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The Arizona State Sun Devils had an uneven 2011 season, one that ended with the dismissal of head coach Dennis Erickson. They still managed to finished the season with a 6-6 record and gain bowl eligibility. Instead of playing for a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, the Devils are lucky to even have a bowl birth after their miserable finish.
The Sun Devils kicked off their 2011 season with back-to-back wins over UC Davis and Missouri, the latter by a final overtime score of 37-30. They would next drop a close 17-14 game to Illinois on the road before rattling off three straight wins in decisive fashion against USC, Oregon State and Utah.
They would lose 41-27 in Oregon before bouncing back with a lopsided win over the struggling Colorado Buffaloes. That would prove to be the last bright spot of the regular season, however, as they would then go on to lose their final four games in succession. They lost a 29-28 game to UCLA before dropping games to Washington State, Arizona and Cal.
The Sun Devils finished the season as one of seven Pac-12 teams eligible for a bowl game, although the 6-7 UCLA Bruins needed an NCAA waiver to make it to a bowl game after losing the Pac-12 championship game to the Oregon Ducks and ending up with a losing record for the year.
You can always keep up with all ASU news and information by visiting House of Sparky. Click here to find the full 2011 College Football Bowl Schedule.