Bordow: Sun Devils have dozed off in Pac-10

LOS ANGELES - In 1997, Arizona State finished 9-3 and beat Iowa in the Sun Bowl. Eleven years later, and the Sun Devils are still waiting to take that next step.

ASU's offense doesn't show up in bad loss to USC

Carpenter gives it a go on broken ankle

Read Scott Bordow's blog

Oh, there have been a couple of tantalizing seasons along the way — the Sun Devils went 9-3 in 2004 and 10-3 last year — but for the most part, ASU’s forward progress was stopped that December afternoon.

Think about it.

As a program, is ASU in better shape than it was in ’97?

Is it more of a factor in the Pac-10?

Has it made a bigger footprint nationally?

Here’s why the answer is no — to all three questions:

From 1988 to 1997, ASU went 40-36-1 in Pac-10 play. From 1998 to 2007, it was 40-40.

The truth is, ASU has gone backward since ’97. Back then, it was arguably the second-best program in the Pac-10, behind UCLA.

Today, it’s chasing USC, Oregon and California, and Oregon State no longer is in its rearview mirror.

That’s not a judgment based on ASU’s 28-0 loss to USC, by the way.

There’s no shame in coming to Los Angeles and getting drilled by the Trojans. Everyone does it.

But ASU wasn’t even expected to be competitive. And it lost by 28 when the Trojans brought their “C” game.

What kind of commentary is that about a program that’s supposed to one day challenge USC for conference supremacy?

“It’s really hard,” tackle Jon Hargis said. “We have a really good team. I don’t know what’s going on.”

What’s going on, Jon, is that last year’s 10-3 mark was a mirage, a function of ASU’s soft schedule.

The Sun Devils have faced six superior teams the last two years: USC twice, Oregon, Texas, California twice and Georgia. They are 1-6 in those seven games. The cumulative score of the losses: Elite programs 213, ASU 126.

Saturday’s loss was only surprising in the manner of which it came about.

ASU’s defense more than did its part, forcing five turnovers. But the Devils’ offense couldn’t produce a single point off the miscues.

ASU advanced into USC territory on seven of its 16 possessions. Three times it had a first-and-10 inside USC’s 25-yard line.

You know how hard you have to work not to get points with that kind of field position?

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been around an offensive performance like that in my career,” coach Dennis Erickson said.

If he had, he would have retired by now.

The Sun Devils’ frustration boiled over to their sideline. Wide receiver Nate Kimbrough had to be restrained from going after one of the assistant coaches in the second half.

That’s what happens when 2-0 turns into 2-4 and an offense can’t throw a pass and chew gum at the same time.

You want to blame quarterback Rudy Carpenter? Go ahead. He completed just 11 of 20 passes for 126 yards, with a poorly thrown interception USC cornerback Kevin Thomas returned for a touchdown.

But Carpenter was playing on a broken ankle (ASU is calling it a sprain because it’s a nonweight-bearing bone. Like that matters).

Danny Sullivan played with two good legs and was 4 of 17 for 28 yards, with two interceptions.

That’s probably not a good sign for 2009.

ASU does have some soft touches in its remaining six games — Washington, Washington State and UCLA — so a bowl game is still a possibility.

But the Las Vegas Bowl — or some other Pac-10 leftover like the Poinsettia Bowl — is hardly worth cheering.

Instead, it’s just another indictment of a program that continues to be far less than what it should.

So get used to the mediocrity. Get used to being dominated by the best teams in the country. Get used to six- or seven-win seasons and second-tier bowl games.

The Sun Devils aren’t a sleeping giant.

They’re just sleeping.