Coach Todd Graham has enjoyed a pleasant honeymoon in Tempe. Sun Devil backers, tired of Dennis Erickson’s undisciplined, underachieving teams, have welcomed Graham’s rah-rah, glad-handing approach with open arms.
But there are undeniable realities Graham will face in his first season at Arizona State. The club lost a glut of talent from a team that should have won the Pac-12 South Division last season. Quarterback Brock Osweiler declared early for the NFL Draft. All four starting linebackers from last season are gone. The top three receivers are gone. Both safeties are gone and four key offensive linemen are gone.
If Graham manages six wins from this bunch, ASU should throw him a parade. Questions abound as the team opens camp this week. Here are our top five.
1. Can Graham’s QB rotation work? He hasn’t announced it, but it appears Graham has settled on sophomore Mike Bercovici as his starter, with redshirt freshman Michael Eubank, a one-time Graham recruit at Pittsburgh, slated for situational appearances that take advantage of his running ability. Neither QB has a lick of experience. Bercovici had three attempts last season but has an accurate and powerful arm. Eubank redshirted last season, but is best suited to Graham’s zone read attack. Can the two co-exist? Will it matter, given their inexperience?
2. Who are the linebackers? Brandon Magee wouldn’t call it good fortune that he missed last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, but ASU is lucky to have him back. Former defensive coordinator Craig Bray called him the defense’s best player in 2010. He would have moved on with four other backers but now will likely move inside to call plays and lead the defense. Anthony Jones, Kipeli Koniseti and Matt Tucker are all candidates for the other two slots, but local product Israel Marshall is making a strong push because of his knack for being around the ball.
3. How will Graham find carries for all his running backs? This is without question the deepest position on the club. Power runner Cameron Marshall returns to lead the ground attack on the heels of a 1,050-yard, 18-touchdown season. But the Devils also have dynamic runner Deantre Lewis returning after missing last season with a hamstring injury, power runner James Morrison who Graham nicknamed “Tank” in spring ball, junior Kyle Middlebrooks who is most effective in space, junior college transfer Marion Grice and highly recruited freshman D.J. Foster from nearby Scottsdale Saguaro High, who could play in the slot.
4. Can Jamal Miles be an effective receiver? Miles is perhaps the Pac-12’s most lethal kick and punt returner, taking three to the house last season while averaging gaudy punt (16.6) and kickoff (26.3) yardage averages. He worked a lot on his route running and pass catching this spring. ASU needs him to be a playmaker in the passing game because there aren’t a lot of other options.
5. Is Alex Garoutte’s confidence shot? The Sun Devils place kicker had a rough 2011 season (15-22 FGs). He missed a mid-range kick at Illinois in a 17-14 loss. He missed a crucial kick at Washington State that could have drawn the Sun Devils within a score and he missed all three kicks in a 29-28 loss at UCLA. A win in Pasadena would have clinched the Pac-12 South. Instead, ASU lost five straight to hasten Dennis Erickson’s firing. The one-time all state (Ariz.) kicker still looked shaky this spring. This is an issue the Sun Devils must solve. With so much inexperience on offense and defense, Graham has said ASU must win the special teams battle every week.
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