Redshirt sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly tries to evade from the Illinois defense during the Sun Devils’ 45-14 win over the Illini on Sept. 8 in Sun Devil Statdium. (Photo by Sam Rosenbaum)Hours after ASU finished dismantling Illinois, the Sun Devils’ shifted their focus toward Missouri as coaches were given notes early Sunday morning.
Not only will the Tigers (1-1, 0-1 SEC) be the Sun Devils’ (2-0) toughest test of the young 2012 season, but it will also be the first time coach Todd Graham takes ASU on the road.
“Each week it has gotten tougher for us obviously, and I think this is going to be the biggest challenge yet,” Graham said. “We have to win the turnover battle and continue to play disciplined football.”
In ASU’s 45-14 win over Illinois, ASU’s defense was able to pin its ears back and relentlessly attack the quarterback. The defense will still attack Missouri, but gap fitting and assignment soundness will be especially important as the Tigers offense, especially through junior quarterback James Franklin, is extremely explosive and capable of breaking off big plays from every spot on the field.
“We want to pressure (the quarterback),” defensive coordinator Paul Randolph said. “That’s what we believe in. We just have to be smart about how we do that. Each guy has to understand where he fits in keeping (Franklin) bottled up. We always pressure, that’s our philosophy.
“We just have to be more conscious when we face a runner like Franklin.”
Earlier in the week Graham said the Missouri offense reminded him of Oregon. The Ducks’ offense often garners a lot of attention because of its speed, but the Tigers are right there with them.
“I haven’t seen a lot of people stop them,” Graham said.
Missouri has had seven scoring drives this year, and the average time per possession has been a measly 1:40. The Tigers have also had five scoring drives under a minute.
Schematically, ASU runs a different defense than last season, but a lot of the players are the same and remember how dangerous Franklin can be.
Last season — when ASU defeated Missouri 37-30 in overtime — Franklin rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown while throwing for 319 yards and two more touchdowns.
“(Franklin) is extremely poised,” Randolph said. “He runs the offense like a general. We’re going to have our hands full this weekend.”
Franklin and senior running back Kendial Lawrence are certainly capable of creating home-run plays, but the Tigers’ offense will have to overcome a few injuries on the offensive line. Senior tackle Elvis Fisher, who suffered a knee injury against Georgia, will not play Saturday.
Across the field, ASU boasts a talented offense of its own. The Sun Devils have scored 108 points in two games and rank seventh in the nation in scoring offense.
To succeed on the road Graham wants to get off to a fast start, something ASU has done well to open the season. In its season opener against NAU, ASU scored on six of the first seven possessions. Against Illinois, the Sun Devils scored on four of their first five.
Although desirable, starting fast this week won’t be easy, as the Missouri defense coupled with the raucous road environment may be the toughest challenge the Sun Devils have faced in 2012.
“They’re really talented and physical,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly said of the Tigers’ defense. “They’ve got a good d-line and their secondary is really good. We’ve got to be great with our reads and our pass and run protections.”
Road games have been a bit of a stumbling block for the Sun Devils in recent years. To prepare for the loud game day environment the Sun Devils have pumped crowd noise into practice and are working on silent counts. To prepare for the trip as a whole ASU is leaving for Missouri on Friday, rather than Thursday, to help maintain focus, something Kelly believes has been lost in recent years.
“In the past (few) years, I think we’ve been loose in the airplane and in the hotel,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to keep that business mindset because we are going there to get that ‘W.’”
Notes
ASU is 0-5 all time against SEC schools. The last time the Sun Devils traveled to the SEC was in 2009 against Georgia.
ASU is 3-3 all-time against Missouri, but 0-2 in Columbia.
Reach the reporter at william.boor@asu.edu
