TEMPE, Ariz.–Arizona State University senior running back Dimitri Nance has accepted an invitation to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game, which will be held on Jan. 23, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Nance will join teammates Shawn Lauvao, Dexter Davis and Chris McGaha in the game.
Nance (Euless, Texas) was the Sun Devils leading rusher in 2007, 2008 and 2009, gaining 795 yards and scoring six touchdowns last season. The 795 yards were a career high for Nance. He also caught 28 passes for 216 yards and a score. Over his four-year career at ASU, Nance ran for 1,934 yards and 19 touchdowns. He earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 honors following this season and finished with three 100-yard games.
Nance joins an elite list of football greats, such as John Elway, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and 62 Pro Football Hall of Famers, who have played in the East-West Shrine Game, America’s longest-running college all-star football game.
For more information about the East-West Shrine Game, please visit www.shrinegame.com.
This is something I thought I’d never have to tell you loyal followers and fans of Pitchfork Nation.
I hate having priorities. I really do. They totally get in the way of what I really want to do, which is spend 24 hours a day eating, sleeping and obsessing over the Arizona State Sun Devils.
However, even the most devoted blogger has to take a step back and evaluate what they’re doing and what takes precedent over what.
So with that, it pains me to let you all know that I’m taking a hiatus from being the chief contributor to Pitchfork Nation. I plan on being back in March, in time for the Pac-10 Basketball Tournament and NCAA Baseball season.
I put this decision off for a good two weeks, trying to carve out some time every day to get on Fanster and write, but unfortunately, it has to take a brief backseat to other events in my life.
When Mark Rafferty reached out to me in August of 2007 to start contributing to his new endeavor, I jumped at the opportunity. Over the years, I think we’ve built a really awesome and devoted base of Sun Devil supporters and I expect that to continue for many years to come. I’ve found through my interactions with you that ASU, in fact, does have a well-educated, broadsighted and level-headed group of fans.
I hope I’ve been able to entertain and serve you for the past 2 1/2 years with my knowledge, insight, analysis and endless Family Guy references. I have decided to stay around during my hiatus in a limited role, contributing a weekly column on all things ASU and coming back around when major news breaks until March.
This move comes on the heels of recent developments with my family that need more attention at this point. I have also accepted a 9-month fellowship with the Carnegie-Knight Foundation which will examine the future of delivering news in the digital age which will run through the end of August. I hope that you all don’t think my love and connection with Arizona State is waning; it will never do so, I just have much less free time to write about these teams.
As I’ve told most of you, I have never been paid a single penny to do anything here on PFN. I do it because I love our Devils and love interacting with other fans even more. I don’t want that to stop; you can all feel free to follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook. I’ll be the first person to pull up a chair and talk ASU sports with you as I have already done with several of you.
Meanwhile, Pitchfork Nation remains in the trusted and talented hands of Mark Rafferty, Matt Blake, Vince Marotta, Greg Esposito and the rest of the Fanster gang. They’ll take good care of you, I swear.
And, as Gen. Douglas MacArthur once said, “Old bloggers never die, they just fade away.”
Or something like that.
Either way, I’ll be back soon and I can’t wait for that to come.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Commissioner Larry Scott announced today that ARIZONA STATE junior guard Ty Abbott has been named the Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Jan. 4-10.
Abbott, who hails from Phoenix, Ariz., led the Sun Devils to victories over WASHINGTON STATE and No. 24 WASHINGTON. In ASU’s 68-51 upset win over the Huskies, Abbott scored 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-7 from behind the arc. In Sunday’s 71-46 win over the Cougars, he recorded his first-career double-double with 17 points and career-high 11 rebounds. He also dished out four assists. The Sun Devil defense held the Washington schools to a combined 35-for-110 (33 percent) from the field and 5-for-27 (19 percent) from the three-point line. When Abbott scores in double-digits, ASU has a record of 30-7 (.811), including 18-3 (.857) over the past two seasons.
For the season, Abbott has started in nine games and is averaging 9.1 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per outing. He ranks ninth in the Conference in three-point field goals made with 28 (1.75 per contest) and is shooting 28-for-70 (40 percent) from behind the arc.
This is the second weekly honor for Abbott and Arizona State’s 29th all-time Player of the Week.
Also Nominated: Jamelle Horne, ARIZ; Theo Robertson, CAL; Jeremy Green, STAN; Dwight Lewis, USC
2009 PAC-10 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Nov. 16 - Quincy Pondexter, WASH; Nov. 23 - Klay Thompson, WSU; Nov. 30 - Klay Thompson, WSU; Dec. 7 - Quincy Pondexter, WASH; Dec. 14 - Patrick Christopher, CAL; Dec. 21 - Alex Stepheson, USC; Dec. 28 - Mike Gerrity, USC; Jan. 4 - Michael Dunigan, ORE; Jan. 11 - Ty Abbott, ASU
TEMPE, Ariz.–The Football Writers Association of America and Aon Insurance announced its ninth annual Freshman All-America Team on Thursday during the association’s annual awards breakfast. Arizona State University freshman linebacker Vontaze Burfict was named to the squad.
Burfict, a true freshman from Corona, Calif., started the last nine games of the season for the Sun Devils and had an immediate impact. He ranked second on the team in tackles with 69 stops (40 solos), including seven tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks, to go along with five passes broken up and two fumbles forced and recovered.
Burfict was named the Pac-10 Defensive Freshman of the Year following the 2009 season. Last month Burfict was named a Freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com.
The team and coach are selected by a 11-person panel of nationally-prominent writers led by Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Both true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were considered for the team.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,100 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.
TEMPE, Ariz.–Noel Mazzone a highly accomplished coordinator at the college level, has been named the offensive coordinator for the Arizona State University football team, head coach Dennis Erickson announced Monday.
“Noel possesses a dynamic personality, a smart, creative mind and brings a wealth of knowledge to our staff at ASU,” says Erickson. “What set him apart from a tremendous pool of candidates was a wealth of knowledge, a variety of experiences and the fact that he coached quarterbacks at almost every stop. He is a fantastic evaluator of talent and will be a fine addition to our recruiting efforts. Our search was extensive and it produced several top-flight candidates. That made the decision-making process very difficult because we had so many quality candidates. I am very pleased with how the process unfolded.”
“I’m excited to get back into college coaching and to work for Coach Erickson at Arizona State University,” says Mazzone. “I have a great respect for him and what he has been able to accomplish in his career. I’m excited to join the staff at a premier institution like ASU and to put together an exciting offense. I grew up in the West and I know the Pacific-10 Conference is at the top of the college football world. I want to play the game fast, get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands and spread the field. We will play a lot of no huddle and we will play at different tempos.”
Mazzone (pronounced Muh-ZONE-ee), who played quarterback at the University of New Mexico, played against the Sun Devils in 1975 and 1976. “My first touchdown pass in college was in Sun Devil Stadium, to Preston Dennard over Mike Haynes. That was a thrill for me.”
Mazzone comes to ASU after having served as wide receivers coach for the New York Jets from 2006-2008 and working as a personnel consultant for the Jets in 2009. There, he coached wideouts Jericho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles, who set a Jets record for combined yardage and receptions.
Before his time with the Jets, Mazzone coached in college football for more than two decades. He has coached quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends, while also serving as offensive coordinator at three other schools (Ole Miss, Auburn and North Carolina State).
He began his coaching career at Colorado State in 1982, coaching quarterbacks and receivers for five years. He mentored Kelly Stouffer, who was the sixth overall selection in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He then served as quarterbacks coach at Texas Christian from 1987-1991 and at Minnesota from 1992-94.
At TCU, Mazzone coached quarterback Matt Vogler (690 yards), who set the school’s single-game passing record. He recruited and coached the quarterback/receiver combination in 1991, which was voted tops in the nation by The Sporting News.
Mazzone then became the offensive coordinator/quarterback coach under Tommy Tuberville at Ole Miss in 1994. Ole Miss won the 1997 Motor City Bowl while the offense produced the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 1950, Deuce McAllister who would later star for the New Orleans Saints. Mazzone coached quarterback Stu Patridge, who set an NCAA record in passing efficiency.
He remained at Ole Miss through 1998, and then he followed Tuberville to Auburn and served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1999-2001. At Auburn, he recruited and coached the 2000 SEC Player of the Year, Rudi Johnson, a future Pro Bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals. He also tutored All-SEC quarterback Ben Leard, who set an NCAA record in pass efficiency, current Washington Redskin quarterback Jason Campbell, Tampa Bay Buccaneer running back Carnell Williams and Miami Dolphin running back Ronnie Brown. Auburn won the SEC West Championship under his watch and set the Citrus Bowl passing record.
Mazzone then spent less than one season on Erickson’s staff at Oregon State as the running backs and special teams coach in 2002, before going to North Carolina State as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2003-2004. At OSU, Mazzone coached running back Stephen Jackson, now of the St. Louis Rams and the Beavers played in the Insight.Com Bowl.
At NC State, Mazzone coached All-American quarterback Philip Rivers, who went on to become the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, and Cotchery a wide receiver. The Wolfpack offense led the ACC in six offensive categories and led the NCAA in pass efficiency. It ranked third in the NCAA in passing offense and was eighth in scoring offense. While there, NC State set the Gator Bowl passing and total offense record.
After returning to Ole Miss in 2005 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Mazzone headed to the NFL and spent three years as wide receivers coach on Eric Mangini’s staff with the Jets.
Mazzone began his coaching career in 1980-81 as a graduate assistant coach at the University of New Mexico. He was an assistant coach at Boulder High School in Boulder, Colorado, in 1981.
A native of Raton, N.M., Mazzone graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1980. He also played quarterback for the Lobos, leading the team in passing in 1976 and 1977.
Mazzone’s references include Chuck Amato, Kevin Sumlin, Norm Chow, Bill Callahan, Tommy Tuberville, Mark Whipple and Chuck Pagano.
All hires are pending approval by ASU’s Human Resources Department.
One of the hallmarks of that 10-win Arizona State football team of 2007 was that nearly every single Saturday, the Sun Devils found themselves behind and having to battle back from an early deficit.
It seems as if this year’s basketball team has taken on that identity as well, but the one difference is that despite coming oh-so-close in their comeback attempts, they haven’t been able to finish more often than not.
Case in point: Arizona State found themselves down for the count and trailing by 16 in the 2nd half before a rousing charge. They still found themselves on the short end of a 72-70 decision today at Pauley Pavilion, where they have their worst road record (6-27) of any league opponent.
The Pac-10 season opening loss represented their first L in a conference opener since that fateful 2-16 2006-07 season.
For UCLA, today’s shooting clinic represented a fleeting return to their freewheeling and shot-draining ways. Nikola Dragovic, a traditional Sun Devil killer who came into today’s game shooting an uncharacteristic and woeful 21.7% from outside the arc, sank his first five three-point attempts as the Bruins pulled away in the 1st half.
Yet, in stirring ASU fashion, the Devils roared back in the 2nd half.
It just seems as if this Arizona State team has sleepwalked through the 1st half en route to outscoring and outplaying their opponents throughout the second 20 minutes. Even today, the Sun Devils (Jerren Shipp, specifically) had the ball in his hands and a great look to win the game with less than two seconds left. And, if it wasn’t for a great defensive play by Jerime Anderson, Shipp might have even won the game for ASU.
And it wasn’t for a lack of effort either, especially from this team’s de facto leader, Derek Glasser. The senior point guard looked as confident as he has in his entire Arizona State career, especially in the waning moments as he hit two driving layups with less than a minute to play to keep his team’s fists swinging as the seconds ticked down.
The sobering fact remains, though, that as well as the Sun Devils played in the 2nd half, they can’t continue to put themselves in these situations where they’re always battling back from a substantial deficit and expect to win basketball games, even in a down conference.
Last year, a much more talented Arizona State squad was able to overcome a large deficit and beat the Bruins in Westwood. That came two nights after inarguably their worst effort of the season, a miserable loss to USC at the Galen Center.
Now this year’s team gets to head a few miles south for another match-up with those Trojans and, judging the way they’re throttling Arizona right now, that’s not going to be an easy place to play.
And, after a good non-conference season, starting 0-2 in conference play is something that could break the confidence of this team very early on.
Sure, the Arizona State Sun Devils have already cranked out 10 wins this season in the run-up to today’s conference opener with UCLA at Wells Fargo Arena.
Today, though, the fun begins.
We mean no offense to our opponents so far as we ring out 2009 and welcome a brand new decade, especially those from the Preseason NIT.
But, the true sentiment is…it’s been fun, USC Upstate. Thanks for the memories, Delaware State. Western Illinois…it was real.
The real season and the real judgment of the 2009-10 Arizona State Sun Devils begins today.
Certainly, it has been well established that the Pacific-10 Conference will be less-than-stacked this season. Today’s opponent, the UCLA Bruins, a perennial conference powerhouse under Ben Howland, has already lost uncharacteristic games to CS-Fullerton, Long Beach State and Portland.
They’re certainly not the Bruins we’ve been used to combating over the past half-decade, nor are they the team the Devils swept last year.
Meanwhile, around today’s UCLA corner, the resurgent USC Trojans, a team many expected to take the year off, are lurking, ready to strike in what’s shaping up to be a Saturday game which could set the pace for the rest of both team’s seasons.
A simple look at the pecking order in the Pac-10 heading into today’s season openers defies logic. Washington State and Arizona State are the only teams who have reached 10 wins thus far. Washington is the only conference team in either Top 25. Oregon and USC have been nice eight-win stories. Arizona has struggled and UCLA…well…we all have seen what has happened to UCLA this season.
This series of four home games in the next 14 days will be a true test of mettle for the Sun Devils. I think we all learned a lot about how much this team scrapped and fought during their run to New York City during the NIT in November, but conference play, obviously, is what matters most.
(First off, I know I’ve been away for a few days. Forgive me; I’ve been at home in California celebrating the holidays and my birthday with my family.)
Oh, the tangled web college football weaves.
There hasn’t been a week full of quite so much drama in the NCAA in some time. It all started with the stunning announcement(s) from Urban Meyer. Then came allegations from Texas Tech WR Alex James that head coach Mike Leach ordered him confined to an electrical closet.
Today, Leach was fired with cause by an administration who, regardless of this most recent incident, was looking for a reason to exile him from Lubbock after he publicly lobbied for other jobs and ranted about his players “fat little girlfriends.”
Leach is now out of a job pending legal challenges which I’m certain will go nowhere.
Meanwhile, in Tempe, Dennis Erickson is reportedly close to a pick for his new offensive coordinator and play caller. The names being bandied about include Brent Pease, Noel Mazzone and JD Brookhart.
With all due respect to those fine coaches, they don’t hold a candle to Mike Leach.
ASU needs an OC. Mike Leach needs a job. We don’t need Chuck Woolery to break down this connection.
Sure, the baggage would be a little weighty. But frankly, this isn’t a program or athletic department without issues as it is, so what more could adding Mike Leach as this team’s offensive coordinator do for Arizona State’s public image?
Erickson is reportedly close to making his decision. Sorry, but he needs to throw the previous candidates out with the bath water for the time being. Leach needs a look in Tempe.
The parallels are strong between this Arizona State team as it stands and what Leach likes to work with. Last season, Erickson said he didn’t even know what a “spread option offense was” despite the fact that he and Rich Olson were clearly trying to implement one.
The pieces weren’t in place, though, and neither was a coherent plan because neither DE or Olson truly knew how to utilize the spread attack.
I think back clearly to that wild and woolly 2008 season and specifically Leach’s offense at Texas Tech. One of the knocks on Leach before that magical season in Lubbock was that they threw the ball too much; they had nothing to balance the game plan and became quickly one-dimensional. They were Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars before Case Keenum actually came along.
But in 2008, Leach had a strong armed quarterback in Graham Harrell, a couple fast and agile receivers in Michael Crabtree and Detron Lewis and a spry running back in Baron Batch. While Crabtree rattled off an award-winning campaign, Batch and Shannon Woods each rushed for over 700 yards.
Maybe I’m dreaming big, but I feel that with Brock Osweiler starting at quarterback hypothetically in 2010 (or Steven Threet, for that matter), with targets like Kerry Taylor and Jamal Miles spread out and a kid like Cameron Marshall taking a more active role in the offense, this is a group of personnel that Leach would love to inherit and work with.
Meanwhile, he’s got a proven track record of success on offense and, better yet, he’d only have to worry about the offense and not try to balance his time between managing an entire team and what’s already a stellar defensive unit.
I’m not as naive to think that there wouldn’t be blowback from the national media and the public for being the school that potentially hires Leach fresh off his controversial termination.
We’ve dealt with it in Tempe before though; much worse, frankly. This is the program that fired a legend (Frank Kush) when he punched a player in the face. He’s still revered and you’d be remiss to find more than a handful of ASU alumni or former players that still don’t adore him.
The Leach incident is certainly not worse than the Loren Wade incident, nor is it even a blip on the radar when compared to the basketball scandal of the 90’s.
If nothing else, it’s worth picking up the phone to gauge his interest.
In totally inconspicuous fashion, specifically just two minutes in a game against Northern Arizona on November 13, 2006, Derek Glasser, then a freshman, made his debut for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Three years, one month and seven days later, in a game against UCSB, he became Arizona State’s all-time assist leader.
Sure, the attention he most definitely has deserved through his first 3 1/2 seasons in Tempe has been deferred to guys like James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. We’ve hemmed and hawwed over Rihards Kuksiks three-point shooting, Ty Abbott’s stingy defense and Eric Boateng’s lack of production.
We’ve seen guys come and go throughout those years. Meanwhile, Glasser just kept doing what he was doing.
At the end of this year, we probably won’t know what we had until he’s gone.
But right now, Glasser should be lauded for what he is - simply one of the most dynamic passers and point guards in the history of Arizona State basketball.
His beginnings at Wells Fargo Arena were so inconspicuous. He came from Artesia High School in California but even while he was here as a freshman, he wasn’t he most talked about Sun Devil from Artesia - that was the year the Devils went 0-15 to start Pac-10 play and eagerly awaited Harden, his former high school teammate who was finishing out his own career in SoCal.
However, over the years, Glasser just kept getting better and better.
From early on, it was evident that Derek would never be a dynamic shooter. His first two seasons were dictated by an unwillingness to take three’s. We thought he was tentative, even too nervous to take shots.
Boy, that was naive. He was clearly never nervous. He’s just what we now know he is - a heady, smart, pass-first point guard, especially on a team that last season had plenty of scoring options anyway.
Meanwhile, and I include myself in this assessment, we never gave Glasser the love he so deserved. His lack of instant offense was often overlooked on a tournament team that featured a future NBA lottery pick and one of the most passionate big men in the Pac-10.
Frankly, the last time he was on his own like this, he was just a freshman on a bad team. Now that the Harden whirlwind has passed and Glasser gets to stand on his own yet again, we’re finally recognizing exactly what we’ve been taking for granted since 2006 - Glasser is one of the finest assets Arizona State has had in the Herb Sendek era.
His place in history will be, at least until another pass-happy guard comes marching onto Ned Wulk Court, permanent. He slowly and quietly inched his way up the all-time assists list, finally busting past ASU legend Fat Lever and then Bobby Thompson last week against San Diego State.
Now, nobody will forget Derek Glasser and rightfully so.
Over the past two years, Matt has helped grow the site that was once AZSportsHub.com from a small blog, into a prosperous Phoenix Sports Community. A rabid Wildcat Alum, you can contact Matt at matt.blake [at] fanster.com.
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TEMPE, Ariz.–Arizona State University senior running back Dimitri Nance has accepted an invitation to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game, which will be held on Jan. 23, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Nance will join teammates Shawn Lauvao, Dexter Davis and Chris McGaha in the game. 
This is something I thought I’d never have to tell you loyal followers and fans of Pitchfork Nation.
Meaningful basketball, how we have missed you.
(First off, I know I’ve been away for a few days. Forgive me; I’ve been at home in California celebrating the holidays and my birthday with my family.)
In totally inconspicuous fashion, specifically just two minutes in a game against Northern Arizona on November 13, 2006, Derek Glasser, then a freshman, made his debut for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
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