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Getting downright defensive

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Adam Flath/THE STATE PRESS
ASU senior safety Riccardo Stewart listens in as defensive coordinator Brent Guy gives orders at the Oregon State game Sept. 25.

The Sun Devils were sick and tired of hearing how their opponents were able to light them up. In fact, they got downright defensive about it.

Since head coach Dirk Koetter's coaching staff arrived at ASU for the 2001 season, the Sun Devils have been known as a team that specializes in offense. But far too many times, it didn't matter how many points Koetter -- often referred to as an "offensive guru" -- could manufacture, because opposing teams could generate more.

Heavy criticism fell on defensive coordinator Brent Guy, and Koetter heard suggestions that he should fire the man to whom he had entrusted his defenses for seven years. But Koetter stuck with Guy, and the decision has finally paid off in a big way.

The No. 19 Sun Devils are off to their best start in eight seasons and already have the same amount of wins as they did throughout all of last year. And though the offense has done its part, even casual observers have been quick to say the defense has carried the team.

Entering the season, the defense faced its traditional laundry list of question marks. But offseason commitments to improve, a new and improved scheme and a number of pleasant surprises have the Sun Devil 'D' playing better than it ever has in Guy's tenure.

Through five games, ASU has yielded an average of just more than 304 yards per game compared to last year's season average of more than 403. It has gotten to the quarterback more too, already registering 19 sacks compared to last year's 12-game total of 30. The defense has also forced more turnovers, averaging 2.4 per game, while only playing two contests in the pass-happy Pac-10, compared to the 1.9 it forced a year ago.

Most importantly, opposing teams have averaged just 12.8 points a game instead of the 27.3 they did last season.

"No question, this is the best the defense has played since we came here," Guy said. "When [senior quarterback] Andrew Walter made a decision to stay, we made a commitment that we were going to do this right.

"The guys on defense said we were going to change the way people were going to perceive us, and we are going to change our style of play."

An experienced bunch

From the first time Koetter addressed questions concerning the 2004 Sun Devils at Pac-10 media day in July, he said he was looking forward to having a majority of his starters on defense being seniors. Now, Koetter and Guy say the main reason for the defense's turnaround is its experience.

As with any coaching change, many Sun Devils who were in place when Guy and Koetter took over in 2001 did not fit in with the staff's plans. As a result, an inordinate amount of starters were freshmen. Four years later, many of those youngsters are in their final year and have logged ample games in the maroon and gold.

"Guys have played together a long time," Guy said. "They've sweated together and bled together a long time. They got a lot invested in this program, and they want to go out the right way."

ASU has six regular starters on defense who are seniors. Three other starters have had at least one previous year of starting experience, and the remaining two, junior linebacker Dale Robinson and sophomore defensive tackle Jordan Hill, have been arguably the best performers at their position.

Senior strong safety Riccardo Stewart, the defensive captain who has started for three years, said the knowledge of his teammates has been evident.

"When you have a lot of upperclassmen, especially guys that are seniors who have been around football for a long time, it's easier to play with those guys," Stewart said.

"When you play football when you are young, you just play football. You don't worry about down-and-distance, or how many running backs [the opposition] has, how many tight ends are in there, who is their best player, or what their tendencies are. It is a key thing when you have so many players with that much experience."

During spring football, former Sun Devil great and Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl safety Darren Woodson paid a visit to an ASU practice; a visit many of the Sun Devils took to heart. Woodson spoke of returning to the alma maters of some his NFL teammates and seeing how connected the pros were to the current student-athletes.

Both Guy and Stewart said this year's group of seniors wanted to leave a legacy for future classes to follow.

"Since we've been here, the defense has always gotten picked on," he said. "The young guys are going to see how we're doing it now, and next year's class is going to do the same thing, and the year after that, and the year after that. They are going to know this is how ASU football is supposed to be done.

"When I come back here five years from now, I want to see guys that are better than me. I'm sure the guys that were on the Rose Bowl team in 1996 want it to be like that too, but somewhere in between, it fell off and definitely hasn't been like that since."

A new scheme

Another change for 2004 has been the permanent running of a 4-3 defensive scheme, something all of the players said they felt more comfortable doing.

Over the past three seasons, Guy elected that the Sun Devils utilize a "4-2-5" alignment, which included an extra strong safety and one less linebacker. In the old scheme, the safeties were depended on to make the majority of the tackles and were responsible for a countless number of tasks in both run support and pass coverage.

"The three safeties had a lot to learn and a lot to do," Koetter said. "Coach Guy and I were looking at some of the other schools in the league who we feel our safeties were just as good as their safeties. We were seeing their safeties run around and make all these plays.

"But with our guys sometimes, it was paralysis by analysis. We were thinking about stuff too much."

With the departure of free safety Jason Shivers -- ASU's leading tackler from 2001-2003 who bypassed his senior year for the NFL -- the time was ripe for ASU to change its plan on defense. Over the offseason, Koetter suggested to Guy that the team stick with a 4-3 based on the team's personnel, and Guy concurred. Now, Koetter said the defense is playing with more confidence as a result.

"Playing the 4-3 is a lot easier for every position on the field, and guys like it," said Stewart, who added he felt the best he ever has health-wise in three years. "I really don't need to make the tackles because the front seven gobbles them all up.

"Now I don't have as much to do. I can just fly around so when I do make a hit, I can make a bigger hit."

Since the old alignment featured an extra defensive back, some thought it would work well in the Pac-10. But too often, the Sun Devils were rendered helpless against the run. ASU's two linebackers, current senior Justin Burks and junior Jamar Williams, looked too uncomfortable on the field.

This season, Williams has flourished as the third linebacker, or "Devil" as the team refers to the position. Already, the speedy Williams is third on the team with 28 tackles and leads ASU with three interceptions. Burks is second on the team with 40 tackles.

Along with junior college transfer Dale Robinson, the linebacker corps has now been transformed into the team's most successful unit, as all three were nominated Wednesday for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's top lineman. Sun Devils made up three of 28 linebackers in the country to be nominated for the award.

"One of the things we talked about is how do we get certain players to be able to contribute more on the field," Koetter said. "When I'd sit in a staff meeting, I'd say, 'so-and-so can't play because he doesn't know how to do this. Maybe we'd better figure out a way so these guys can get in the game.' "

Stewart said, "When you don't have much to think about, you play faster. Our whole defense is playing a lot faster right now."

Leadership developed

Along with more experience comes better leadership. At one time, Stewart was the lone ASU defender who led the youngsters into battle, whose voice echoed throughout the sidelines. But more than anything, the Sun Devils have taken responsibility for themselves this season.

"When we take time outs, and when we needed plays, there isn't any silence," Guy said. "There are guys talking and saying what we need to do. They are calling each other out. As a coach you don't want to have to do those things; you want your leadership to handle it."

When things go bad in a game, the team has made a pledge to "answer the scratch" -- the rallying cry to fight adversity that sounds goofy but has been taken to heart by the team and become ASU's mission statement. It was comprised in January by a group of 25 players with the intention to make the entire team follow.

"Everything we talked about in words, guys are actually putting into action," Stewart said. "This was not something coach made up or put in a book or on a piece of paper in the locker room. This is something we put on ourselves.

"We don't put our heads down if things go bad. If a team scores on its first drive, we're back on the next drive ready to compete, where as last year, if things got bad, we jumped in the tank."

Pleasant surprises

Even with all of the intentional things ASU's defense has done to improve, it has also had a number of unexpected surprises.

Entering the year, the defensive line was thought to be inexperienced and a likely weak link. Now, it is one of the more solid units in the conference. No player has epitomized the change in perception than Jordan Hill.

The former linebacker made the transition to defensive tackle during spring football to add depth upfront, but few expected him to start. Hill took over for injured senior Gabe Reininger during Camp Tontozona and has not relinquished the job since, as he leads defensive linemen with 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

At strong-side linebacker, ASU coaches knew Dale Robinson was good, but not this good. Robinson was given the starting position from day one along with questions, but those questions have since been squashed along with opposing ball carriers. Robinson leads the team with 45 tackles and has already won the conference's Defender of the Week.

In the secondary, senior Emmanuel Franklin had never played safety before this season, but now Stewart calls Franklin ASU's most consistent defender. Franklin began his career at cornerback but sat out all of 2002 with a fractured skull. He now has 21 tackles and two picks.

Another major reason Koetter cited for the defense's turnaround has been the addition of former NFL All-Pro Mark Carrier as cornerbacks coach. Pass defense had been the Achilles' heel of the team for years, but the secondary is unquestionably the most overachieving unit on the Sun Devils this year.

"The mental approach and the toughness [Carrier] brings has started with the corners and permeated through the whole defense," Koetter said.

A new perception

Senior defensive tackle Jimmy Verdon said he is not surprised with how the defense has finally responded during his fifth season in Tempe.

"We always knew we could do it," he said. "It's just that some people took plays off, and we took it upon ourselves not to do that. Now we want to start every game and put it on the defense."

Stewart said, "When other teams put on the film of our games, we wanted them to be like, 'Oh my God. These guys are going to come and try to hit us in the mouth.' We just wanted to be known as guys who go around and hit the life out of you. Right now, that's what the defense is doing."

Reach the reporter at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.


Lisa Olson/THE STATE PRESS
Junior linebacker Jamar Williams, senior linebacker Justin Burks and senior safety Riccardo Stewart (front to back) tackle Oregon State freshman wide receiver Anthony Wheat-Brown.


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