Perhaps no game represented more of Arizona State’s troubles with sluggish first halves in 2019 than their matchup with USC last season. A barrage of opening-quarter touchdowns from then Trojan freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis – including a 95-yard score to cap off the 28-point first 15 minutes – put ASU in a three-score hole from which they were never able to recover, falling in a 31-26 loss.
“I think for our whole team last year we started slow,” said Antonio Pierce, who steps into a co-defensive coordinator role for a unit that ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring in 2019. “Especially on the defensive side of the ball, giving up a ton of points out of the gate. Not limiting that offense, or any offense to a three-and-out, getting our offense field position, and that’s what the game of football is all about.
“For us, it’s all about starting fast. That’s been our theme throughout this 2020 COVID deal, and now that we’ve been in training camp and preparing for USC, it’s about starting fast and getting out of the gate with the energy, the passion, and obviously the execution early on in the game.”
Last week, sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels spent time during the conference’s preseason Pac-12 South Media Webinar discussing the offense’s need to get off to more impactful starts. Ironically, closing out games hasn’t necessarily been Arizona State’s deficiency during head coach Herm Edwards’ post in Tempe. In 2019, the Sun Devils were 5-3 in games decided by less than a score, a mark that slightly improved from a respectable 4-5 mark in contests decided by seven points or less in 2018.
On both a macro (the Sun Devils’ toughest two games according to the Pac-12 preseason media poll come in the opening two weeks) and micro (first quarter lethargic first half displays) level, starting fast is perhaps the most important thing that will determine the Sun Devils’ degree of success in 2020. Yet, there remains a belief that quicker starts on both sides of the ball could prevent ASU from playing in so many close games, to begin with – or at least help them be the team protecting the lead rather than the one trying to steal it.
“No need to throw the whole kitchen sink at the players,” explained Pierce of how the coaching staff will try to create success against No. 21 USC. “Allow them to play fast. Take away the mental errors. Allow them to get comfortable and get into the rhythm of the game.
“There is no preseason. You jump right into it with the big dogs, and I think for our guys one, we have to calm down their emotions. They are going to be excited about playing USC. They are going to be fired up about the opportunity just to play football after we’ve watched several other college programs play. From a coaches’ standpoint, just try to keep it as simple as possible.”
**
According to Pierce, the defensive reps provided to the Sun Devils against Daniels and offensive coordinator Zak Hill’s new offense have helped keep defenders sharp. An added emphasis on shifts and motion should be used to help improve an offense that ranked 96th in the nation in points scored per game.
“The eyes. Get your eyes in the right place, man. They’re doing this,” said Pierce, motioning with his fingers back and forth. “It’s like Chinese checkers, man. Don’t look at all the bluff. Just be careful what you’re looking at and staring at. The keys, it really challenges you. Especially in college football with the RPO action and the tempo. The things that they are doing offensively it challenges our players to make sure that they are dialed in and looking at what they need to be looking at.
“It’s been great preparation for us.”
The narrative heading into the opener has centered around new schemes for ASU and a new defense under USC’s defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. Yet down years in the Trojans’ recruiting cycle and Edwards's improved presence, Pierce and the ASU coaching staff in Southern California have Pierce feeling confident heading into next Saturday.
“I don’t know if you’ve looked at our roster, but I like our Jimmy’s and Joe’s,” Pierce said with a smile. “They are pretty good. So, I’ll take those guys. We’ve been building this roster now for these last three seasons. We feel we have a team that can compete in the Pac-12 at a high level, and I’m excited for the whole nation and Sun Devil nation to see how these guys play.
“The talk has to stop next Saturday. At 9 o’clock, we’ve gotta play ball.”
A core group of linebackers in captains Kyle Soelle and Darien Butler, along with 2018 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Merlin Robertson, have set the tone for the incoming young talent on ASU’s roster at that position. According to Pierce, the trio of freshman linebackers in Will Shaffer, Caleb McCullough, and Jordan Banks will not be redshirting and are absorbing information at a quick pace.
In terms of preparedness for Nov. 7 and the first live game action since the Sun Devils defeated Florida State, 20-14, in the Sun Bowl on New Years’ Eve, Pierce said ASU is plenty ready.
“We’ve had eight months of freshness,” Pierce commented. “We are ready to play ball. I think our guys are excited; they are fired up. You couldn’t ask for nothing better to kick off our college football season. Primetime in the Coliseum against those Trojans. USC, I’m not worried about our guys being ready to play. It’s just about controlling our emotions and not making mistakes.”
**
Walking into the opposing locker room at a stadium that used to be home can be an unsettling experience. When Arizona State traveled to Tucson for the first time under head coach Herm Edwards in 2018, defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce made his return to his former stomping grounds.
“For me personally it was a little weird,” Pierce admitted of his return to his alma mater, the University of Arizona, a game the Sun Devils roared back to win 41-40 after trailing 40-21. “I had never been in the visitor’s locker room. I didn’t know what that was like.”
After playing at USC and spending time as a graduate assistant, that first return is something defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins will be making during ASU’s season-opening trip to Southern California, which is Hawkins’s first game position coach.
“I think for Chris it’s going to be the same way,” Pierce said. “Other than that, you’ve got a game to coach. Hell, he’s not playing. He doesn’t gotta guard those receivers and worry about that quarterback. He’s gotta coach up [Jack Jones], Chase Lucas, and Evan Fields, so once he gets through pregame, that goes out of the system.
“It’s no different than when you play football. Once you get that first contact, that first hit, everything goes out the window, and you go back to playing ball.”
Hawkins downplayed the significance of his return to USC, where he played cornerback and safety for the Trojans from 2014-17.
“To me, it’s just my first game as a full-time position coach, Hawkins told reporters Wednesday. “That’s all. I’m not looking too much into it because I feel like if I’m too emotional, then my players are going to be emotional. I’ve gotta be even keel so that they are even keel, and we’re just going to go in there and do our jobs.”
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and get all the latest Sun Devil news!
