Editor's note: The following is the first in a series of two articles previewing the ASU football team.
The ASU football team faces a seemingly endless list of questions after one of the more disappointing seasons in school history last year.
Any 5-7 campaign yields a hefty set of problems, but scoring points was not always one of them. However, the Sun Devils can still improve on a number of areas on the offensive side of the ball.
Head coach Dirk Koetter's bread and butter is offense -- he doesn't even have an offensive coordinator -- and in his four seasons in Tempe, the Sun Devils have had little trouble passing the ball, and that likely won't change as the team possesses one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in senior Andrew Walter.
But again, the challenge this season will be to gain yards via the ground, something the team has only done sporadically during the Koetter era. While fixing the running game has been a recurring goal, it carries a bigger sense of urgency this year as the Sun Devils gained 117.3 yards a game last season as opposed to their opponents' 150.8.
The offense returns six starters from a year ago. Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the personnel.
Quarterbacks
The question facing the Sun Devils' signal callers is not will the unit -- namely Walter -- produce, but how much will it produce. In the history of the program, ASU quarterbacks have only thrown for 3,000 yards in just two seasons, and Walter has both of them (2002, 2003).
After already having set school records for yards in a season (3,877), completions (247) and attempts (483), Walter is on the verge of shattering all major career passing yards in ASU history, despite starting just 24 games as a Sun Devil thus far.
Even though he has only been the bona-fide starter for less than two seasons, his star rose quickly and Walter has been the icon of the team for a while now. Always cool and grounded, Walter must take his leadership skills to a new level this season, and with hope the team will follow.
Since Walter blew up in his sophomore season, Koetter has consistently said that Pac-10 teams with senior quarterbacks typically have the most success. The Sun Devils must hope their coach is correct.
Sophomore Sam Keller returns as Walter's backup after winning the No. 2 job as a true freshman last season. Unless something drastic happens, Keller will be Walter's heir apparent after Walter almost certainly will begin an NFL career next fall.
Keller showed composure when he was thrown into the mix during a loss to UCLA last season and has continued to show improvement through Camp Tontozona.
Junior Chad Christensen will finish his career as the holder on field goals and is currently third string. One or both freshmen Rudy Carpenter and Max Hall will redshirt.
Running backs
Tailback is a position the team has plenty of depth at, perhaps to a fault. After camp last season, Koetter said he regretted giving all five of the tailbacks on his roster an equal opportunity, rather than going with whom he felt would succeed. Late in the season, he often went with now-sophomore Loren Wade, who ended up setting a school freshman rushing record with 773 yards.
Four of those tailbacks return this season, and only three appear to be in the fold. Wade is solidified as the starter for now, but junior Hakim Hill and sophomore Randy Hill continue to get ample opportunities in.
Last year Hakim finally enjoyed somewhat of a breakout year with 452 yards, and Randy has looked as sharp as anyone during camp.
Koetter has said he would like to decide on one featured back to get a majority of the carries, but in the same breath, promises that the team will need all of them over the course of a full football season.
Junior Cornell Canidate -- the team's leading rusher from 2002 -- has been limited with a hamstring injury and appears cemented at the bottom of the depth chart.
Wide receivers
It took this unit nearly all of last season to get used to life without 2002 All-American Shaun McDonald and the blinding speed he provided. While Koetter concedes there is no one like McDonald on the roster, he insists there are playmakers in the unit that can do the job.
Junior Derek Hagan, a possession receiver, is entrenched at the top of the depth chart as the team's No. 1 receiver. After seeing multiple balls slip through his hands in the preseason last year, Hagan suddenly gained consistency and began racking up receiving yards in staggering chunks. He caught for over 100 yards in six of the team's final eight games and finished the season as the seventh Sun Devil ever to gain 1,000 yards with 1,081.
Sophomore Terry Richardson is penciled in at the other wide-out spot, although competition in this unit heats up after Hagan. The speedy Richardson didn't necessarily disappoint as a redshirt freshman last season, but he didn't always make the most of opportunities. This year, Walter will be looking for Richardson as a new deep threat. Koetter said Richardson had been the offensive MVP of camp until a hip flexor limited him in the final three practices.
Redshirt freshman Rudy Burgess enjoyed a stellar spring but has not built on it the way coaches had hoped thus far, but don't count him out. Burgess is one of the more pure athletes on the team. Also in the mix is junior Matt Miller, who was slowed by injuries most of last season and is looking for that breakout year. Miller had one of the better camps of those in the group. Junior Moey Mutz may get spot duty as well.
Tight ends
Gone this year is the presence of bullish blocking fullback Mike Karney -- now with the New Orleans Saints -- as well as the fullback position all together. Now in place is a more versatile H-back, a hybrid second tight end.
Koetter knew he had the ideal man to handle the position when he signed Valley product Zach Miller, the top-ranked tight end in the nation. In practice thus far, the athletic Miller has met and arguably exceeded expectations as is he firmly entrenched as the starting H-back. The coaching staff has already mentioned him in the same breath as former ASU tight end Todd Heap, now a Pro Bowler for Baltimore.
ining up at the tight end spot is blocking specialist, junior Lee Burghgraef, who has gotten ample playing time since his freshman season. Behind Burghgraef and Miller are five players battling for time between the two positions.
Pass-catching sophomore Jamaal Lewis and redshirt freshman Brent Miller, Zach's brother, are candidates to emerge.
Offensive line
The 'hogs' are now under the direction of new coach Brent Myers. The unit returns three starters from last season, two of which have missed all workouts so far.
Junior left guard Grayling Love -- a second team All-Pac-10 selection from last season -- is the most celebrated of the group and will make the switch from right tackle. He is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to be available for the season opener on Sept. 2.
Senior center Drew Hodgdon, entering his third year as a starter, was lost during the first practice of camp with a fractured right foot. If things go well, the team is expecting to have the nasty Hodgdon back for its third game against Iowa on Sept. 18.
Even with its leaders out, the coaching staff is confident with the five linemen in place right now.
At left guard is junior Chaz White, who started most games as a true freshman in 2002 before being demoted last year. Running at left guard has been redshirt freshman Brandon Rodd, who also plays tackle. Redshirt freshman Mike Pollak has been inserted at center and was named the offensive MVP of Camp Tontozona.
Sophomores Zach Krula and Stephen Berg have been in a battle for the right guard spot. Sophomore Andrew Carnahan is entrenched at right tackle after starting all 12 games at left tackle last season and subsequently making many freshmen All-American lists.
Reach the reporter at Christopher.Drexel@asu.edu.