Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Arizona State season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen & Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Arizona State Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 7-6 overall, 5-4 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Herm Edwards: 2nd year, 7-6
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ARIZONA STATE OFFENSE
– The offense that was so effective and efficient last season loses QB Manny Wilkins and star WR N’Keal Harry, but it has the parts to be even stronger if the quarterback play gets the job done. Junior Dillion Cole-Sterling was the main backup, and now he appears ready to take over the reigns until dynamic freshman Jayden Daniels is ready. There are enough options to play around with.
– Eno Benjamin was the workhorse for the attack, can catch, and has a nose for the end zone. Now the star back needs a little more help, and he should get it from a deep stable of runners. The O line he’ll work behind returns four starters coming off a fantastic year. It’ll be one of the Pac-12’s most effective front fives.
– The receiving corps needs a new No. 1 target to step up without Harry, but just about everyone else of note returns. There isn’t a talent at Harry’s level, but the combination of Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Williams is more than good enough to make the new starting quarterback shine.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ARIZONA STATE DEFENSE
– The defense needs to do more against the run, and it would be nice to generate a little more of a pass rush. It’s coming off a rough second half of 2018 – allowing 31 points or more in four of the last six games – and now the very, very young talent has to shine through for a D that loses six key starters.
– Everything will revolve around the fantastic sophomore linebacking duo of Merlin Roberson on the outside and Darien Butler in the middle. These two have good size, great athleticism, and they make a ton of big plays. They’re the stars, but there’s a whole lot of promise in the young secondary, too, featuring all-around playmaking safety Aashari Crosswell and top corner Chase Lucas. Now the experience has to translate into more key stops.
– Renell Wren is a key loss on the nose, and end Jalen Bates is transferring to Colorado State. Shannon Forman on the end and George Lea at tackle have to rise up and rock right away, but the line will be a wee bit of a concern early on.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP ARIZONA STATE PLAYERS
Best Arizona State Offensive Player
RB Eno Benjamin, Jr.
The 5-10, 201-pound slippery rushing machine carried the ball 300 times for an ASU season-record 1,642 yards and 16 touchdowns, and caught 35 passes for 263 yards and two scores. He could use a bit of a break now and then – with 20 carries or more nine times in the final ten games – but he’s tough as nails and can bring the power along with the quickness.
2. C Cohl Cabral, Sr.
3. WR Kyle Williams, Sr.
4. WR Brandon Aiyuk, Sr.
5. QB Dillon Starling-Cole, Jr.
Best Arizona State Defensive Player
LB Merlin Robertson, Soph.
The 6-3, 235-pounder rose up right away as a true freshman, leading the team with 77 tackles, five sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss despite missing the bowl game with a family emergency. Working mostly on the outside, he’s a tough guy against the run – making 11 stops against Washington and nine against Michigan State – and ultra-quick when he has to get into the backfield.
2. S Aashari Crosswell, Soph.
3. CB Chase Lucas, Jr.
4. LB Darien Butler, Soph.
5. DE/LB Tyler Johnson, Soph.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE ARIZONA STATE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Arizona State Offense
Own the ground game. The receiving corps is good enough to keep the passing attack rolling, and Eno Benjamin could use some more help from the other options, but behind a great line and with a star running back, it’s all about banging away for this O. Last season, ASU went 5-0 when running for 200 yards or more, and was 6-2 when rushing for multiple scores. And on the other side …
Biggest Key To The Arizona State Defense
Stop the run. The Sun Devils were great at making plays behind the line, but they didn’t generate enough third down stops and didn’t do enough against good running teams. ASU pulled off victories despite getting ripped apart by Oregon State and Arizona on the ground, but it got hit hard by Fresno State in the bowl loss and was run over for over 300 yards by San Diego State early on. The consistency has to be there even with the youth on D.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Dillon Sterling-Cole, Jr.
Overall, this is still a young team Herm Edwards is building up, and it needs a steady veteran leader who can keep things moving. Manny Wilkins wasn’t amazing last year, but he could run, and he didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes. Sterling-Cole has to at least be consistent and efficient, or the Jayden Daniels era could be underway.
Key Game To The Arizona State Season
at Utah, Oct. 19
The Sun Devils were able to stomp on the eventual Pac-12 South champs last year – winning 38-20 – but now they have to beat the Utes on the road. The first half of the schedule isn’t awful, and most of the games in the second half are at home, but at UCLA, USC, Oregon and Arizona are still on the slate. ASU needs this road game.
– Arizona State Full Schedule & Analysis
2018 Arizona State Fun Stats
– Fumbles: Opponents 17 (lost 9) – Arizona State 17 (lost 4)
– Sacks: Arizona State 29 for 190 yards – Opponents 16 for 90 yards
– Punt Returns: Opponents 13.55 average – Arizona State 10.32 average
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. ARIZONA STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
Herm Edwards turned in a solid first season against what seemed like a nasty schedule, and now the expectations are to do even more in a big hurry. Soon, USC and UCLA are going to figure it out and become stars, and Arizona, Utah and Colorado are going to be more than just wild-cards in the Pac-12 South.
There’s a nice mix of talent youth, and and growing depth, but the consistency has to be there on both sides of the ball. There were too many power outages early last season, and not enough good defensive performances late.
This isn’t going to be quite as dynamic a team as last year’s version – at least offensively – but the defense should be more consistent and better overall against the run. The plays will come in the backfield, but can this group handle the power and tough-guy teams?
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 8
ASU will start out with wins over Kent State and Sacramento State, but it’ll have a hard time against the Michigan State defense in East Lansing. After that, the Pac-12 schedule works out well with a few well-timed weeks off and the main road games out of the way in the middle of the campaign.
The offense will find its balance and groove just in time for the November finishing kick. It won’t be enough to win the Pac-12 South, but the Sun Devils will go bowling again with at least a little improvement in the overall record.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen & Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
