ASU’s next quest: Pac-10 pre-eminence

 The Arizona State football team returned to the Pac-10 conversation in 2007 by winning the games that it was supposed to. The second season of coach Dennis Erickson’s tenure brings the next challenge for ASU, which is ranked 15th in the preseason by the Associated Press, 16th in the USA Today (coaches) poll.

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That is, competing with, and beating, the conference’s flagship program.

Yes, the Sun Devils officially shared the conference title with Southern California a year ago, but that distinction was in name only. Those watching on Thanksgiving as the Trojans dismantled ASU know who the rightful titlist was.

“You have to respect USC and what it has done,” Erickson said. “They’re the king of the house right now, and they’ve proven it. We have to come out and try to dethrone them. That’s why playing them is fun.”

How to close the gap? Erickson is sticking with a blueprint that worked at his previous stops.

Force the opposition to try to cover the entire field by using the spread offense that Erickson helped pioneer. Play fast and smart on defense by keeping things simple. And have a swagger in the step that suggests that it will take a superhuman effort to defeat you.

Erickson’s teams at Miami (Fla.) and Oregon State had that attitude, which he said extends beyond strutting and chattering. It is also exemplified by leadership, accountability and trust.

“(The players) showed that this summer by stepping up and making sure guys were in the workouts,” Erickson said. “They know what (the coaches) want from them, and that helps. The second year is always easier than the first. Whether we’ll win more games, I don’t know. The schedule has a lot to do with it.”

There are fewer sure-win games on ASU’s schedule this season, including a home game with preseason No. 1 Georgia and road trips to California and Oregon State. And there is the annual date with the yardstick by which Pac-10 squads are measured: USC, in another toughie on the road.

Watch that next step, Sun Devils. It appears to be a doozy.

REMEMBER THESE NAMES

Clint Floyd: The athletic true freshman was considered at receiver and cornerback before being placed at strong safety, where he quickly ascended to the second string.

Matt Hustad: The offensive lineman shares a native state, Montana, with Dennis Erickson, but that is not the biggest reason the coach loves him. Hustad is an aggressive blocker who can play center, guard and tackle and could be summoned to start if the blocking problems persist.

Josh Jordan: The true freshman cornerback has picked things up quickly during camp and could press Travis Smith for playing time behind starter Omar Bolden.

Shelly Lyons and Brandon Magee: The true freshman linebackers and teammates at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., have taken their act to Tempe, earning high marks during practice because of their nose for the ball.

T.J. Simpson: The redshirt freshman has a lot of depth-chart climbing to do at wide receiver but has made more plays as the preseason has progressed. A track star in high school, Simpson has the speed to develop into a deep threat.

PITCHFORK PROGNOSTICATION

Start thinking Rose Bowl if: ASU defeats Georgia on Sept. 20, builds a reservoir of confidence and stays relatively injury-free during the four tough games that follow. Running backs Keegan Herring and Dimitri Nance run inside and outside with equal effectiveness, making the offense less predictable. The defense takes the next step after a solid 2007 performance. The practice success of ASU’s true freshmen translates into games.

Home for the holidays if: The offensive line cannot keep the pass-rush heat off of quarterback Rudy Carpenter. Multiple injuries strike any unit other than running back or defensive line. The Sun Devils slip against such beatable Pac-10 opponents as Washington, Washington State and UCLA.

Most likely scenario: The Sun Devils win twice in the five-game gauntlet of Georgia, at California, at USC, Oregon and at Oregon State. Although the record would not reflect it, an eight- or nine-win ASU squad would be better than the 2007 edition. Potential bowl destinations are the Holiday in San Diego, Sun in El Paso, Texas, and Las Vegas.

HOT SEAT

Terell Carr and Pierre Singfield: These two are staging a fierce competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite Omar Bolden. The junior-college transfers have held up against ASU’s talented receivers in practice, but games are always a different story. Welcome to pass coverage in the Pac-10, fellas.

Defensive tackles: For the Sun Devils’ defensive line to develop into championship caliber, the inside guys need their level of play to approach that of the ends. David Smith has been dependable from his spot, but the other position was still up for grabs heading into the final days of camp.

Offensive line: Sammy Hagar should demand royalties when this unit is discussed, since the phrase “ASU can’t drive 55” — the school-record number of sacks allowed last year — is often brought up. The line has three new starters, including tackles that have not played a Division I game at those positions, and will be under a microscope from the first snap.

Andrew Pettes and Jovon Williams: The two juniors who have played sparingly as Sun Devils are the top two candidates at tight end, a position that has been a pleasant surprise during the preseason. That effort needs to carry into the season for an ASU offense that can use the added threat of a downfield receiving option from the TE spot.

SCHEDULE SNAPSHOT

Gotta-have-it game: Oregon. This is the fourth contest of a brutal five-game stretch and the only home date that ASU has from late September to mid-November. Depending on how the previous three games go for the Sun Devils, they will need to stop the bleeding or continue momentum.

Best chance for an upset: Georgia. There is no better opportunity to make a national-stage splash than against the preseason No. 1 Bulldogs, who will visit Sun Devil Stadium for a nationally televised tilt that will be their first road game outside the South since the Johnson Adminstration. ASU will need a Herculean effort against a loaded Georgia team that will not wilt in the heat.

Trap game: Stanford. Nobody has overlooked the Cardinal since they stunned Southern California last season, and even though Georgia will be just two weeks away, the Sun Devils will not take their Pac-10 opener lightly. However, coach Jim Harbaugh has made Stanford a much more disciplined team that is capable of an upset.

Biggest challenge: Southern California. The Trojans are ranked second in the preseason, annually have the most talent in the land and will be the home team against ASU. If the Sun Devils are reeling following games against Georgia and California, this game becomes an even stiffer test.

DRIVER’S SEAT

Rudy Carpenter: The senior quarterback has a chance to finish his career as the holder of every significant career school passing record, as he ranks third in passing yards (7,998) and completions (586) and is tied for second in touchdowns (65). Carpenter is an intense student of the game whose passion and toughness never waned despite being under constant assault from opposing defenses last year.

Defensive ends: Starters Dexter Davis and Luis Vasquez form perhaps the most imposing duo in the Pac-10, and ASU believes it has good depth from backups James Brooks and Jamarr Robinson. To add to the riches, athletic true freshman Lawrence Guy has proven tough to block during practices.

Thomas Weber: A team cannot put a price on knowing that it has a good chance of scoring when it gets inside the opponent’s 35-yard line. Weber, who made 24 of 25 field-goal attempts and won the Lou Groza Award in 2007, gives the Sun Devils just that. Judging by his punting in camp, he has greatly improved that facet of his game, too.

Wide receivers: A year ago, this group raised its production in a big way, and room for improvement remains. Chris McGaha provides sure hands, and Michael Jones big-play ability. Kyle Williams and Kerry Taylor, who have been battling to start at slot receiver, have the versatility to play inside and outside. Highly touted true freshman Gerell Robinson appears to be the real thing.

BY THE NUMBERS

50-34-1 Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson’s combined first-year record at his seven college coaching jobs.

38-9 Erickson’s combined second-year record. Note: He stayed in two previous jobs, Wyoming (1986) and Idaho (2006), for one season.

31 Consecutive games started by Rudy Carpenter, the second-longest streak in the nation among quarterbacks. Curtis Painter of Purdue has started 32 straight.

47 Combined games won last season by ASU opponents in a five-game stretch (Georgia, California, Southern California, Oregon and Oregon State) that begins on Sept. 20.

5 From 1998-2007, the number of times the Sun Devils were ranked in the Associated Press preseason Top 25. ASU is ranked 15th this season.

0 From 1998-2007, the number of times ASU finished a year in the AP Top 25 after being ranked in the preseason.