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The Herm Edwards experience lasts only two weeks and we still have a long way to go before we can reach a definitive conclusion. But the first results? Well, the first results are very promising.
Arizona State came back from a 13-3 deficit after three quarters to beat Michigan State 15, 16-13, on Saturday night in Tempe. Edwards is only two weeks in his Arizona State position, and he has already won a ranked team.
Here are four things to know about Arizona State's victory over the Spartans.
1. Herm remembers how to handle late situations. When Arizona State hired Edwards, it was more than nine years since he coached a football team. He worked on television, but as he quickly informed anyone who asked for it, he never stopped supervising even when he was living in the country of television. And it showed Saturday night, his strategy and his skills in clock management were not rusty. The Sun Devils had a first and a goal 2 minutes from the end and Michigan State no longer has time. If Arizona State scored a touchdown (and Michigan State may have left it), the Spartans would have recovered the ball with a chance to catch the game. So, Edwards decided to kneel, iron the clock and then try a field goal. This is not exactly an unrestrained strategy, but I have seen many college football coaches spoil similar situations.
He also took things a step further by asking his team to take the ball to make sure it could turn the clock clockwise; It's not an incredible turn of mind, but, again, I've seen a lot of coaches who have already done it. Hello, Miles. Either way, Edwards had a plan, he executed it perfectly and he was rewarded with a 28-yard shot from Brandon Ruiz on the field at the end of the allotted time.
2. The defense led Arizona State. A common phenomenon in the Arizona State Games in recent years is the multiplication of points of his attack, while monitoring his defense even more. This is not the case with this Arizona State team at this stage. After racking up a nine best national bag last week, Arizona State only got two more tonight. But he had five tackles for the loss, one interception, four broken passes and one forced fumble. The Sun Devils also took a page off the Michigan State playbook and ended the Spartans' attack. Michigan State averaged only 2.9 yards per run in the evening. Of course, Arizona State averaged only 1.5 yards per race. If you're a fan of gap control and defense, this game was paradise.
3. Arizona State has the Big Ten in Tempe. After this victory over Michigan State, the Sun Devils improved their record of 10-0 against the Big Ten of Tempe. So, if you are a sports director at a Big Ten school and Arizona State calls you to schedule a football match, maybe think twice before answering the phone.
4. This loss hurts Michigan State, but it's not a red flag. In many ways, Michigan State played better in this game than it did in its win over Utah State last week. His offensive line did a much better job of protecting the passes (if there was no opening on the lanes), and the defensive line was also much stronger. He simply crossed the country to face a team from the Arizona State who suddenly looks like a real threat in the south of the Pac-12 and sank at the last second.
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