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After a big victory last night, there was bound to be some media coverage, right? Let's take a look at some of the finest pieces of work regarding the Sun Devils.

Six Points: Devils breeze in opener over Portland State | Fanster.com - All Sports. All Phoenix.
The Arizona State Sun Devils opened the 2010 season with a 54-9 thrashing of the Portland State Vikings.

ASU-Portland State football game rewind
A look back at Arizona State's season-opening 54-9 win over Portland State.

Steven Threet Thinks Sun Devils Could Have Played Faster - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona

KTAR.com - ASU happy with performance against Portland State

Offensive assault sinks Portland State | ASU News | The State Press | Arizona State University
The ASU football team's new offense started shaky but quickly found its stride. Led by its running backs, ASU cruised to a 54-9 win over Portland State in the 2010 season opener.

More photos » Paul Connors - AP

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Well, we got what we wanted. Steven Threet played well tonight, and was able to confidently lead the offense in his ASU debut. Cameron Marshall only ran the ball four times, but gained 104 yards. He averaged 26 yards a carry!

While I don't expect that trend to necessarily continue, we must submit that the offense played a lot better tonight than we have seen in previous seasons. New Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone has instilled a sense of unpredictability into our scheming.

As a fan, I was pleased with what I saw tonight. The Sun Devils walloped a bad team, but they did it effectively.

The penalties, however, must stop immediately if ASU is to be a factor moving forward. Giving up 93 yards to a Pac-10 school will earn you a loss. One can be pleased that this happened tonight, as to believe that the kinks will be worked out.

Our defense played well on the whole. Vontaze Burfict played extremely aggressive football and was all over the field. Eddie Elder made a nice play to intercept a Vikings pass, and the Devils were able to shut down the offensive attack entirely.

The only bright spot for Portland State is kicker Zach Brown, who looks like a legitimate kicking prospect for professional football (whether or not that is CFL is yet to be determined, but regardless: the kid can kick the ball).

The Sun Devils move to 1-0 on the season, and have a week to prepare for Northern Arizona. Hopefully there is a slightly bigger crowd there to support the troops on September 11.

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At the half, ASU put up 30 on the Vikings. Steven Threet has shown a good pocket presence and is placing the ball within reach of his wide receivers. So far, Threet is 12 for 18 on 175 yards passing.

Cameron Marshall has shown a lot so far, scoring two touchdowns on long runs (50 and 38 yards, respectively). On both plays, Marshall was able to get out in open space on the left side of the field, using his quickness and breakaway speed to completely outclass the Portland State secondary.

Deantre Lewis, the true freshman RB out of Norco, California, has also contributed to the cause, catching a pass out in the flat and running 28 yards after the catch for the score.

Thomas Weber has been perfect on all four of his extra point tries, and the ASU defense has also caused a safety on an intentional grounding call.

It hasn't been all rosy, however. The Sun Devils have been committing a slew of penalties. Nine penalties for 84 yards, to be exact. One penalty was for excessive celebration after Marshall's 50 yard TD, but the defense needs to have a lot more self-control if it would like to be an effective unit in Pac-10 play.

Aaron Plfugrad, the transfer from Oregon, has been a factor, making four receptions for 57 yards. After a rough first possession, the team has settled down and looks to be quite comfortable tonight.

More photos » Rogelio V. Solis - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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The Arizona Wildcats are in Toledo tonight taking on the Rockets. U of A was flagged for holding in their own endzone, thus giving up a safety. Arizona is currently beating Toledo 14-2 in the second quarter.

Lets take a look at some stories around town about ASU and other items of interest:

Jeremiah Masoli wins appeal, is cleared to play for Ole Miss immediately - USA Today

Sun Devils open season with advantage over Vikings | ASU News | The State Press | Arizona State University
State Press reporter Nick Ruland takes a look at both teams in Saturday’s season opener.

On Football Eve in Tempe, Sun Devils Still Face Questions | Pitchfork Nation
Cameron Marshall has a chance to be a big change-of-pace to the Devils air attack.

Time For Arizona State Football: Sparky Needs A Jolt! - SB Nation Arizona
With the release of The Tillman Story, we're reminded of some of the great players in recent ASU football history. It's time for Dennis Erickson to live up to some of his hype and put ASU back on track.

More photos » Julie Jacobson - AP

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Per the ASU Basketball Facebook page, Rihards Kuksiks is back in town.

This is a positive sign for the Sun Devils, who are now very deep and look to be a contender for the 2010-2011 Pac-10 title.

Cross-posted at SB Nation Arizona.

More photos » Don Ryan - AP

9 months ago: Portland State coach Nigel Burton addresses the media during a news conference where he was introduced as the new head football coach Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, in Portland, Ore. Burton, who was the defensive coordinator at Nevada, replaces Jerry Glanville, who resigned last month after going 9-24 over three seasons at Portland State. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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The Pac-10 has a pretty tough opening weekend, all in all.

UCLA heads to Manhattan to play Kansas State, Washington rolls into Provo to take on BYU, Wazzu visits Stillwater to play Oklahoma State, and Oregon State plays a de facto road game against TCU in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

USC and Arizona also take to the road for their opening game, traveling to play Hawai'i and Toledo, respectively. California, Oregon, and Stanford all stay home to play weak competition.

But Arizona State's season opener takes the cake: the Portland State Vikings.

Lets break down some vital statistics about Portland State.

College Football Subdivision: FCS

Conference: Big Sky

2009 Record: 2-9 (1-7)

Student Body Population (Undergraduate): 20,330 (per The Princeton Review)

When San Jose State backed out of their game with us last year, ASU was left in a bind: scheduling an opponent on extremely short notice. I imagine that all avenues were explored, but we were left with the FCS.

The issue here is not that Portland State is a bad team. The problem is that they offer nothing to Arizona State in terms of experience, difficulty, or room for improvement.

Any quarterback on this team, be it Steven Threet, Brock Osweiler, and Samson Szakacsy, could and will tear apart this defense, which gave up 41 points to Idaho State (a team we beat last season to the tune of 50-3).

The Sun Devils answer nothing by playing this team. Dismantling two straight FCS teams (NAU comes to town on September 11) before heading into Camp Randall to play Wisconsin does little to prepare the players for the huge jump in talent.

In the offseason, there were rumors of ASU picking up a big game against South Florida or Cincinnati. This didn't come to fruition, and as a result the fans and players suffer. It's difficult to figure out exactly why the negotiations fell apart, but the Sun Devils could have used another marquee game to bring the right kind of publicity to the team.

In the end, AD Lisa Love was forced to fill the schedule opening to pick up an easy victory for the program. As a result, ASU must win 5 out of their last 10 games in order to be bowl-eligible, and it would be a very impressive season for coach Erickson if he were able to pull that off.

While I hope this game against Portland State is the first of many victories for the Sun Devils in 2010, it's hard to get excited for a game that already has a predetermined outcome. With the 2011 schedule featuring two quality opponents (Missouri, at Illinois), it is my sincere desire that this situation never repeats itself - but lets get out there and cheer the Devils on anyway. See you on Saturday.

More photos » Charles Krupa - AP

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As the NFL preseason winds down, let’s take a look at where all your favorite Sun Devils, young and old, stand.  There are currently 24 Sun Devils in the NFL. Here is a look at those currently on an AFC team.

Josh Barrett, New England Patriots – Barrett was claimed off of waivers by the Patriots on August 6 after being waived/injured with the Broncos. Had he cleared waivers he would’ve gone to the Broncos IR list. He doesn’t look to be much of a factor with the Patriots as he is limited by a shoulder injury. Barrett played in 14 games in 2009 recording 10 tackles. 

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens – Todd Heap has been a staple at TE for the Ravens. Heap is approaching 5,000 receiving yards and currently has 36 TD’s in the NFL.

Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens – Suggs has helped anchor the feared Ravens defense alongside Ray Lewis. Currently in his 8^th NFL season, Suggs has proven to be one of the all-time most successful Sun Devils in the NFL. With 57 career sacks, T-Suggs has intimidated many QB’s throughout his career.

Paul Fanika, Cleveland Browns – Paul Fanika was originally drafted by the Eagles, played on their practice squad for 10 weeks before being signed to the Redskins active squad. He signed with the Browns in June 2010. 

Shawn Lauvao, Cleveland Browns – Lauvao was a third round pick by the Browns this year and enters his rookie season. He started in one preseason game on the OL.  You can follow his rookie blog here.

Troy Nolan, Houston Texans – Nolan spent his first year on the IR with the Texans.  He was drafted by the Texans in 2009 and signed a 4-yr contract. He is the 2^nd string FS sitting behind Eugene Wilson. It looks like a healthy Nolan will garner some playing time this year, whether it be in mop-up duty or special teams.

Mike Pollak, Indianapolis Colts – Pollak was a 2^nd round draft pick in 2008 by the Colts. He started 13 games as a rookie and 7 games in his 2^nd year.  He looks to continue starting this year at RG.

 Travis Goethel, Oakland Raiders – Travis was a 6^th round pick in this year’s draft and fits right in with the Raiders. Goethel sits 3^rd on the depth chart at MLB and most likely won’t contribute much this year.

Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders – Zach Miller is entering his 4^th season with the Raiders.  He has been one of the few consistencies of the Raiders offense and looks to benefit from a new starting QB in Jason Campbell. He has 7 career Touchdowns and just over 2000 yards.

Brandon Rodd, Oakland Raiders – Rodd is the backup RG for the Raiders and has yet to see any playing time in a regular season game. 

Mike Nixon, San Diego Padres…errr Chargers – Ex baseball player Mike Nixon signed with the Chargers after going undrafted. He is buried on the depth chart, but looks to get some minutes playing special teams. Nixon is a high IQ player with football intelligence and is a good fit for the Chargers.

Hey everyone, we're taking part in the 2010 BlogPoll. Every week, I'll rank the top 25 and send them over. The final results will be tabulated and posted, and for full transparency you'll be able to judge my every vote.

Feel free to heckle my picks, but lets be honest: there's no real rhyme or reason to anything in the first week of the season.

More photos » John Amis - AP

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Ah, the finest time of year. College football is back! September is well known as the month of delusion: fans around the country will beat themselves into a joyful state of mind when their team starts out 3-0 against Akron, San Jose State and Western Michigan.

As for Sun Devils fans? We know the situation is tense down on Frank Kush Field. The football team is not expected to do very well, being a consensus ninth place finisher in the Pac-10 this season.

ASU supporters need only point to the 2009-2010 Sun Devil mens basketball team if they want a sense of hope for the football season. Herb Sendek and the team were looked down upon before the year, but they came out, won 22 games and earned a lot of respect for their work ethic.

Can the football team pull a similar feat? It's not unheard of, as USC will not dominate the Pac and Oregon lost their star QB in the offseason. It would surely take a gargantuan effort to go from the stale team of 2009 to an exciting, winning team in 2010.

I'll be breaking down Portland State sometime this week, although no one expects them to put up much of a fight on Saturday.

Here are some links for your perusal:

Sun Devils report (8.26.10): Quality at quarterback

ASU Sun Devils football season breakdown
What's to like and not like about the Sun Devils and other keys for 2010.

ASU mock football game report
Haller: ASU worked on its kicking game and ran 11-on-11 (no tackling) in certain game situations.

ASU football's William Sutton, Anthony Jones ruled ineligible
ASU's defensive depth took a hit Friday when it learned that William Sutton and Anthony Jones were ruled ineligible for the season due to academics.

ASU's Karin Volpe displays knack for game-winning goals
Karin Volpe comes up big for Arizona State soccer with 10 game-winners out of 20 total goals.

More photos » Tom Strattman - AP

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After playing Friday's mock scrimmage with the first-team offense, it appears that Dennis' starting QB announcement on Monday is leaning towards Steven Threet. 

The vagabond QB may have finally found his place in college football in his second-to-final season of eligibility. Threet started out at Georgia Tech, but lasted just one season before deciding to transfer to the Michigan Wolverines.  

Threet looked like he had gained control of the starting job as Wolverine QB, but he got off to a shaky 2-7 start and was replaced by Nick Sheridan.  

After the 2008-2009 season, Threet decided to shed his snow boots and winter coats for some flip flops and board shorts as he found his way to Tempe. ASU was a good fit for Threet as it gave him a chance to learn the offense while sitting out due to the transfer, and enter his senior season as the most experienced QB on the roster.  

While Threet most likely picked up the ASU offense (if that is what you call it) in 2009, he has been forced to quickly erase it from memory and relearn new OC Noel Mazzonne's offense.  

So far, neither Threet nor Osweiler have pulled ahead as a clear-cut choice, but Threet's big game experience may have proven to be the edge he needed to win the spot.