Friday, December 24, 1999
Sun Devils
or Deacons?
Even without Kealy, Arizona
By Bob Moran
State has too much speed
and firepower to lose
Special to the Star-BulletinTHEIR starting quarterback is injured and won't play. They've lost to New Mexico State (at home by 28!) and California. They beat only one team in the Pac-10 that posted a winning record.
Yet, Arizona State should defeat Wake Forest when the two squads from opposite ends of the mainland play tomorrow morning.
The Sun Devils have the more conservatively diverse offense that is needed for what is expected to be a low-scoring game.
Had not quarterback Ryan Kealy, a junior, incurred his fifth career knee injury in the season finale against Arizona, this contest would have been decided by the more sophisticated passing schemes West Coast teams have.
But much of that style will have to be shelved because ASU's coaching staff won't ask substitute quarterbacks John Leonard and Griffin Goodman to do things they haven't done all year.
All this means is that ASU will have to rely on its tailback tandem of J.R. Redmond and Delvon Flowers, running behind an offensive line anchored by All-America left tackle Marvel Smith, to score enough points while the defense holds down a low-scoring, conservative Demon Deacons offense.
ASU's Bruce Snyder is one of the few coaches west of Texas who finds nothing inherently wrong in calling running plays five consecutive times.
After Kealy was injured late in the third period against Arizona, the Sun Devils played the entire fourth quarter attempting just two passes.
In beating Iowa in the 1997 Sun Bowl when Steve Campbell subbed for an injured Kealy (hurt then, too, against Arizona), ASU threw only 11 times. Wishbone teams aim to throw more than that.
But Snyder has the "stubbornness" to continue to run.
The wild card in the offense, though, is sophomore tight end Todd Heap, who has yet to meet a defender he couldn't defeat. Heap's big season (50 receptions) rescued a so-so passing game (even with Kealy) and allowed wide receiver Richard Williams to develop into a big-play threat who will cause the Demon Deacons problems. ASU won't hesistate to go deep to the speedy Williams because of his strong finish this season (2 TDs vs. Arizona).
Snyder and his staff, save for the Rose Bowl, have shown an ability to make subtle changes in bowls that will produce victory.
When he was coaching California, Snyder met another ACC team, Clemson, in the Citrus Bowl. He frustrated a physically more imposing Clemson defense that featured two future Pro Bowlers and a starting NFL defensive tackle by dinking the Tigers to death with short passes when it was expected that he'd run All-America tailback Russell White.
Whatever the Achilles heel of Wake Forest's stout defense, the Sun Devils will find it, even with inexperienced quarterbacks.
ASU has had difficulty against teams that run the option. But the Sun Devils faced four teams that feature that style of offense this season and familiarity should breed success.
After a disastrous performance in which New Mexico State's option offense rushed for 363 yards, the Sun Devils made significant improvement defending Notre Dame's option, then had everything working well defensively in a key 28-9 upset victory at Washington. The Huskies were held to their lowest point total at home in 16 years.
No doubt the Sun Devils will be reviewing those tapes for positive re-inforcement as it faces an option that is similiar to New Mexico State's.
As always ASU has tons of speed to pursue the ball. Sometimes those speedy players aren't in the right position and that's why the team has given up big plays.
Oftentimes Pac-10 teams struggle in bowls because brawn beats up on finesse.
But the Sun Devils consider themselves the most physical team in the Pac-10, and relish the chance to play smashmouth football.
For the Sun Devils, nothing would be finer than to beat the team from Carolina at its own game.
Bob Moran covers Arizona State football
for the East Valley (Ariz.) Tribune.
Aloha Bowl
When: 10:30 a.m. tomorrow
Opportunity doesn’t
By Bill Hass
knock often, so Wake
will seize the day
Special to the Star-BulletinWITHOUT further ado, and with apologies to David Letterman, here are the top 10 reasons Wake Forest will beat Arizona State in the Aloha Bowl.
No. 10: The Empire State Building. Before it was built, a much smaller version of New York's landmark was erected in Winston-Salem. It's called the Reynolds Building, although 99 percent of everything in Winston-Salem is named Reynolds something, after the tobacco family. Anyway, is that cool, or what? It's the spitting image of the big building. Tempe has no answer for that, although I heard something about an adobe version of the MGM Grand.
No. 9: Opportunity. Wake Forest doesn't get many chances like this. The Deacons are appearing in their fifth bowl game -- of the century. One of the shortest sections in the Wake Forest bowl guide is the one on previous bowl appearances. Wake has had droughts of 13 and 30 years between bowl games. Plagues come along more often.
Arizona State, on the other hand, is in its third bowl in four years and 18th in history. Just three seasons ago, when many current Sun Devils were on the team, it was in the Rose Bowl. So they're supposed to be excited
about the Aloha Bowl? Yawn.
No. 8: Climate. Winston-Salem is moderate, with a definite change of seasons.
The average temperature in Arizona is 500 degrees -- 600 in the summer and 400 in what most other states call winter. "Oh, there's almost no humidity," chirp the Arizonans (Arizonites? Arizonatonians?). Which is little consolation when the flesh has been scorched off your bones.
No. 7: David vs. Goliath. Wake Forest has an enrollment of 3,836. Arizona State's is 44,255. I can hear the slingshot whirring now.
No. 6: Arnold Palmer vs. Reggie Jackson. It's a tough call, one of the top names in the history of golf and a Wake alumnus vs. Arizona State's Hall of Famer. But which would you pick -- Arnie's Army or the Reggie Bar? Advantage, Arnie.
No. 5: Dustin Lyman and Jammie Deese. Two of Wake's best players each had a moment of outlandish honesty with the media this year. Before the Florida State game, Lyman asked reporters, "Say, do any of you guys know how old (FSU quarterback) Chris Weinke is? 27? I wish we had a 27-year-old quarterback." Lyman then went on to say how he disliked everything about the Seminole program, particularly their arrogance. Yes, Florida State won, 33-10, but that was closer than most of its games.
Deese popped off before the North Carolina game, talking about how he hated everything about the Tar Heels, especially their arrogance. "I just want to kill them and get it over with just so I can laugh at them as we're winning the game and walking back to the bus and pulling away from Chapel Hill." His teammates backed him up with a 19-3 win.
You gotta love guys like that. Although neither of them could work up a good hate for Arizona State, a team they've never played. Pity.
No. 4: Better uniforms. Wake's colors are classic black and gold, their uniforms clean-looking and appealing to the eye. The maroon and gold of the Sun Devils sounds good, but somehow it doesn't translate to their uniforms.
Their version of gold is more like mustard. And they should forever be banned from wearing maroon jerseys and pants at the same time, an assault to the senses of every decent human being.
No. 3: Billy Packer vs. Al Michaels. The best basketball analyst comes from Wake, the best sports announcer from ASU. Tossup. OK, Packer's best lines are in his commercials for Mr. Cash, where they'll loan money for anything.
Compare that to Michaels' famous "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" Ooops.
Advantage to the Sun Devils.
No. 2: Tim Duncan. The best player in the NBA comes from Wake Forest. Can anyone name an NBA player from Arizona State? Can anyone name a basketball player ever from Arizona State?
No. 1: James Caan and Billy Dee Williams. They starred in the TV movie "Brian's Song," about Brian Piccolo, the Wake Forest and Chicago Bears runner who died of cancer. Admit it -- you watched it. When Piccolo, played by Caan, was on his deathbed talking one last time to Gale Sayers, played by Billy Dee, a tear rolled down your cheek. A lump came in your throat and you took out your handkerchief and honked into it, trying to fool everyone watching with you. Admit it!
What does Arizona State have to match that? Although a movie on the saga of the marriage of J.R. Redmond certainly has potential.
Bill Hass covers Wake Forest football for
the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record
