. Jonathan Stewart had a 33-yard TD run and Dixon torched Arizona State on the next drive with two runs for 13 and 15 yards before tossing a 19 yard TD pass.

Watching Dixon's Knee originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week in Bad TV Deals

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Football, Oregon Football, Wisconsin Football, Big 10, Pac 10, Arizona State Football

Over the years, things really have improved for college football fans. More and more games are available on television, and marquee games are typically given to at least 75 percent of the country (if not broadcast nationally on an over-the-air network).

However, no system is perfect, and we have no better illustration of the imperfections of television deals than this coming weekend.

You all know about the Big Ten Network by now. It's not a perfect operation by any means, but it seems to be sticking around. Unfortunately for the network, they still can't get on any major cable systems. Therefore, fans all across "Big Ten country" have been shut out of numerous games so far this season.

Well, for the first time, fans are going to be shut out of a marquee matchup with national appeal. Top-ranked Ohio State hosts Wisconsin Saturday, and it was announced over the weekend that the game would be carried by the Big Ten Network.

Ouch.

Buckeye fans won't get to watch tOSU's last notable test before the season-ending showdown with resurgent Michigan, unless they are among the few who get BTN. Badger fans in Wisconsin, where no cable provider carries BTN, are left searching for a place to watch the game, too.

How did this happen? Well, it appears ABC chose to air Michigan-Michigan State, leaving Wisconsin-tOSU twisting in the wind. We can question the wisdom of ABC making that decision, but it could also be argued that the potential of a blowout is much higher with the Wisconsin-tOSU game.

Meanwhile, the Pac-10 may actually have a worse TV deal than the Big Ten does. Saturday's marquee matchup, worthy of the ESPN College GameDay presence, is Arizona State visiting Oregon.

You'd think such a game would be on ABC.

Nope. ABC picks UCLA-Arizona.

Surely, then, FSN would pick it up for one of their Saturday games.

Nope. FSN takes Washington State-Cal.

Evidently, these decisions were made before the season started. What? Haven't you people heard of "flex games"? They're all the rage now.

If you get FSN Arizona or FCS Central, you're in luck. You'll see the game live at 6:30pm ET. If you don't get one of those outlets, you'll be stuck with all those Big Ten fans.

UPDATE: ESPN and FSN have reached an agreement to get the game to a national audience. If you don't live in the markets of FSN Arizona, FSN West, FSN Northwest, or the Oregon Sports Network, you'll get the game on ESPN.

This Week in Bad TV Deals originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arizona State Gaining Legitimacy

Brian Grummell — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 02:15:00 EST

Filed under: California Football, Pac 10, Arizona State Football

Ok so a victory over Cal isn't worth what it was a few weeks ago, but Arizona State is now 8-0 with a semi-significant win. A few more of these and they're deeply in BCS Championship discussions.

Two angles here: 1)Is ASU legit? 2)Cal's implosion

ASU ... just lost a very good tailback for the year in Ryan Torain. So far so good from his replacements, though. They're not as reliable down-to-down, but Keegan Herring and Dimitri Nance combined for over 180 yards and three touchdowns in putting the Bears away during the second half.

ASU looked like garbage early in trailing 13-0 in the first quarter and 20-14 at half. But as has been pattern, they dominated the second half and particularly the fourth quarter. They picked off Nate Longshore twice and methodically built a 31-20 lead. This is clearly a good team, but "how good" cannot be answered until a few more games are played.

Their remaining schedule: Oregon, UCLA, USC and rival Arizona. That's tough sledding no matter what you think about the Pac-10.

As for their opponent - Cal's implosion is complete as the Bears have likely plummeted out of the rankings just weeks after nearly ascending to the #1 spot. Their run defense has been exposed and quarterback Nate Longshore is regressing before our very eyes. It is an unexpected and precipitous decline for a team with more than enough talent on offense and capable defensive coordinator to contend.

Arizona State Gaining Legitimacy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 28 Oct 2007 02:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pollsters Discover Arizona State

Scott Olin Schmidt — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, BCS, Arizona State Football

Arizona State did not play this weekend. The Sun Devils lost their star running back Ryan Torain to a toe injury for the season. Yet somehow, Dennis Erickson's crew were this weekend's big winners in the College Football world.

In the Associated Press poll, the Sun Devils moved up five spots on the strength of their bye. They also gained five spots in the coaches' poll without playing a game, while the USC Trojans gained but one spot in the poll after posting an historic shutout victory at Notre Dame.

It is as if somehow, the voters looked at their ballots and said, "hey, they're undefeated!" and decided to randomly move them higher without regard to their opponents, their injuries or anything else that might be happening to the team. We'll find out just how good the Sun Devils are soon enough, as their next four games are against California, Oregon, UCLA and USC.

Pollsters Discover Arizona State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Stoops Is an Electronic Victim of Unspeakable Forces

Brian Grummell — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:35:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, NCAA FB Video, The Word, Arizona Football, Arizona State Football

My apologies for the pair of Mike Stoops related entries today. You know how it goes on YouTube: watch one video, then scan down the "related" list. This is a hilarious "related" video. I just can't help myself.

So . . . Either a rip in the time-space continuum, a giant unseen and ominous vacuum cleaner or the Devil himself has it out for Arizona coach Mike Stoops. What's it feel like to be innocently standing on the sidelines and suddenly and hilariously get sucked into a pile of football players? There's only one man in the known universe to answer that question: coach Stoops.

Video documentation below:

It stops being funny after watching about 15 times. Maybe. Or maybe it's just the mood I'm in. Also funny: The top referring link is "asu.facebook.com". Who woulda thunk?

Mike Stoops Is an Electronic Victim of Unspeakable Forces originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dennis Erickson is Over You, Oregon State

Sean Hawkins — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, Arizona State Football, Oregon State Football

Say what you will about Dennis Erickson, but he is one heck of a college football coach. Erickson has been coach of the year in the Pac-10 on two different occasions, first in 1988 at Washington State, and then again in 2000 at Oregon State. Overall he's 151-65-1, one of the best winning percentages of all time with a coaching record of at least 100 victories. In his Pac-10 tenure, he spent only two years at WSU before bolting for the beaches in Miami, but he gave the Beavers four good years. Three of those at OSU were winning seasons, including a co-Pac-10 title and wipeout of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl to cap an 11-1, magical 2000 season.

Now, the Beavers head to the desert this Saturday for an early-season showdown with ASU. ASU is off to an excellent start, undefeated thus far at 3-0, and they are favored to win this weekend. ASU is also showing a bit of the bandit approach that often times comes with an Erickson coached NCAA team, with 12 penalties vs. Colorado in the second game of the season, including several of the personal-foul variety.

With the greatness that Oregon State was able to achieve under Erickson, a program that didn't even have a winning season since 1970 before he showed up in 1999 and led them to a 7-5 record, the questions for him were naturally going to be asked about his time in Corvallis. But does Dennis feel much these days about good ol' OSU?

"When I went back last year when I was at Idaho, to go back there and play the first time back, it was probably nostalgic,'' he said. "Now it's just, I've been gone, this will be my fifth year. Mike [Riley] has been there for five. I enjoyed my time there, it was a lot of fun, accomplished some things, but it's really no different than any other game anymore."

Ok then. No different than any other game, that's fine. I guess Dennis is used to just turning it off once he leaves a job for the next big thing. So, sorry Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, Seattle, Oregon State, San Francisco and Idaho yet again. When you're a coaching nomad like Erickson, you're just another rung on the ladder. Maybe WSU's color commentator and former head coach Jim Walden said it best about Erickson during a recent broadcast: "Dennis Erickson is like the big elephant in the parade. Everyone lines up to watch him, and they love what they see. But you know after he's gone there's going to be some clean-up."

Dennis Erickson is Over You, Oregon State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sam Keller's Infamous Hanging Committee Meeting Details Revealed

Brian Grummell — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Nebraska Football, Big 12, Pac 10, NCAA FB Rumors, NCAA FB Scandal, Arizona State Football

You all remember the story. Sam Keller, hotshot Arizona State quarterback beats out Rudy Carpenter for the starting job. And then he didn't as the job was pulled away from him. At the center of it all was an infamous team meeting among a handful of players that swayed their coach to switch quarterbacks.

The Omaha World-Herald has managed to reveal details (after the jump) of that secret meeting. This story remains he-said/she-said unless all parties talk about what happened, but it's interesting to see what about Keller prompted teammates to abandon him and their coach to go along with them (at least, according to the story).

Details after the jump.
Excerpted from the World-Herald's story:

The No. 1 quarterback decision did not sit well with Carpenter. According to a person close to the situation, Koetter had met with Carpenter and Carpenter's father the morning after picking Keller. They had expressed Carpenter's intention to transfer.

The same morning, Keller attended a routine meeting with players and coaches. Afterward, they dispersed by position to dissect Friday night's scrimmage.

Coach Koetter ordered about a dozen players into a room where quarterbacks typically met, contrary to previous reports that have said players called the meeting.

It was a cross section of team leaders, old and young. Neither quarterback was present.

A player who attended the meeting, who spoke on the condition he not be identified, said the coach explained his dilemma to the group of players. Koetter didn't want to take away Keller's starting spot, especially after Keller lost it because of an injury. But he didn't want to lose Carpenter, who had three years of eligibility to Keller's one.

And there was another factor: He had learned of rumors of Keller's off-field behavior that, if true, raised questions about his dedication to the game.

Players started talking, sharing opinions. Two seniors raised concerns about Keller. They said they'd heard of him socializing late at night. They implied, said the player at the meeting, that Keller spent too much time partying to lead the Sun Devils. They offered few specifics. The accusations started an argument. The volume rose.

"It was hard to deal with," said the player. "You had guys in there who had Sam's back, and you had guys who wanted to throw Sam under the bus because they wanted Rudy to be quarterback. The entire time, the coach didn't want our team to be torn apart."

Earlier in Keller's college career, he was a night owl like a lot of underclassmen, said the player at the meeting.

"He'd come out on two or three hours sleep and torch everyone in practice," he said. "Everybody wondered, 'Sam, how do you do it?'"

Even so, Keller said he was 100 percent devoted to football. "No question about it. I lived for (football), loved it," Keller said. "But there were elements of that atmosphere that were just irresistible, just going out and having a good time. Most of the time, all the time, it was with my teammates anyway."

Friends attribute the perception of Keller as a party magnet to his celebrity status at one of the country's top party schools.

"He's just got that presence about him," said MacDonald. "That's just Sam Keller. . . . He's a big, physical guy. He's going to stand out anywhere he goes. Not only that, but his attitude, he has an ability to talk to anybody."

The players meeting lasted about an hour. Some players defended Keller. Some backed Carpenter. But, according to the player at the meeting, they agreed on one point: A quarterback distracted by extracurricular activity was a ticket to trouble.

That seed of doubt about Keller was enough to sway the group. Players - not Koetter - decided to go with Carpenter. Those in the room took a vow of secrecy, agreeing not to talk about what had happened.

A couple of hours later, Coach Koetter called another meeting, this time with the quarterback he'd recruited. Keller broke down and cried.

He called his parents, who were traveling back home. Come back, he said. They returned and met with the coach late that afternoon. Keller's father demanded that Sam be able to face his accusers. Koetter said no.

They gave Koetter one day to change his mind. He didn't. Sunday, the Kellers asked for a scholarship release. Sunday night, the coach made his announcement: "It's simple. I made a mistake on the quarterback situation and I'm changing my mind."

It doesn't seem like there was one event that prompted his removal other than general unease with his outgoing ways. Carpenter had clearly cultivated a handful of loyal followers who made their case in that meeting, and it just sounds like his more modest lifestyle eventually swayed everyone enough to undo the head coach's decision, throw Keller under the bus and prompt a shocking transfer.

But, it should be noted that this is just one side of the story. I've heard arguments the other way as well that paint Keller and father in a worse light. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle of all this.

Sam Keller's Infamous Hanging Committee Meeting Details Revealed originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac Ten Football Preview '07: The Mediocre

Scott Olin Schmidt — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Oregon Football, Pac 10, Arizona Football, Arizona State Football

With perennial BCS contender USC at the top of the Pac Ten, it is hard to draw the line between "contenders" and "pretenders"... In 2006, the Pac Ten faced the very real possibility of having five teams tied for fourth place in the conference--and 2007 looks like there could be eight bowl-eligible schools fighting for six mediocre bowls.

While these schools aren't quite worthy of being grouped in with Stanford among the conference "dregs" you won't see any of them traveling to Pasadena in January, either.

Oregon Ducks

Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Pac Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Oregon Ducks have consistently been "contenders" for the Pac Ten crown but have consistently come up short in recent years. They have brought the spread-option to the Pac Ten and will continue with QB Dennis Dixon at the helm in 2007. Rivals' eyes are still adjusting to those wacky uniforms. The Ducks get conference favorites USC at home the week after the Trojans travel to South Bend for what could be a trap game.

WHY THEY WON'T: Oregon has consistently challenged for the Pac Ten crown but have consistently failed to pull it out. The Pac Ten has allegedly improved the quality of their referees this year, which won't give the Ducks that little something extra that propelled them ahead of Oklahoma in 2006.

PROGNOSIS: Oregon may not even be the best team in their own State, let alone their own conference. They should be able to hang with the Conference contenders, but on paper there are just too many schools that seem better than them.

Arizona Wildcats

Last year: 6-6 overall, 4-5 Pac Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: Mike Stoops has gotten the "on the rise" label to stick to the Arizona Wildcats team the last few seasons. Quarterback Willie Tuitama has a year and a few concussions under his belt and will be rolling out a new spread offense for 2007.

WHY THEY WON'T: Being "on the rise" is relative to where you're coming from and Arizona started at rock-bottom. No word on how many more concussions Tuitama can survive and still play the game.

PROGNOSIS: Bob Stoops has the program on the rise, but this year, all that may mean is a nice invitation to Honolulu to play in the Hawaii Bowl.

Arizon State Sun Devils

Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Pac Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: LSU is off the schedule this year! The Sun Devils may have the easiest non-conference schedule in the Pac Ten with San Diego State, Colorado and San Jose State to start the season. New head coach Dennis Erickson has a way of making good things happen when he takes a team on to the college gridiron. he even made Oregon State respectable for a season or two. There's someone in control for once, and this year there is no controversy over who will be the lead signal-caller.

WHY THEY WON'T: California, Oregon, UCLA, USC--the Sun Devils must face each of these pac Ten leaders consecutively between October 27 and November 22...then they have to play their rival Arizona.

PROGNOSIS: Arizona State is a sexy pick to win in the Pac Ten year in and year out but never lives up to expectations. Having a coach who has won in California might help, as will trips to UCLA and Stanford in 2007. ASU could finish with three losses or five, but should be back in a Bowl this year, even if it means traveling across town for the Insight.com Bowl.

Pac Ten Football Preview '07: The Mediocre originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arizona Wildcat Defensive End Louis Holmes Arrested for Fightin' in Da Club

Brian Grummell — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:47:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, NCAA FB Police Blotter, Arizona Football, Arizona State Football

This is rich.

Arizona defensive end Louis Holmes will appear in a Scottsdale court next week on charges of criminal damage and disorderly conduct stemming from a fight at a nightclub last month.

The arrest is Holmes' second in just over two years.

Holmes, 22, is accused of punching a patron and ripping a doorman's Kenneth Cole blazer as he was being escorted from the Pussycat Lounge, 4426 N. Saddlebag Trail, around 2 a.m. on July 1, according to a Scottsdale Police Department report.

Apparently, he got into a confrontation with another man who took a swing (and missed). Holmes then took care of the situation with one punch.

According to the police report, Holmes was asked to leave the club after a bouncer saw him "lay out" an unknown male with one punch. [snip]

Holmes was pepper-sprayed by an unknown male by the time officers arrived, according to the report. Holmes complained of stinging eyes and was treated at the scene by the Scottsdale Fire Department.

It gets better: Holmes allegedly punched an Arizona State football player.

Identified in the report as Holmes' friend and a witness was Calgary Stampeders and former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Mike Labinjo, 27. In the report, Labinjo told officers that Holmes was inside the club when he became involved in an argument with a male named "Chris" over a girl.
Labinjo told police that Chris, who Labinjo said was an Arizona State football player, threw a punch at Holmes and missed, according to the report.

What's with the in-depth crime reports at Arizona papers? This thing is about as detailed as any I've ever seen for a common arrest.

I had a friend at the University of Arizona who used to email me copies of the Daily Wildcat's incident reports. They were hilarious most of the time because college students do stupid things and townies in a place like Tucson very often one-up the students. All the ingredients for a good time, right?

But best of all was the energy the student reporters put into telling these meaningless stories. It's just a hunch, but I'm guessing the Arizona Daily Star reporter is a former Daily Wildcat writer, as this is just right up the Wildcat's alley.

Arizona Wildcat Defensive End Louis Holmes Arrested for Fightin' in Da Club originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arizona State Neutral on Hawaii, Notre Dame

Scott Olin Schmidt — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame Football, Pac 10, Arizona State Football

The Arizona State Sun Devils are not--repeat ARE NOT--talking to anyone wearing green these days.

ASU denies reports by Hawaii's athletic director that it had offered the Sun Devils to test out the new Dennis Erickson regime in an October 20th matchup in Honolulu. When Michigan State opted out of its game against Hawaii-paying the Rainbow Warriors a quarter-million dollar cancellation fee, Hawaii went looking for an opponent that Heisman Candidate Colt Brennan show off against. Hawaii had reportedly offered seven-figures to entice the Sun Devils but to no avail. I think this may be the first time anyone has turned down a million-dollar payday to make a trip to the Islands.

What's more, Arizona State was not made an offer by Notre Dame to be part of its "America is Our Home Stadium" series for 2017. The Irish have been adding "home games" all across the country at neutral sites. That game will be played in South Bend, home of the actual University of Notre Dame.

With all these non-denial denials, I wonder...am I the only one who thinks that Baghdad Bob has become athletic director in Tempe?

Arizona State Neutral on Hawaii, Notre Dame originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hawaii Bowl LiveBlog: Sun Devils vs. Rainbow Warriors

Scott Olin Schmidt — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: Pac 10, WAC, Bowl Games, Arizona State Football, Hawaii Football

Aloha and Mele Kelikimaka from Los Angeles, California, where we're bringing you live coverage of ESPN's coverage of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, live from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, between the University of Hawaii and the Arizona State University...where for once the ~~Rainbow~~ Warriors are wearing the white jerseys.

8:06 PM: It looks windy out there at Aloha Stadium, which makes me feel sorry for the poor guys in the upper decks. I was there last season for the USC-Hawaii game and that stadium was rocking...and not because of anything the fans were doing! Could it affect Colt Brennan's shot at the record books? Probably more so than ASU's defense.

8:17 PM: We're just a few plays into the game and Arizona State has put together the most prolific drive for the Pac Ten this season. Interestingly enough, they're getting most of their yards on the ground. However, that's where the ball ends up, with the Sun Devils fumbling at the Hawaii 10 yard line.

8:18 PM: Hawaii takes the field with "gunslinger" Colt Brennan leading the way. Note to ESPN guys...they haven't been the "Rainbow" Warriors in years. I imagine that the UH folks get "sensitive" about that, you know.

8:23 PM: Brennan leads the team on a 65-yard drive, but it is not enough as they sputter on third down, then miss a 42-yard field goal...so, of course, it's time to advertize Starwood's hotels in Tahiti... I thought this was the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl!
8:30 PM: Yet another Arizona State fumble, but this one advances the ball, like 20 yards, for the Sun Devil's best offensive play of the day, it would seem!

8:32 PM: Arizona State capitalizes off its fumble and scores the first points of the ballgame to get a 3-0 lead off a 44-yard field goal.

8:42 PM: That's the end of the first quarter, Hawaii Driving, Sun Devils scorching the Rainbow Warriors 3-0.

8:50 PM: Dropped pass stalls Hawaii drive, denies touchdown record, so Hawaii goes back to kick a field goal and ties it up 3-3.

8:59 PM: Neither team seems able to do much once they get anywhere near the Red Zone. Arizona gets shut down at the 17...but goes for it on fourth down and three... and Carpenter gets almost sacked and throws the ball away. Hawaii ball.

9:05 PM: Before he can get his first touchdown, Hawaii's Colt Brennan gives the ball away with an INT at the ASU 28.

9:09 PM: Rudy Carpenter looks like Colt Brennan...with a 37 yard touchdown strike to Brandon Smith. ASU 10 - Hawaii 3.

9:19 PM: ASU stops Hawaii on third-and-long, leading to the first punt of the ballgame.

9:22 PM: Hawaii WR Ian Sample is injured and it looks like Colt Brennan may have been Tuitama'ed...they're checking out his eyes and neck to see if he got his bell rung on the 3rd-and-12 draw play.

9:26 PM: Brennan's last-ditch attempt to score before haltime gets dropped, even though, in the words of our announces, he, "was bringing alot of funk in the trunk," on that last play. Oddly, Brennan may have used that line when he was at the University of Colorado in January 2004. Since it is halftime, we're going to try to run and get some food so our blood sugar level remains high enough to make it through the second half...

9:50 PM: And we're back... Hawaii ball. I don't know what was more disappointing: Hawaii's first half offense or the fact that the only dining establishment I could find open on the Sunset Strip was a Subway restaurant.

9:53 PM: For the second time, Hawaii has a big gain brought back by a holding penalty, which leads us to ask who will have more TDs? Colt Brennan or Rex Grossman?

9:54 PM: That was a quick answer...not Grossman. Colt Brennan throws a 38 yard TD to tie David Klingler's record...and the ballgame.

10:02 PM: Well it looks like Hawaii has come out to play in the second half. brennan is 4-4 since the break and the Rainbow defense just made ASU go three-and-out.

10:03 PM: After seeing Verizon's "Rock the Casbah" ad for the umpteenth time, I have to wonder how, if these guys just downloaded the song to their phone they don't know the words?

10:08 PM: COLT IS THE REAL MCCOY! Brennan breaks Klingler's touchdown in a 7-yard pass with about 20 yards-after-catch on Brennan's 55th touchdown of the season.

10:27 PM: Brennan strikes again! Hawaii takes a 24-10 lead on a 36 yard pass...then gets hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play.

10:35 PM: Touchdown! Nice Willie Mays over the shoulder touchdown catch by tight end Zach Miller. The NFL will love that. He won't love his teammates, however, as ASU gets flagged for a penalty to negate the score. The announcer is miffed, calling it a "ticky tack" call. At least ASU's threatening again after looking dead in the water thanks to a 60+ yard kickoff return.

Things just keep getting worse. Another penalty, this time for a false start. Next play: Hawai'i blitzed on second and twenty and forced a Carpenter fumble and turnover. UGLY.

10:45 PM: We head to the fourth quarter...Rainbows 24 - Sun Devils 10.

10:53 PM: Field Goal Hawaii, and it looks like the Rainbows are eclipsing the Sun Devils 27-10.

10:58 PM: BAD ANALOGY WATCH: "Torain! Still on his feet! Spun like a record on a turntable!"

11: 00 PM: Ryan Torain's 65 yard run sets up a 12 yard scamper for a touchdown to bring Arizona State within 10.

11:07 PM: Don't believe what ESPN is saying about the Run and Shoot and clock management. Last year against Hawaii, USC only had one possession in the first quarter. However, it is hard to milk the clock if you turn over the ball, which Hawaii just did. This is getting interesting again.

11:13 PM: Not so fast 10:50 PM John in the comments! Arizona State scores! 27-21.

11:23 PM: Brennan gets number four on the night--matching his average. 34-24 now for Hawaii...and another unsportsmanlike penalty on Brennan's best receiver Bess, who gets tossed from the game. They're flagging him for shaking hands with the fans after the play. Wow. With 5 minutes to go, the referees may be changing the outcome of the game on a ticky-tack call.

11:30 PM: ASU's Rudy Carpenter is sacked on 3rd and 10. Koetter punts on 4th and 16 down by 10 with less than 4 minutes. With the new clock rules you cannot punt... Now you know why Koetter won't be coaching in Tempe next year. He made the same mistake against USC, conceding the game by punting late.

10:40 PM: Game. Set. Match. ASU needed to stop Hawaii on 3rd and 10. instead, Colt Brennan throws his fifth touchdown 79 yards to Rivers who flowed through the ASU defense to put the game away 41-21.

Brennan's stats: 560 yard passing, 5 TDs... He is making his Heisman case for 2007.

10:47 PM: That's all she wrote Hawaii 41 - Arizona State 24. Bonne nuit and Froehliche Weihnachten. I'll be back Wednesday for the Emerald Nuts Bowl.

Hawaii Bowl LiveBlog: Sun Devils vs. Rainbow Warriors originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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