THE GAME - Sun Devil Football opens the 2017 season at home this week, taking on New Mexico State on Thursday, August 31 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The game, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. PT kickoff, will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks with Roxy Bernstein, Anthony Herron and Lewis Johnson providing the talent.
It is the first time the Sun Devils have faced NMSU since the 1999 season. The game will give fans their first chance to witness the continued reinvention of Sun Devil Stadium, featuring a new state of the art scoreboard in the north end zone.
THE AGGIES - ASU leads the all-time series against New Mexico State, 21-7-1, though dropped the last contest between the teams in the second game of the 1999 season.
NMSU was picked to finish 10th in the Sub Belt Conference this season, receiving one first place vote after going 3-9 last season. A pair of Aggies, Larry Rose III and Jaden Wright, were named to national preseason watch lists heading into 2017. Rose III was put on the Maxwell Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch lists. Defensive back Jaden Wright was named to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List.
Entering the season, Rose III and redshirt senior quarterback Tyler Rogers look to etch their names further into the program's record book. The two players sit in the top-5 for a combined 10 career offensive records for the Aggies. Rose III already has his name third all-time for rushing yards (3,618) and carries (585). The running back also sits in fourth for rushing touchdowns (27) and all-purpose yards (4,253). Rogers also looks to rewrite the record books as he is second all-time in completions (564), third in passing yards (6,356), attempts (975), passing touchdowns (42), and total yards (6,978) and fourth in total touchdowns (50).
THE SUN BELT - ASU is 28-7-1 all-time in games against teams currently playing in the Sun Belt Conference, that vast majority of which have come against the Aggies. This will be the first time ASU has squared off from a team from the conference since taking on Louisiana-Monroe in 2009.
AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
- Improve ASU to 76-27-2 on Opening Day in history and 58-15-1 on Opening Day at home.
- Be ASU's 16th consecutive Opening Day win when the game is at Sun Devil Stadium.
- Be the 19th straight victory in a home opener for the Sun Devils, dating back to 1999. ASU's current 18-game active home opening win streak is the fifth-longest in the country.
- Move the Devils to 26-8 in games played at Sun Devil Stadium since Todd Graham took the reins in 2012.
- Improve ASU to 13-3 under Todd Graham in regular season non-conference games since 2012.
- Move Todd Graham to 6-0 in home openers and 5-1 in the first game of the season as head coach at ASU.
- Mark the 40th victory for Todd Graham as head coach of the Devils.
- Improve the Devils to 22-7-1 all-time against New Mexico State and 29-7-1 against teams currently playing in the Sun Belt Conference.
#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. ASU is one of just three schools nationally that return no kicker OR punter that has appeared in D-I game (Virginia and UAB).
2. The Sun Devils have won 18 consecutive home openers entering Thursday - a total tied for the fifth longest active streak nationally.
3. .@FootballASU has reached 25 rushing touchdowns three times under Todd Graham after doing so just three times from 1980-2011.
4. The Sun Devils have scored 70.3 percent of the time following an opponent turnover since 2012 (90 of 128) w/ 69 TDs (53.9 percent).
5. ASU has had 17 players reach double digit TFLs since '12 after having just 17 TOTAL players reach the mark in 10 previous seasons.
6. 65 student-athletes earned Scholar Baller recognition last year and 431 Football Scholar-Athletes have done so in 8 semesters under Graham.
7. The team has posted over a 3.00 Team GPA for the first time in program history as of summer school classes coming into Fall 2017 classes.
8. Kalen Ballage returns with the highest receiving grade among all returning Power Five RBs in the country at 84.4 according to PFF.
9. @CrumpTrip4 leads all returning Pac-12 defensive players with 46 total QB pressures (sacks/hits/hurries) last season.
10. ASU ranks second in the Pac-12 and 13th in the nation at 36.7 points per game in the Graham era.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- ASU had 27 rushing touchdowns in 2016 after having 19 in the entirety of the 2015 season. ASU has reached 25 rushing touchdowns three times under Todd Graham. That total is notable as the Devils had just three previous seasons with at least 25 rushing touchdowns from 1980-2011 (1985, 1986 and 1996).
- Since 2012, The Sun Devils have scored 70.3 percent of the time following an opponent turnover since 2012 (90 of 128) w/ 69 TDs (53.9 percent). Conversely, opponents have scored just 51.1 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (48 of 94) w/ 37 TDs (39.4 percent).
- For the fifth consecutive season under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils had at least two players that reached double digits in tackles for loss (Koron Crump, JoJo Wicker and DJ Calhoun). ASU has had 17 such occurences under Graham (2012-present) after having just 17 TOTAL players reach the mark in 10 previous seasons (2002-11) with at least two players reaching double digits in the same season just six times in that span.
- N'Keal Harry recorded 659 receiving yards last season – breaking Zach Miller's 2004 school record for a freshman of 552. He had 58 catches on the year, also breaking Miller's freshman record of 56. His five touchdown receptions last season were second in Sun Devil history as far as freshmen go, trailing only Miller's school record of six.
STRIKE FIRST
- Arizona State has scored first in 43 of the 65 games with Todd Graham at the helm and is 32-11 in the Graham era when getting on the scoreboard first.
STRIKE FAST
- 259 of the Devils' 367 offensive scoring drives under Todd Graham have come in three minutes or less (71.0 percent).
- Of ASU's 62 scoring drives last season, 40 came in under three minutes (64.5 percent).
GETTING STARTED ON THE RIGHT FOOT
- The Sun Devils have outscored their opposition 554-332 in the first quarter under Todd Graham.
- The Sun Devils are 24-4 under Graham when holding their opposition scoreless in the first quarter.
- ASU has posted an impressive 31-3 overall record under Graham when leading at halftime.
DON'T CROSS THAT LINE
- Last season, the Sun Devils forced 303 negative or no yardage plays of 884 run by the opposition (34.7 percent).
- Under Graham, ASU has forced 1,658 plays that have not resulted in positive yardage out of 4,644 (35.7 percent).
SERIOUSLY, DON'T CROSS IT
- ASU is first in the Pac-12 and second in the nation (Clemson) with an average of 7.89 TFL per game under Graham and one of three teams in the nation with more than 500 total tackles for loss. They rank third in that time with 3.13 sacks per game.
- For the fifth consecutive season under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils had at least two players who reached double digits in tackles for loss (Koron Crump, JoJo Wicker and DJ Calhoun). ASU has had 17 such occurrences under Graham (2012-present) after having just 17 TOTAL players reach the mark in 10 previous seasons (2002-11) with at least two players reaching double digits in the category just six times in that span.
LIGHT 'EM UP
- ASU has scored 50 or more points 16 times since Todd Graham arrived in Tempe for the 2012 season.
- To put that in perspective, ASU eclipsed 50 points 10 times total in the previous 10 years before the current coaching regime (2001-11).
- Against Pac-12 opponents, the Sun Devils have scored 50 or more points 10 times under Coach Graham, after only tallying nine in the conference era prior (since 1978).
- ASU went 86 games without scoring 60 from 2005-2011. Under Coach Graham it has scored 60 or more four times ('12-63 NAU, '12-62 Navy, '13-62 USC, '16-68 TTU).
- The Sun Devils have dropped 50 on Arizona twice in the last three years after doing so just three times in 86 previous contests.
- The Sun Devil offense is currently ranked 45th in the nation in scoring at 33.2 points per game.
GOLD RUSH
- The Sun Devils rushed for 27 touchdowns last season after having 19 in the entirety of 2015. The 26 touchdowns were good for 43rd among all FBS teams, despite not playing in a bowl game or a championship game.
- The Sun Devils have reached 25 rushing touchdowns three times under Graham in five seasons. That total is notable as the Devils had just three previous seasons with at least 25 rushing touchdowns from 1980-2011 (1985, 1986 and 1996).
- After having just two five-rushing touchdown games in nine previous seasons, the Sun Devils did it in back-to-back games to open the 2016 season, marking the fifth and sixth times in the Graham era that ASU had gone over five rushing touchdowns in a game. The Devils had three such games TOTAL from 1997-2011.
- The ASU trio of running backs (Demario Richard, Kalen Ballage and Nick Ralston) were been tough to bring down all year, logging 580 total yards after first contact out of their 1272 combined rushing yards (46.0 percent).
GOLD ZONE
- The Sun Devils scored on 43-of-47 trips to the red zone in 2016 (91.5 percent), a total that ranked 10th in the nation.
- The Devils scored a touchdown on 33 of those trips (70.2 percent). That percentage was ranked 22nd nationally and notable as ASU found the end zone on just 51.5 percent of its red zone trips in 2015 - a total that ranked 108th in the country.
SUPER DEMARIO
- Demario Richard is currently 15th in Sun Devil history with 2,148 career rushing cards and one of just 19 Devils to reach the 2,000-yard milestone.
- Richard now has nine 100-yard rushing games in his career, three shy of cracking the ASU top-five in the category.
- Of Richard's 1,697 rushing yards as a sophomore and junior, 780 have come after first contact (46.0 percent/2.1 yards per touch).
- In 2015, Richard became the fourth Sun Devil in history to have at least seven 100-yard rushing games in a single season, joining Freddy Williams and Art Malone (8) and Woody Green (7, 2 times).
CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALLAGE
- ???????Kalen Ballage had 14 rushing touchdowns last season, making him just the fourth Sun Devil since 2000 to reach double digits in the category and moved him into a tie for the seventh most single season rushing touchdowns in ASU history.
- He finished 26th in the nation in rushing touchdowns (14) and 34th among all position players with 94 total points scored.
- Ballage was one of just nine players nationally to rush, throw and receive a touchdown last season and one of just three running backs to do so.
- He averaged a touchdown once every 11.1 carries this season, a total that ranked fourth nationally.
- Ballage introduced himself to the world in a big way against Texas Tech in 2016, tying an FBS record with eight total touchdowns (7 rushing, 1 receiving). He also tied the FBS record for touchdowns in a quarter with four in the second quarter of the contest. Ballage had eight total touchdowns in his two previous seasons prior to his barrage against Texas Tech.
- Ballage returns with the highest receiving grade among all returning Power Five running backs in the country with 84.4 according to Pro Football Focus.
NO RUSH
- The Sun Devils have held 23 opponents under 100 rushing yards in the Todd Graham era (65 games/35.4 percent), including four of 12 games last year.
- ASU held three straight opponents under 100 rushing yards for the third time under Graham (2013, 2015, 2016). The Devils had limited opponents to under 100 rushing yards in three straight games in just five previous seasons dating back to 1986.
TAKING OFFENSE
- ASU ranks second in the Pac-12 and 13th in the nation at 36.7 points per game in the Graham era.
MAKE 'EM PAY
- Under Todd Graham, ASU has outscored opponents 536-287 in points off takeaways.
- Since 2012, The Sun Devils have scored 70.3 percent of the time following an opponent turnover since 2012 (90 of 128) w/ 69 TDs (53.9 percent). Conversely, opponents have scored just 51.1 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (48 of 94) w/ 37 TDs (39.4 percent).
TURNOVER FACTORY
- The Sun Devils have forced 128 turnovers under Todd Graham in the past five seasons, which is the 10th-highest total in the country in that span.
- ASU has 14 interception returns for touchdowns under Graham, compared to posting just four total in the three previous seasons prior to 2012. The total is second in the FBS for the most interception returns for touchdowns in that span. ASU has added four fumble returns as well for 18 defensive touchdowns since the 2012 season, tied for third in the country in that time span behind Ohio State (25) and Alabama (23).
WINNING THE BATTLE FOR FIELD POSITION
- ASU ranks sixth in the nation with a .51 average turnover margin per game since Graham took over the helm and is seventh in the nation with a plus-33 total turnover margin.
- The Devils are first in the Pac-12 and tied for eight in the nation with 80 total interceptions in that span.
SEAL THE DEAL
- Under Todd Graham, ASU has had an average starting yard line of its own 34.6 in 39 victories compared to a starting yard line of the 25.4 for their opponents in such contests.
- Conversely, opponents have an average starting field position of their own 31.3 yard line compared to ASU starting at its own 28.6 in ASU's 26 losses under Graham.
- ASU has outscored other teams 684-529 in the fourth quarter and overtime under Todd Graham (10.5 points per fourth quarter and OT/+2.4 points per game) and averaged 12.8 points per fourth quarter last season (outscoring opponents 155-125).
- Excluding FCS NAU, the Sun Devils finished seventh nationally in averaging 19.6 points per second half against FBS opposition and second in the country with 11.9 points per fourth quarter against FBS teams as well.
- The 19.6 second-half points per game were more than 13 teams were averaging PER GAME against FBS opposition last season.
ROAD WARRIORS
- The Sun Devils are winners of nine of the last 19 true road contests. ASU has 13 wins in the past 28 road games, including 10 Pac-12 Conference road wins in the past 23.
- Todd Graham has 10 Pac-12 road victories under his belt already, the second-most among all ASU coaches since 1980 behind only Bruce Snyder's 18 from 1992-2000. Graham is 10-12 in Pac-12 road games at ASU, notable as the Devils were 5-13 in four seasons prior.
- The Sun Devils are 4-4 in Pac-12 games in the State of California since 2012 after going just 3-23 from 1998-2011.
T.N.T., WE'RE DYNAMITE
- The Sun Devils have a classification of "explosive plays" that equal a run of 12 or more yards or a passing play of 16 or more yards. ASU had 97 such plays last season
- After having just eight total against Colorado and Washington State, ASU had 36 such plays in its final four games last season.
- ASU finished 30th nationally in plays over 10 yards in 2015 with 216 and 27th in 30+ yard plays at 35. ASU finished 24th nationally with 20 plays over 40 yards in 2014 after having just 16 total in 2013 and eight the year before. ASU was 26th nationally in plays of 20 or more yards with 71. The Sun Devils finished 2013 tied for seventh in the nation in plays longer than 20 yards with 86 after having 72 in 2012, which was good for 19th in the country in the category.
KEEP IT CLEAN
- In the Coach Graham era, ASU is averaging just 37.8 penalty yards per game, tied for fourth-best in the nation. While that is impressive, what raises the eyebrows is who are the top three: Navy (25.2), Army (36.2) and Air Force (37.7).
- Since Todd Graham arrived at Arizona State, the Sun Devils have had just 295 penalties in 65 games (4.53 penalties per game).
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
- ASU is 25-8 at Sun Devil Stadium under Todd Graham.
- In 33 regular season home games under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils have averaged 39.7 points per game. Against non-conference Power Five teams, ASU is averaging 50.0 points per game at home under Graham.
- The Sun Devils join Baylor as the only other school in the country to be ranked in the Top-35 in home points per game in EACH of the past five seasons with only Arkansas State added to the list if 2016 were not included.
- ASU has posted under 20 points in a regular home game just twice in Todd Graham's tenure - a 19-16 overtime victory over Utah in 2014 and a 42-14 loss to #19 USC in 2015.
- The Sun Devils are 282-103-3 (.734) all-time at Sun Devil Stadium since 1958, the 25th-highest active winning percentage in a stadium among all FBS schools.
USE THEM WISELY
- Since the start of the 2012 season, ASU has used 68 timeouts on defense in third down situations, and have not allowed a first down on the ensuing play and/or forced a turnover on 48 of those occasions (70.6 percent).
HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS
- ASU has now gone 9-6 in games decided by a touchdown or less since the 2012 Arizona comeback in Tucson. ASU had gone 6-16 in such games since the 2007 season up until that moment. The Devils are 2-1 in games decided by less than a touchdown this year.
- In 2016, ASU went 4-4 in games it had been tied or trailed in the second half after going 8-19 in four previous seasons.
- ASU went 3-1 in 2013 in games decided by less than a touchdown, after going 4-13 in the previous four seasons in such games.. ASU was 3-1 in 2014 in games decided by less than a touchdown.
HOLD ON TO THAT BALL, ALSO
- In 2014, the Sun Devils had six games where they did not turn the ball over and went 6-0 in those contests. That number was notable because in the previous two seasons, ASU had just five combined games where it did not turn the ball over.
- ASU is now 12-3 under Todd Graham in games where it does not have a turnover.
- ASU earned its first victory in a game in turned the ball over three times against UTSA after going 0-6 in the Todd Graham era prior.
TAKING DOWN THE TOP
- The Sun Devils have gone 8-8 in the last 16 games against ranked teams.
- In four seasons at the helm, Todd Graham is 8-11 against AP-ranked opponents and the team was 4-2 in such teams in 2014.
- Graham has more than doubled the Top-25 win total of Dennis Erickson (3) and Dirk Koetter (2) during their tenures.
- In the previous 14 seasons, ASU was 5-40 in games against teams ranked in the AP poll. Other notable victories include the come-from-behind victory over Arizona in 2012, winning a game in the Coliseum last season for the first time since 1999 and defeating USC in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1996-97. ASU also ended a four-game losing streak to Stanford.
DIRTY HARRY
- N'Keal Harry became just the ninth true freshman in Arizona State history to start in a season opener this year.
- Harry was just the fourth Sun Devil ever to start on offense as a true frosh in the opener and he joined D.J. Foster as the only other Sun Devil in history to score in each of their first three games of the season as a true freshman.
- Harry recorded 659 receiving yards last season – breaking Zach Miller's 2004 school record for a freshman of 552. He had 58 catches on the year, also breaking Miller's freshman record of 56. His five touchdown receptions last season were second in Sun Devil history as far as freshmen go, trailing only Miller's school record of six.
THE FIRST OF MANNY
- ???????Manny Wilkins returns as the Pac-12 leader as far as the highest percentage of throws of 20+ yards this season with at least 50 deep passes at 19.9 percent., according to Pro Football Focus.
- Wilkins became just the fourth quarterback since 1970 to go 4-0 in his first career starts, joining Danny White (10-0) and Todd Hons (8-0).
- The Sun Devils entered last season as one of just two teams in the nation without a quarterback on the roster that had officially completed a pass at a four-year college until Wilkins first attempt.
BRING THE WOOD
- Koron Crump was second on the Sun Devils with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and 9.0 sacks. He is averaging a tackle for loss just ove once every three times he made a tackle and a sack for every four tackles. He also had a team-leading three fumbles forced last season.
- Four times in the Todd Graham era has a defensive player had at least 10 sacks in a season. ASU had just two players reach the milestone from 2003-2011.
- For the fifth consecutive season under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils had at least two players that reached double digits in tackles for loss (Koron Crump, JoJo Wicker and DJ Calhoun). ASU has had 17 such occurences under Graham (2012-present) after having just 17 TOTAL players reach the mark in 10 previous seasons (2002-11) with at least two players reaching double digits in the same season just six times in that span.
- Crump leads all returning Pac-12 defensive players with 46 total QB pressures (sacks/hits/hurries) last season according to Pro Football Focus while JoJo Wicker is fifth among returning players with 36.
SCHOLAR BALLERS
- The Sun Devils enter the season with seven players in the program that have already earned their undergraduate degrees and will be pursuing graduate programs this fall.
- 65 student-athletes earned Scholar Baller recognition for the 2016-17 academic year and 431 Football Scholar-Athletes have been named Scholar Ballers in eight semesters under Todd Graham.
- 33 members on the roster have a cumulative GPA over 3.00. Additionally, the team as a whole has posted over a 3.00 Team GPA for the first time in program history as of summer school classes coming into Fall 2017 classes.