Despite its 5-2 record, the ASU football team clearly still has some issues to work through.
Pass blocking has been inconsistent, the running backs haven’t been as productive as anticipated and big plays through the air have become a hallmark for the opposition.
But the thing that sticks out the most while watching the Sun Devils is the plethora of missed tackles resulting in extra yards for opponents.
Last Saturday in Colorado, the ASU defense had one of its worst tackling games of the season, allowing Colorado junior running back Phillip Lindsay to storm through one of the highest-rated rushing defenses in the country to the tune of 219 yards and three touchdowns.
At practice Tuesday, the Sun Devils worked to remedy this performance against the run, something junior defensive tackle Tashon Smallwood attributed to a lack of energy from the unit.
“We just really didn’t come out ready to play,” Smallwood said. “We were sluggish. We just came out flat.”
But it wasn't just Saturday at Folsom Field that ASU's defensive front didn't play up to snuff on the ground. This lack of push has been a theme in road games for the Sun Devils, who have given up over twice as many yards per game on the ground on the road (161) than at home (71.5).
While that may have something to do with the offensive styles of the opposition, ASU’s opponents average two yards more per carry at home (4.52) than in Tempe (2.46).
While home teams often have the advantage in games due to not traveling and having a majority crowd in the stands, it's not as routine to see this steep drop in production with such similar sample sizes.
“Playing away games, we have to bring our own energy,” Smallwood said. “And we haven’t been doing that… We just have to prepare ourselves to bring our own energy wherever we go.”
Additional Notes:
Head coach Todd Graham responded to Washington State head coach Mike Leach’s accusations of cheating Tuesday.
Leach, asked if other teams besides ASU steal signs, says "Not like them, where they have a whole command center."
— Jacob Thorpe (@JacobThorpeSR) October 17, 2016
Monday, Leach said he’s “heard rumors of microphones, close-up cameras, stuff like that,” about ASU’s methods of secrecy, but a visibly frustrated Graham did his best to debunk those.
“We do everything exactly by the rules,” Graham said. “Period.”
Last season, the Sun Devils faced similar allegations from the Cougars, as well as other teams. During its trip to Sun Devil Stadium last season, Oregon brought sheets to hide play calls from possible sleuths.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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