Just how big is that phone booth Arizona State changes into at halftime? The Sun Devils have been on the wrong end of the scoreboard after the first half in four of their five Pac-10 games.

Sun Devils pass stiffest test yet in win over Cal

SLIDESHOW: View photos from the game

Carpenter turns poor start into stellar finish

ASU football notebook: Packed stadium giving ASU true home-field advantage

Read Bordow's Sports Blog

The first three times they mounted comebacks against Oregon State, Washington State and Washington.

But could they do it against California, with their No. 4 BCS ranking at risk, officials from the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Sun Bowl on hand and the college football world wondering if the Sun Devils were benefactors of a soft schedule?

ASU 31, California 20.

It’s official: The Sun Devils are for real.

They stand alone in first place in the Pac-10, thanks to UCLA losing to Washington State earlier Saturday.

They’re 8-0 for only the third time in the past 25 years.

And coach Dennis Erickson, who is looking more and more like a miracle worker instead of a football coach, is 1-0 against ranked teams.

As opposed to Dirk Koetter being 2-19.

Let’s be honest. Before Saturday, there was valid reason to question ASU’s worthiness in the national championship picture. They hadn’t beaten a ranked team, and their only road games were at Stanford and Washington State.

But dominating California, even if the Bears were wounded, is a major step forward. The Sun Devils’ credibility can no longer be an issue.

“People kept doubting us, but we never doubted ourselves,” quarterback Rudy Carpenter said.

And although it seemed odd for ASU’s students to storm the field after the win — ASU was the undefeated and higher-ranked team, after all — how long has it been since they had reason to celebrate not only a win but what it represents?

The Sun Devils didn’t start the game as if they were ready for the BCS spotlight. In fact, they seemed overwhelmed by its significance. With 73 seconds left in the first quarter they trailed, 13-0, and had minus-1 yard total offense to the Bears’ 135. Oh, and quarterback Rudy Carpenter had yet to complete a pass.

But one of the hallmarks of this ASU team is its confidence. It had outscored its opponents 136-29 in the second half of the first seven games, so it wasn’t going to panic because California was ahead by 13.

Slowly, the Sun Devils got their sea legs.

They scored twice in the second quarter and even though the halftime numbers were lopsided in California’s favor — it had 270 total yards to ASU’s 95 — you had the sense the Devils had survived the worst of it and felt good being down 20-14.

Sure enough, ASU put on its cape at halftime and dominated the second half. It outscored California 17-0, had 268 total yards to the Bears’ 89, and the defense picked off quarterback Nate Longshore two times.

Carpenter symbolized ASU’s recovery. He was 5 of 13 for 45 yards in the first half, and 12 of 16 for 174 yards in the second half. He also survived several vicious hits that might have knocked other quarterbacks out of the game.

You can question Carpenter’s funky delivery, but don’t dare question his toughness.

I wish I could tell you what adjustments Erickson made at halftime, but the game ended so late I didn’t have time to go to the interview room to ask.

But whatever the Sun Devils are doing during that 20-minute break is working. They are simply a different football team in the second half. It’s as if they’re a prize fighter who knows a title bout isn’t won or lost in the first few rounds.

“Like I’ve been saying … we get down at halftime and we know how to deal with that adversity and come back,” Carpenter said.

Now, beating California at home doesn’t mean the Sun Devils will go into Eugene, Ore., this Saturday and take care of the Ducks.

That’s still the most difficult assignment in this brutal four-game stretch. Just ask USC.

But the Sun Devils grew up Saturday. Their confidence is soaring and in a college football season that’s as crazy as one of Keegan Herring’s runs, who’s to say they can’t continue to surprise us?

—

Listen to Scott Bordow every Monday at 3:25 p.m. on The Fan AM 1060 with Bob Kemp.