ASU notebook: Devils know Lumberjacks can play

Many college football followers are aware of how Oregon State’s 2000 season ended, as then-coach Dennis Erickson’s team posted its 11th victory by swamping Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

Not as well-known, however, is that the Beavers began that campaign against Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) Eastern Washington, needing a late score to escape with a 21-19 win — at home.

That is something that Erickson, now coach of Arizona State, does not need to be reminded of as the Sun Devils prepare for their season opener against a small directional school.

“They have a great program, and their players are going to be very hungry,” Erickson said of Northern Arizona, which visits Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday. “I know they’ll come in here with nothing to lose. The bottom line is that we need to be ready to play. If we aren’t, with this opponent, we’ll get beat.”

The veteran Sun Devil players should not have to be reminded of what NAU is capable of doing. When the teams played two seasons ago in the opener, the score was tied 14-14 at the end of three quarters before ASU pulled away.

“We don’t need to be reminded about Appalachian State,” quarterback Rudy Carpenter said, referring to that team’s shocking win at Michigan last season. “We have that game two years ago, when they played us tough. I’m not going to lie; this game is a little stressful. We need to come out and play to our capabilities.”

ASU, 10-3 last year, is 15th in The Associated Press preseason rankings and 16th in the USA Today poll.

After two consecutive 6-5 seasons, NAU believes it can make a push for the playoffs, led by four of the nation’s top players at their positions: running back Alex Henderson, tight end Shaun Fitzpatrick, cornerback K.J. Gerard and safety Cyrus Igono.

Asked if the 2006 game would serve as evidence that his team is capable of hanging with the Sun Devils, Lumberjacks coach Jerome Souers said:

“We have to worry about ourselves. ASU is better than they were two years ago. It’s a tough challenge, but we hope to come down and be competitive.”

In other news Monday:

• The coin Erickson said would need to be flipped to determine a starting cornerback — Terell Carr or Pierre Singfield — remains in the air. True freshman Josh Jordan has passed Travis Smith on the depth chart as Omar Bolden’s backup at the other corner spot.

• As has been projected, eight true freshmen will play this year: Jordan, defensive end Lawrence Guy, linebackers Shelly Lyons and Brandon Magee, safety Clint Floyd, offensive lineman Zack Schlink, running back Ryan Bass and wide receiver Gerell Robinson.

• Reserve running back Shaun DeWitty (hamstring) is questionable for the NAU game, Erickson said.

• Carpenter, who graduated in the spring, will take one class this semester.

“I don’t know what it is,” he said on Monday, the first day of classes. “I have to go see (student-athlete development director) Jean Boyd and make up my mind on something.”

In 2007, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, who had already graduated, also took one class — billiards.