The student section was rowdy and ready for another season of college football. After taking a beating in the Holiday Bowl at the hands of Texas, Rudy Carpenter and the boys looked prepared to show their fans that they are a legitimate Pac-10 contender.

The first thing I noticed was the inexperience of the offensive line really shining through. While statistically looking good on paper, Rudy was flushed out quite often. He showed his mettle and got rid of the ball when he needed to, rather than taking those sacks he was so familiar with.

To be fair to the line, they look promising. There are no guarantees in college football, but if they can give Carpenter 4 seconds to find a receiver, there will be hell to pay.

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C.W. went to Las Vegas on Thursday, and lost some of his coin. He has returned just in time to head out to Sun Devil Stadium to see the Sun Devils host the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona University.

Game time is 7:22 PM Pacific time. Go Devils!

NAU QB Lance Krieisen was kind enough to answer a few quick questions for me in the lead-up to the season opener.

Has the quarterback competition made you a better player?

Krieisen: Competition is always good for every player. We have more depth and quality at more positions than I've ever seen since I've been here.

Personally, its reminded me (every day) that you can't take plays off and that if you arent willing to do your job 110%, someone else will.

What is the most exciting aspect of playing ASU?

Krieisen: ASU is just another game to me, honestly. I'm not from AZ so I don't care if it may or may not be an in-state rival to most.

I look at this game as an exciting opportunity to showcase NAU on a national stage against a solid opponent.

ASU has a good team. A win against a team of this caliber would really start our season off right. Playing in front of 60,000+ people is nice as well.

Thanks again Lance! Best of luck this season.

Previewing the first weekend seems to be a chic blog move these days, so naturally I wanted to do one as well. In this rousing rendition of a week one preview, I will discuss all Pac-10 teams and their matchups.

Interestingly enough, the Pac-10 starts conference play very early this season to make room for non-conferences games later on in the fall.

Oregon State @ Stanford. Thursday, August 28, 6:00 PM Pacific, ESPN2.

Oregon State finished strong last year after getting off to a middling 5-4 start that included a shocking 44-32 loss to Arizona State. OSU was up 19-0 after the first quarter, but could not hold back Rudy Carpenter and the Sun Devils' offense. The Beavers lost their star running back Yvenson Bernard (due to that whole graduation/eligibility thing), but junior quarterback Sean Canfield is still around and ready to connect with Sammie Stroughter.

On the other side of the gridiron, Stanford returns Tavita Pritchard, the QB who led the Cardinal to the astounding upset of USC in Los Angeles. This was the same team that managed to beat Arizona, but couldn't take care of a crippled Notre Dame. The Jekyll and Hyde performances last season couldn't hide their lack of talent, and they finished 4-8 on the year.

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Update: I wanted to bring back this article, as the game is close at hand and this is pertinent to the discussion of the week: Northern Arizona football. A quick bit: The QB situation is still undecided, as all three possibilities are showing well in practice and scrimmages.

Also, game time has been changed to accommodate FSN Arizona's coverage of the game. Kickoff is now at 7:22 pm, giving all students an extra 17 minutes to chug beers in the parking lot.

On August 30, the Northern Arizona University football team will enter Sun Devil Stadium, bringing busses full of fans wearing Birkenstocks.

Despite their lackluster schedule and Division 1-AA standing, the Lumberjacks are not to be taken lightly. We have all seen what can happen when a nationally ranked powerhouse miscalculates a Division 1-AA opponent.

In 2007, NAU went 6-5 on the season. Their marquee match-ups were road games against Arizona and Appalachian State, losing to the Wildcats by 21 and by 13 to the Mountaineers. Opening night should be a piece of cake, right?

Not exactly.

NAU is returning a lot of quality players from last year's team, including senior QB Lance Kriesien, who threw for 1961 yards with ten touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2007. His game is clearly a ground one, putting up 686 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing. Against Arizona, he went 22/39 for 187 yards with two rushing touchdowns, but no passing touchdowns or interceptions.

The QB slot is hardly his for the keeping, however. He has competition for the starting spot from two transfers, and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out by August 30. Dennis Erickson and his staff will have to prepare for multiple possibilities at quarterback.

"This is the most talent we've had at that position since I've been here," [NAU Head] coach Jerome Souers said. "We're going to rotate through the first week and see if anybody separates themselves. We'll go as far as we need to go to get a clear-cut number one, but we need to do it as soon as we can so we get that guy the amount of reps he needs with our offense."

The Lumberjacks also enjoyed skill position talent at running back in 2007, featuring a two-headed monster that combined for 271 carries, 1646 yards, and 15 touchdowns. These two backs were Alex Henderson and Lionel Scott. Scott has petitioned the NCAA for another year of eligibility, and as far as I can tell it has not yet been granted. At this time, Henderson projects to be the feature back.

NAU was young and inexperienced on defense last season, and it showed against the stronger competition. Willie Tuitama was able to rack up massive numbers, throwing five touchdowns, four of which were for over 20 yards.

Trey Elder of Appalachian State was able to throw three touchdowns with no interceptions against the Lumberjacks, while picking up 82 yards on the ground. Elder wasn't even the quarterback who led the Mountaineers to the gutsy win at Michigan; that was Armanti Edwards.

The defense is not completely horrible, however. Watch out for junior KJ Gerard, an All-American selection last season after an impressive campaign. A 6'1" cornerback with great hands, Gerard intercepted six passes for 131 yards. Mike Jones might be in for a surprise come game time.

Finally, special teams. Senior Kicker Robbie Dehaze is a preseason Big Sky All-Conference selection, who went 18/24 on field goals in 2007, with his long field goal being 52 yards. Dehaze also went 34/35 on extra points.

Strengths (The Devils Must Keep Their Eye On...): QB depth, running game, secondary, All-Conference kicker.

Weaknesses (The Devils Must Exploit...): Inexperience in the defensive front seven, youth of the offensive line.

In the end, the Sun Devils are the better team. But they still have to prove it on the field, and I believe Dennis Erickson will not let NAU sneak up on his squad. There is too much to lose, and nothing to gain by looking ahead to Stanford.

With 6 calendar days until the season begins, we bring you Number Seven on the Tempe Top Ten.

Number Seven: Get a burger at The Chuckbox

The Chuckbox makes amazing burgers, end of story. Tempe is stacked with excellent eats, but not much beats a 1/3-pound burger and a beer before heading to the turnstiles.

It is almost like a buffet, but only for a burger. You order what kind of burger you want at the grill, and they cook it on the spot. Then, you purchase it and walk over to a counter that has every possible condiment and topping you could want, and you can stack on as much as you wish.

It's not cheap, but nothing worth eating ever is (unless you're a college student, and then everything cheap is worth eating, but i digress).

The best part about the ASU campus is that everything is within walking distance, especially once it starts to cool down a little.

The Chuckbox is actually right next to Dave's Dog House, and you can also hit up Palm Walk and "A" Mountain in one fell swoop should you be so inclined.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes. Hopefully the team can get used to the rigors of having both practice and classes and really gear it up for NAU.

Sun Devil football is only seven calendar days away, so we bring you number eight on our countdown...

Number Eight: Check Out Palm Walk

ASU students will be the first to tell you that Palm Walk is pretty cool. It is one of the main walking arteries of campus, that extends from north campus (starting at the University Bridge) down to the Student Recreation Complex. Thousands of students walk on it every day, getting to and from classes, lunch dates and workout plans.

What makes Palm Walk interesting, you ask? First of all, the grandeur of the palm trees.

via www.asu.edu

Palm trees at the north end of the walk were planted in 1916, and are over 90 feet tall; those planted on the south end are over 70 feet and were planted in 1930.

These are old trees, covered in staple marks from decades in the past when it was okay to put fliers up on the wood. Palm trees aren't indigenous to Arizona, but they certainly thrive here. Since most people visiting haven't seen many palm trees, one walk down Palm Walk and you will have your fill.

Tomorrow we will investigate another great food joint...

Continuing our countdown to Sun Devil Gameday..

Number Nine: Climb "A" Mountain

"A" Mountain is actually a butte. It is designated a historical preserve and is rich in vegetation and wildlife. You can often see a lizard or a jack rabbit meandering about on the pathways and the hillsides.

There are petroglyphs that date back to the Hohokam Indian people located on Tempe Butte scattered across the front and back. The 'A' in the picture below is painted different colors based on the time of year. For example, tonight it will be painted white in a freshman ceremony to welcome the newcomers to the college fold.

Whitewash the "A"

Friday, August 22, 2008 5 - 7:30 pm
Tempe Butte ("A" Mountain)
Show your Sun Devil pride by participating in one of the university's longest standing traditions -- Whitewashing the "A." Help celebrate the new school year by painting the "A" white to signify the start of the 2008 fall semester. Show your ASU spirit and have fun with other new students of the Class of 2012! Help kick off the evening with this exciting tradition.

In this picture, the "A" is yellow (or 'gold' if you are so inclined). This is the color it generally is throughout the year. During the weekend of the UA football game, the other school will attempt to paint the other school's "A" the enemy's color. Since UA has an "A" of its own to defend, it is a spirited event that has been slowed in recent years by historical societies and the law.

This is the view from the top of "A" Mountain when looking east towards Sun Devil Stadium. it is an essential piece of the Sun Devil puzzle. What do you see when you look west? Why, downtown Phoenix of course, and the famous old mill that gives Mill Avenue its name.

It's probably best to hike in the early morning (say, before 9) to avoid the hottest parts of the day. it's only a 15 minute hike up, so it's nothing you need to commit an entire morning to. Make sure you walk down towards Mill Avenue afterward to grab some breakfast.

Check back tomorrow for Number Eight...

Tempe is a unique college town. While ASU is the main focal point of the town, the college atmosphere extends miles away from campus.

This vibe is evident on Mill Avenue, in the annals of Tempe Marketplace, and in the never-ending array of strip malls that cater to every taste, be it food or style.

It didn't take me long to fall in love with Tempe. Sure, it's hot as Satan's oven, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make for tasty authentic Mexican food, respectable sushi, delectable hot dogs, and every fast food joint under the sun. Outside of food, the "scenery" is tops in the nation, and the shopping ain't so bad either.

When it comes to a weekend in Tempe, there's so many great options on activities and eats that it is hard to get a hold on all of it. That is where I step in. Without further ado...

C.W.'s top 10 list of things to do on Sun Devil game day (and the day after, too)

This list will give you the opportunity to see Tempe from the perspective of a living, breathing Sun Devil. Well, if he keeps eating the food at number ten, he might not be, but I digress.

Number 10: Eat at Dave's Dog House

Last fall, I strolled into Dave's Dog House early in the afternoon on September 1. Our boys in maroon were set to open the season that evening against San Jose State, and I planned on having a big meal at the Dog House beforehand. It is located right on University, and makes for an easy walk.

While waiting for my food, I was mesmerized by a shocking event: Appalachian State was beating Michigan! This was big news. I watched the third quarter and Michigan was edging slowly closer. What was I eating? Combo #4: Two chili dogs (with everything), fries, and a big soda.

What makes this food so special, you ask? Well, the chili is unique. I've never had it taste like this anywhere else; it's meaty and works great on hot dogs and fries. The fries are salty and hot (they make each fry order individually), and the soda machine works. In short, the meal is God's gift to Tempe.

I like how you pump your own ketchup and cover your fries with it. They also have these great mini-burgers called sliders, but if you want the essential Dave's experience, I highly recommend the chili dogs.

There are only ten days left until Sun Devil football returns. Tomorrow, we unveil number nine on the list.