ASU’s focus solely on UA, not BCS

A Bowl Championship Series berth could be riding on Arizona State’s regular-season finale against Arizona, but as far as coach Dennis Erickson is concerned, the only reward for the Sun Devils is victory itself.

“This game has nothing to do with BCS or bowls or anything else,” Erickson said Friday. “Winning this game is more important than a bowl game. It’s the University of Arizona, the most important game of the year, regardless.”

Any further ASU comments before kickoff against the Wildcats will come only from Erickson. He has declared players and assistant coaches off-limits to the media until after the Dec. 1 game at Sun Devil Stadium.

ASU goes into this year’s rivalry date with its Rose Bowl hopes hanging by a thread, thanks to Thursday’s loss against Southern California. Erickson’s team would need a win, a USC loss against UCLA and an Oregon defeat in its final two games to go to Pasadena.

The Fiesta Bowl in Glendale is a more realistic destination, but to finish high enough in the final BCS standings to merit an at-large invitation, the Sun Devils need to beat the Wildcats (5-6 overall, 4-4 Pac-10), who are on a roll (three straight victories) and will be playing for bowl eligibility.

The Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2) are sixth in the current BCS standings and will likely drop somewhere from 10th to 12th when the new figures are announced on Sunday.

“They have a lot of talent,” Erickson said. “We have our hands full. They beat Washington in Seattle to get (their streak) going and beat Oregon. They are moving the ball on offense and making plays in the passing game. Besides any of that stuff, it’s Arizona State vs. Arizona.”

Erickson’s only losing record against his school’s biggest rival came at Wyoming, which was 0-1 against Colorado State. He was 4-1 against Boise State at Idaho, 1-1 against Washington at Washington State, 4-2 against Florida State at Miami (Fla.) and 2-2 against Oregon at Oregon State.

The 19th-year college coach said that he makes no special preparation for a rivalry game.

“Once it’s kicked off, it’s about playing football — moving the ball and not making mistakes,” Erickson said. “Basically, the same things that you have to do to win any football game.”

The Sun Devils did not do many of the fundamentals well against USC.

Erickson said that the culprits during film study on Friday were basically the same as they were live on Thursday — insufficient blocking on offense, missed tackles and blown assignments on defense.

“The things that helped us win nine games was that we didn’t make mental mistakes or give up big plays,” Erickson said. “We tackled and ran to the ball well on defense. On offense, we ran the ball well most of the year, and we didn’t do any of that.

“USC is a great team, but the game shouldn’t have gone like that. It was disappointing.

Opportunities don’t come along like that often. Hopefully, they will come along a little bit more around here in the future.”

Grading out

• A year of frustration for Arizona State’s offensive line reached a nadir in Thursday’s contest against Southern California, as the Sun Devils allowed six sacks — bringing the season total to 49, a school record — and managed just 16 yards rushing.

Left tackle Brandon Rodd missed much of the game with two sprained ankles, meaning that Julius Orieukwu moved from left to right tackle. The spot vacated by Orieukwu was filled by Richard Tuitu’u, who does not have much experience.

USC’s front seven — especially defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who had four sacks — feasted on the overmatched Sun Devil blockers.

“It wasn’t our best game on the offensive line,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “That’s the easiest, simplest way to put it.”

• The game was a big deal to cornerback Omar Bolden, who chose ASU in part because he felt that USC was shuffling its feet on a scholarship offer. The true freshman held up well against the Trojans’ athletic receivers, Erickson said.

Bolden was beaten to the inside by Patrick Turner on a 29-yard gain in the second quarter that set up a touchdown, but he should have had safety help.

• Tight end Brent Miller was alone in the end zone on a third-down play from the USC 8-yard line in the second quarter, but quarterback Rudy Carpenter had to throw to a hot receiver because of the pass rush.

“Rudy didn’t have much time to see (Miller),” Erickson said.

Injury report

• Reserve senior cornerback Chris Baloney suffered a college career-ending broken leg against USC.

• The status of Rodd and safety Josh Barrett (sprained medial collateral ligament) will not be determined until Sunday, Erickson said.

Notes

• The punting job is open again after Thomas Weber’s recent struggles. Weber was replaced after three punts on Thursday by Jonathan Johnson, who had the job until the Washington State game on Oct. 6.

“We’ll go back to the bullpen.” Erickson said. “I’ll look at both (during practice next week) and see how they are kicking.”

Weber is a Lou Groza Award finalist as a kicker.

“At UCLA (on Nov. 10), Weber punted well, but he hasn’t punted well in practice,” Erickson said. “I don’t know if two jobs is too much. It does not seem like it when you talk to him, but you never know.”

• In addition to setting ASU’s career record for kickoff return yardage on Thursday, Rudy Burgess also established a new single-game mark. His 166 yards on five returns eclipsed the 159 compiled by Kevin Galbreath against Houston in a 1990 game at Tokyo.

Looking ahead

The Sun Devils (9-2) play Arizona (5-6) at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at Sun Devil Stadium. Only once in the rivalry since 1978 — 2004, when the Wildcats won in Tucson — has a team with a sub-.500 record beaten a squad with a winning mark.

ASU has won six of the past eight meetings.

Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama has thrown for 3,411 yards and 26 TDs, and cornerback Antoine Cason is a Jim Thorpe Award finalist.