(Tempe, AZ – House Of Sparky) Well, ASU got what they wanted.
Steven Threet played well tonight, and was able to confidently lead the offense in his ASU debut. Cameron Marshall only ran the ball four times, but gained 104 yards. He averaged 26 yards a carry – a shocking statistic.
While I don’t expect that trend to necessarily continue, we must submit that the offense played a lot better tonight than we have seen in previous seasons. New Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone has instilled a sense of unpredictability into our scheming.
As a fan, I was pleased with what I saw tonight. The Sun Devils walloped a bad team, but they did it effectively.
The penalties, however, must stop immediately if ASU is to be a factor moving forward. Giving up 93 yards to a Pac-10 school will earn you a loss. One can be pleased that this happened tonight, as to believe that the kinks will be worked out.
Our defense played well on the whole. Vontaze Burfict played extremely aggressive football and was all over the field. Eddie Elder made a nice play to intercept a Vikings pass, and the Devils were able to shut down the offensive attack entirely.
The only bright spot for Portland State is kicker Zach Brown, who looks like a legitimate kicking prospect for professional football (whether or not that is CFL is yet to be determined, but regardless: the kid can kick the ball).
The Sun Devils move to 1-0 on the season, and have a week to prepare for Northern Arizona. Hopefully there is a slightly bigger crowd there to support the troops on September 11.