Devils make no progress this season

PASADENA, Calif. - As the last couple of minutes slipped away in Arizona State’s 23-13 loss to UCLA Saturday, freshman middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict stood on the sideline, laughing. He must think this is funny: The Sun Devils are 4-7 and have lost five straight games.

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They’ll finish with back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1946-47, and for the first time in Dennis Erickson’s 21-year college coaching career.

On Saturday, they committed six turnovers and were handily beaten by a mediocre UCLA team.

“Everybody is real frustrated,” senior linebacker Mike Nixon said.

Apparently not everyone.

The season has become a train wreck. A victory over Arizona won’t even ease the anger and disillusionment that has infected the fan base. If you took a poll of ASU fans, here’s guessing the majority would say the wrong coach resigned on Friday.

Even worse, the finger-pointing and criticism is now coming from within the locker room. After the offense handed the game to the Bruins, Nixon took a swipe at his teammates on the other side of the ball.

“I think there’s obvious frustration (on the defense’s part),” he said.

Has the team splintered? Probably not. But who can blame Nixon and his fellow defenders for feeling like their best effort has been compromised.

Seventeen of UCLA’s 23 points were a result of four first-half turnovers by ASU. The Bruins scored two defensive touchdowns. The quarterbacks change, but the story never does.

ASU’s offense stinks.

“Horrifying,” Erickson said. “I don’t know if that’s the word to describe it.”

Actually, it’s the perfect word.

ASU’s offense is as bland as white bread and as productive as a Dunder Mifflin employee. The Sun Devils had two plays Saturday, and both were improvised, quarterback Samson Szakacsy scrambling to his right and finding Kyle Williams downfield for touchdown catches of 35 and 70 yards.

Take them away, and ASU had 210 total yards. Yes, the Sun Devils killed themselves with the six turnovers – “Are you kidding me? Freaking ridiculous,” Erickson said – but it’s not as if they’ve been an offensive juggernaut even when they hold onto the ball.

“It’s something we have to get right,” Erickson said.

OK. Let’s make a list:

1. Hire a new offensive coordinator.

2. Find a quarterback.

Szakacsy didn’t play poorly in his first career start – he completed 15 of 22 passes for 197 yards and the two scores to Williams – but he was responsible for four of the six turnovers.

He fumbled three times because he didn’t protect the ball as he scrambled, and he misread a coverage on ASU’s first possession, throwing the ball right to UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner, who returned it 68 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

“I made too many mistakes,” Szakacsy said. “I just have to do a better job of keeping two hands on the ball.”

Szakacsy did enough good things to warrant his starting against Arizona in the season finale. (Erickson declined to name a starter, saying he needed to think about it).

But there was no clear-cut evidence that the Sun Devils finally found their quarterback of the future. Szakacsy’s mobility is a bonus, but he’s had a history of elbow problems and there’s some question about his arm strength.

“He does make things happen,” Erickson said. “As time goes on, he can make a lot of plays.”

We’ll see about that. For now, chew on this for a second: ASU began the season wondering if it had a quarterback. It’ll end the season the same way.

Is that progress?

“It’s really disheartening,” Erickson said … “It’s not fun and I didn’t expect it, but it’s here.”

One final statistic, as if you weren’t already depressed: In its five straight losses, the Sun Devils have averaged 15.6 points per game.

Someone get Dirk Koetter on the line so we can say we’re sorry.