Since 2012, when Rich Rodriguez took over at Arizona and Todd Graham became the man in charge at Arizona State, one thing has become glaringly obvious: They have different styles.
Graham talks about national championships, schedules marquee nonconference games and practices his freshmen separately during the beginning part of training camp.
Rodriguez is just worried about “getting a first down against UTSA,” likes racking up wins before conference play and would never dream of letting his freshmen not see his jet tempo up close with the rest of the team.
And here’s something else that’s become clear over the past three seasons: Both styles work. Graham’s Sun Devils have gone 28-12 in three seasons; they won a Pac-12 South title in 2013.
Rodriguez is 26-14 in the same span. The Wildcats won a division title last year.
So far, Graham has the upper hand in the head-to-head series, winning the first two games against his former boss before dropping last year’s Territorial Cup.
Here’s a closer look at the Sun Devils.
When and where: Nov. 21 at Arizona State
Three players to know:
D.J. Foster: The former Scottsdale Saguaro star will move to wide receiver this season after splitting time between running back and wideout the first three years of his career. He caught 62 passes for 688 yards and three touchdowns last season. He’ll be the team’s No. 1 option this year with Jaelen Strong off to the NFL. Foster rushed for almost 1,100 yards last season and will bring that athleticism with him to the slot.
Mike Bercovici: Many close to the ASU program thought the Sun Devils were better last year when Bercovici was under center. Bercovici, a senior, will get his turn as the full-time starter now that Taylor Kelly has graduated. Bercovici threw for 1,445 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and replaced Kelly in the second half of the Territorial Cup. His play will go a long way in determining how successful the Sun Devils fare this year.
Jordan Simone: The senior will anchor the Sun Devils defense from his free safety position. The former walk-on had 100 tackles, 4ƒ tackles for loss and two interceptions last season. His backstory, No. 38 and hard-nosed style is all reminiscent of former UA safety Jared Tevis. Arizona State has to find a way to fill Damarious Randall’s production in the secondary and Simone will certainly help with that. Simone missed the Arizona game last year with an injury.
Number to know
1-6 Arizona State’s record in its first road game in each of the last seven seasons. The Sun Devils will open this season in Houston against Texas A&M. ASU hadn’t won a road opener since 2007 until defeating New Mexico last year to start the season. The Sun Devils are 3-9 overall against SEC teams.
Incoming freshman to know: Joseph Wicker — The Wildcats recruited the four-star defensive end from Southern California, but lost out to Arizona State. Graham hasn’t shied away from playing true freshmen on the defensive line in the past, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wicker play this year.
History lesson: The Wildcats and Sun Devils have split the past 12 meetings at Sun Devil Stadium. ASU won the last battle there, topping the UA 58-21 in a game that wasn’t even that close. The UA last won there in 2011, beating ASU 31-27.
