The year was 2007, and the Arizona St. Sun Devils went 10-2 in the regular season, earning a battle against the highly talented Texas Longhorns in the Holiday Bowl. While the end result was underwhelming for ASU fans, there was still a lot of positive momentum to take into 2008 -- and beyond.
Since the Holiday Bowl game in 2007, the Sun Devils have been a constant disappointment. ASU showcases an undisciplined brand of football, committing stupid penalties and finding it seemingly impossible to learn from their mistakes.
At the root of all this is a simple fact: Dennis Erickson is no longer a viable coach in a BCS conference.
Good teams come back with a vengeance after a tough loss. Erickson's ASU teams have rolled over in recent years following difficult games, with this three-game losing streak being the most difficult to swallow. Where is the heart? Where is the passion?
What happened to that team that thought they would go to the BCS National Championship Game?
Arm tackling doesn't get the job done, as the Sun Devils proved over and over and over again against the Arizona Wildcats. It was like watching a cautionary tale about the perils of playing bad football. Fundamentals eluded the Devils last night, but it was just a microcosm of the overall performance of the team since Dennis Erickson came to Tempe.
No one enjoys a witch hunt, but this one is long overdue. Dennis Erickson must go, and at this time a leader should be brought in to capitalize on the talent on the ASU roster going into 2012. I hate to say it, but I will not watch another game with Dennis Erickson as the coach of this team. Here's hoping I can watch the California game with an interim coach at the helm.