Here at Fanster.com, we’ll be spending the last few weeks of 2008 counting down the biggest sports stories in the Valley over the last 12 months.

Dennis Erickson joked that when he was being wooed for the vacant head coaching job at ASU, university officials pointed out the 2007 schedule, which featured 8 home games, as an ingredient for immediate winning. He also says they never mentioned the 2008 schedule. They didn’t mention it for good reason. The Sun Devils tied a school record with six straight losses starting with an improbable overtime defeat at the hands of UNLV. And it got worse from there.

Consecutive losses to Georgia, California, USC, Oregon and Oregon State followed, putting the Sun Devils’ record at 2-6. They rebounded with 3 straight wins against the three worst teams in the Pac-10, setting the stage for a meaningful game against arch rival Arizona in Tucson. Win, and the Devils go to a bowl. Lose, and the season comes to an end.

Arizona dominated the game 31-10, ending the season for Arizona State, and further magnifying the Sun Devils’ season-long offensive struggles. ASU finished with a total of 284 yards of offense in their last two games, fueling speculation about changes on the coaching staff for 2009.

A promising season in which the Sun Devils were ranked 15th in September, ended with ASU not going to a bowl game for the first time since 2003.

Links from around the web about the Sun Devils’ lost season…

• ASU moving past upset, staring down Georgia [ASU Web Devil]
• UNLV blocks FG in overtime to upset No. 15 Arizona State [CBS Sports]
• Arizona beats Sun Devils, 31-10 [TheSunDevils.com]
• Oregon State intercepts 2-point conversion to preserve victory [ESPN.com]
• ASU seeks end to home losing streak [AZCentral]

Read the rest of Fanster’s Top 25 Sports stories of 2008 here

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