Go Joe Bruin continues the early 2018 previews with the next UCLA Football opponent, the Arizona State Sun Devils.
I wasn’t surprised when the UCLA Football Bruins weren’t the only PAC-12 team to add a new head coach this off-season. I wasn’t even very surprised that Todd Graham was fired from Arizona State even though the Sun Devils reached a bowl game five out of the six years he was the head coach. Despite making it to bowl games the Sun Devils never really seemed to take the next step and the change was made.
I figured the Sun Devils would target a young, up and coming coach to ignite this team and take them to the next level.
Imagine my surprise when Herm Edwards was not only announced as a candidate for the job but ended up landing it.
Now whatever you might think about Edwards as a coach, 54-74 as a head in the NFL, you have to admit the hiring was unorthodox.
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UCLA Football fans have to be excited about what Chip Kelly will bring to their team but there isn’t a college football fan in the country that isn’t going to be watching the “Edwards experience” closely.
2017 saw the Sun Devils get off to a slow start with a narrow win over New Mexico State and then back to back losses to San Diego State and Texas Tech. ASU bounced back with a tight win against Oregon but that momentum was thrown off with a ten point loss to Stanford.
Then came the signature win of the 2017 season. The ASU defense was able to frustrate Jake Browning and the then 16 ranked Washington offense. QB Manny Wilkins and his running game did just enough to eek out a 13-7 win at home and it looked like the Sun Devils were on the rebound.
UCLA Football Early 2018 Schedule Previews
Cincinnati | Oklahoma | Fresno State | Colorado | UW | Cal | Arizona | Utah | Oregon
A valiant but ultimately failing effort in the Sun Bowl against NC State wasn’t the ending the team and Graham hoped for. What it did do was set the stage for a new era in the desert.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Head Coach: coach | Herm Edwards (54-74 in the NFL) (0-0 in college)
2017 Record: 7-6 overall, 6-3 in PAC-12
2017-18 Bowl Game: Sun Bowl (Lost 52-31 vs. NC State)
What: UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Where: Sun Devil Stadium. Tempe, Arizona
When: November, 10. Time TBD.
ASU followed up that big win with a stomping of Utah but then the roller coaster started. A loss to USC the next week dropped the team to 4-4 before a win over Colorado pushed them over the .500 mark. It wouldn’t last long.
The UCLA Football team was able to outlast the Sun Devils in their November matchup last season but they ended the regular season on a high note with consecutive wins against Oregon State and rival Arizona respectively. It wouldn’t be enough to save Todd Graham’s job and was told he would be fired following the bowl game.
Arizona State’s Five-Year Win Trend
- 2017 – ★★★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 7-6
- 2016 – ★★★★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 5-7
- 2015 – ★★★★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 6-7
- 2014 – ★★★★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 10-3
- 2013 – ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 10-4
Make no mistake, just because I’m uncertain about the head coaching selection for ASU, it doesn’t mean that I believe this team isn’t talented in terms of staff or personnel. That means, in my mind, that there’s a hefty amount of pressure on this team to win and at least contend for a PAC-12 South title.
Will this coaching staff prove my trepidation about its new head coach wrong or will we see the “Edwards Experience” prove to be a decision to forget? He’ll have some decent sized shoes to fill as we can see below.
If the Sun Devils can recapture the magic of the 2013-14 seasons this hire will be some of the best football Herm Edwards has ever coached. The likeliest scenario, in my opinion, resembles something closer to the 2015 season.