Following the Arizona State Sun Devils’ second-straight 10-win season, head coach Todd Graham has dreams of bigger things to come in the desert. Those aren’t just pipe dreams, though; those are legitimate expectations from a coach that has steered the Sun Devils back into relevancy in Pac-12. After all, the team fell just seven points short of making the conference title game last season. Where will Arizona State go from here?
Read on for an overview of Arizona State’s key player this coming season along with the team’s key game, best and worst scenarios and a complete list of the Sun Devils’ 2015-2016 schedule.
For more about college football, click here for a preview of Oregon’s season and here for the early Heisman Trophy candidates.
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2015-2016 Arizona State College Football Preview
Overview
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The 2014 season was a nice reminder for the Arizona State faithful that their team is going somewhere. Head coach Todd Graham, in his fourth season with the Sun Devils, has made them a force to be reckoned with again in the rough and tumble Pac-12 South division, which has had four different representatives over the last four conference title games.
This time coming season, Graham feels that his Sun Devils are definitely in the running to be top of the group again. Of course, that optimism begins with Arizona State’s high-powered offense that averaged 36.9 points per game last season. The Sun Devils have a new starter in senior Mike Bercovici, who replaces Tylor Kelly under center.
That said, Graham could expect no significant drop off in their offensive production given Bercovici’s experience, solid arm, and proven character on and off the field.Last season, Bercovici passed for 1,445 yards and fired 12 touchdown passes on 61.8 completion percentage.
Down field, Bercovici’s top option should be D.J. Foster, who is now a full-time receiver following a 2014 season that saw him play a dual role of tailback/receiver. Bercovici is not much of an athlete, so look for the Sun Devils to rely more on their backfield, which will feature the trio of Demario Richard, Kalen Ballage, and Gump Hayes.
The defense looks to be just as strong with a five-man rotation in the back seven and a secondary that brings back three starters. If there’s an area of concern on the defensive end for Arizona State, it’s in in the pass rush. Davon Durant was supposed to be the team’s terror up front but he was suspended indefinitely for being arrested on domestic abuse allegations.
Key Player – D.J. Foster
Foster has some big shoes to fill this coming season. With the Sun Devils now deprived of the services of last season’s top receiver in Jaelen Strong (NFL), there is a great need for a playmaker down field to emerge in Tempe. Foster could and should be that guy. Last season Foster compiled 688 receiving yards and caught three balls in the red zone. Those numbers are due up with him going full-time in receiving role this year.
Key Game – vs. USC (Sep. 26)
The Sun Devils and the Trojans are projected by many to be the frontrunners in the race to the top of the Pac-12 South. That and an insane matchup between these two teams last season should make the September 26 showdown in Tempe a very savory one.
The big leap forward for the Sun Devils happen this season, as they flourish with 12 returning starters. That group, which includes Bercovici, improves on offense and on defense, making the team an extra-hard one to deal with even for teams like Oregon, USC, and Arizona. The Sun Devils finish the regular season with a 10-2 record (7-2 in Pac-12)
Worst Case Scenario
Bercovici fails to form a great tandem with Foster, who’s easily bottled up by opposing defenses that enjoy not having to worry about Jaelen Strong on the other side. The Sun Devils get tripped up right out of the gate by a Texas A&M team that doesn’t have a respectable defense. More than a blemish in Arizona State’s record, the loss to the Aggies proves to be a preview for the team’s eventual struggle against ranked teams. In the end, the Sun Devils finish with an 8-5 overall record (including a loss in a bowl game).
Complete Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
TIME
Saturday, September 5
vs. Texas A&M
7:00 PM ET
Saturday, September 12
vs. Cal Poly
11:00 PM ET
Friday, September 18
vs. New Mexico
10:00 PM ET
Saturday, October 26
vs. USC
TBA
Saturday, October 3
@ UCLA
TBA
Saturday, October 10
vs Colorado
TBA
Saturday, October 17
@ Utah
TBA
Thursday, October 29
vs Oregon
10:30 PM ET
Saturday, November 7
@ Washington State
TBA
Saturday, November 14
vs Washington
TBA
Saturday, November 21
vs Arizona
TBA
Saturday, November 28
@ Cal
TBA
Writer’s Prediction
The Sun Devils finish the regular season with a 9-3 record and do not get a chance to fight for the Pac-12 title.
