TEMPE – Sun Devil Football defensive coordinator Phil Bennett has been named as a nominee for the 2017 Broyles Award, as announced by the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation today. The Broyles Award annually honors college football's top assistant coaches.
A year removed from one of the worst statistical years for a Sun Devil defense in history, Bennett's guidance and decades of FBS coaching experience have led to a resurgence that has shown flashes reminiscent to the dominating ASU defenses from early in the Todd Graham tenure.
ASU is currently eighth nationally and second in the Pac-12 in averaging 3.33 sacks per game while also sitting in the Top-30 nationally in turnover margin and third in the Pac-12 with a .44 average per game.
The Sun Devil pass defense has seen arguably one of the top turnarounds in the country after finishing dead last in the nation in 2016 in allowing 357.4 passing yards per game. The 2017 squad has trimmed nearly 100 yards off that total, down to 263.7 yards per game – despite not returning a single day-to-day starter in the secondary and fielding two starting corners who had not played a single down of Division I football prior to this season.
The 2017 Sun Devils have also trimmed the production of opposing quarterbacks, allowing a 135.81 opponent quarterback efficiency this season compared to a 156.94 total that was among the five worst programs in the country in 2016.
ASU has four games this season allowing fewer than 200 passing yards, matching its total from 2014. It had five such games in 2013 and eight in 2012. 2017 marks the first time ASU had at least three games in a row allowing fewer than 200 passing yards since opening the 2012 season with seven such games.
ASU allowed just 467 total passing yards in its three-game stretch against Stanford, Washington and Utah. Again, for perspective, ASU had given up more than that in a single game on seven different occasions in the 29 games prior to that run.
Overall, the Sun Devil defense is allowing 390.8 yards per game this season – shaving 50 yards per game of last season's 441.9 yards per game - and 30.8 points per game, which is down nearly 10 points from last season's 39.8 points per game.
ASU is one of just two programs in the country with three defensive linemen with over 20 quarterback pressures this season, alongside Michigan, with Tashon Smallwood ranked third nationally among all defensive tackles with 27 pressures on the season to go with JoJo Wicker's 24 and A.J. Latu's 20.
Latu, after having just 1.5 tackles for loss and no sacks in his career, has burst on to the scene in his senior year with 8.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks – with his 0.75 sacks per game good for 24th nationally and third in the league.
ASU's inside linebacker combination of Christian Sam and D.J. Calhoun has established itself as one of the dominant duos in the nation.
Sam is currently ranked 3rd in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 7.1 solo tackles per game. He is 8th nationally and first in the conference in averaging 10.6 tackles per game. He is tied for 6th in the country among inside linebackers with a 12.9 run-stop percentage - good for first in the Pac-12 - with 33 total stops on 255 run snaps played according to PFF. A stop constitutes a "loss" for the opposing team's offense.
Calhoun is one of just three inside linebackers in the country this season - and the only Pac-12 ILB - to not miss a single tackle on a running play this season with 56 tackles and none missed. Calhoun has missed just one tackle, period, this season (on a passing play) and is second in the nation in tackling efficiency with 78 total tackles to just one missed tackle (78.0 efficiency per PFF. Calhoun is third in the conference and 43rd nationally with 8.7 tackles per game. He is tied for 27th nationally and is second in the Pac-12 in averaging 5.4 solo tackles per game.
Bennett, now a multiple-time nominee for the Broyles Award, brought nearly 40 years of coaching experience to the Tempe campus, including six seasons as the head coach at SMU (2002-2007) and eight stints as defensive coordinator at eight different schools. Throughout his career, Bennett has overseen the growth of 54 different players that have gone on to NFL careers. ASU's appointment as defensive coordinator is his ninth.
The 56 nominees in this year's class were selected from approximately 1500 assistant coaches representing 129 Division One programs across the country. For the first time in the award's 22-year history, a committee representing the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) was also included in the Broyles Award selection process.
An 18-member selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, along with a committee representing the Football Writers Association of America will select 15 semi-finalists and five finalists from the list of nominees and an overall winner. Those finalists will be invited to travel to Little Rock, Ark. where the 2017 Broyles Award winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 5th at the Marriott Hotel. For more information about the award, download the official Broyles Award brochure here.
The winner of the 2016 Broyles Award was Brent Venables, Clemson defensive coordinator. Winners from the past five seasons are not eligible to be nominated for the Broyles Award. For a list of all previous winners and finalists, visit the Broyles Award website.
This year marks the second time the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation has presented the award. Proceeds from the 2017 Broyles Award support the mission of the Broyles Foundation; to provide education, support, and resources to Alzheimer's caregivers. The Broyles Foundation can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Broyles Award
The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles' legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his almost two decades as head coach at Arkansas. You can follow the Broyles Award on Facebook and Twitter.
About the National College Football Awards Association
The National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 699 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
About the Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America, founded in 1941, consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com
A year removed from one of the worst statistical years for a Sun Devil defense in history, Bennett's guidance and decades of FBS coaching experience have led to a resurgence that has shown flashes reminiscent to the dominating ASU defenses from early in the Todd Graham tenure.
ASU is currently eighth nationally and second in the Pac-12 in averaging 3.33 sacks per game while also sitting in the Top-30 nationally in turnover margin and third in the Pac-12 with a .44 average per game.
The Sun Devil pass defense has seen arguably one of the top turnarounds in the country after finishing dead last in the nation in 2016 in allowing 357.4 passing yards per game. The 2017 squad has trimmed nearly 100 yards off that total, down to 263.7 yards per game – despite not returning a single day-to-day starter in the secondary and fielding two starting corners who had not played a single down of Division I football prior to this season.
The 2017 Sun Devils have also trimmed the production of opposing quarterbacks, allowing a 135.81 opponent quarterback efficiency this season compared to a 156.94 total that was among the five worst programs in the country in 2016.
ASU has four games this season allowing fewer than 200 passing yards, matching its total from 2014. It had five such games in 2013 and eight in 2012. 2017 marks the first time ASU had at least three games in a row allowing fewer than 200 passing yards since opening the 2012 season with seven such games.
ASU allowed just 467 total passing yards in its three-game stretch against Stanford, Washington and Utah. Again, for perspective, ASU had given up more than that in a single game on seven different occasions in the 29 games prior to that run.
Overall, the Sun Devil defense is allowing 390.8 yards per game this season – shaving 50 yards per game of last season's 441.9 yards per game - and 30.8 points per game, which is down nearly 10 points from last season's 39.8 points per game.
ASU is one of just two programs in the country with three defensive linemen with over 20 quarterback pressures this season, alongside Michigan, with Tashon Smallwood ranked third nationally among all defensive tackles with 27 pressures on the season to go with JoJo Wicker's 24 and A.J. Latu's 20.
Latu, after having just 1.5 tackles for loss and no sacks in his career, has burst on to the scene in his senior year with 8.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks – with his 0.75 sacks per game good for 24th nationally and third in the league.
ASU's inside linebacker combination of Christian Sam and D.J. Calhoun has established itself as one of the dominant duos in the nation.
Sam is currently ranked 3rd in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 7.1 solo tackles per game. He is 8th nationally and first in the conference in averaging 10.6 tackles per game. He is tied for 6th in the country among inside linebackers with a 12.9 run-stop percentage - good for first in the Pac-12 - with 33 total stops on 255 run snaps played according to PFF. A stop constitutes a "loss" for the opposing team's offense.
Calhoun is one of just three inside linebackers in the country this season - and the only Pac-12 ILB - to not miss a single tackle on a running play this season with 56 tackles and none missed. Calhoun has missed just one tackle, period, this season (on a passing play) and is second in the nation in tackling efficiency with 78 total tackles to just one missed tackle (78.0 efficiency per PFF. Calhoun is third in the conference and 43rd nationally with 8.7 tackles per game. He is tied for 27th nationally and is second in the Pac-12 in averaging 5.4 solo tackles per game.
Bennett, now a multiple-time nominee for the Broyles Award, brought nearly 40 years of coaching experience to the Tempe campus, including six seasons as the head coach at SMU (2002-2007) and eight stints as defensive coordinator at eight different schools. Throughout his career, Bennett has overseen the growth of 54 different players that have gone on to NFL careers. ASU's appointment as defensive coordinator is his ninth.
The 56 nominees in this year's class were selected from approximately 1500 assistant coaches representing 129 Division One programs across the country. For the first time in the award's 22-year history, a committee representing the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) was also included in the Broyles Award selection process.
An 18-member selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, along with a committee representing the Football Writers Association of America will select 15 semi-finalists and five finalists from the list of nominees and an overall winner. Those finalists will be invited to travel to Little Rock, Ark. where the 2017 Broyles Award winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 5th at the Marriott Hotel. For more information about the award, download the official Broyles Award brochure here.
The winner of the 2016 Broyles Award was Brent Venables, Clemson defensive coordinator. Winners from the past five seasons are not eligible to be nominated for the Broyles Award. For a list of all previous winners and finalists, visit the Broyles Award website.
This year marks the second time the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation has presented the award. Proceeds from the 2017 Broyles Award support the mission of the Broyles Foundation; to provide education, support, and resources to Alzheimer's caregivers. The Broyles Foundation can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Broyles Award
The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles' legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his almost two decades as head coach at Arkansas. You can follow the Broyles Award on Facebook and Twitter.
About the National College Football Awards Association
The National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 699 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
About the Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America, founded in 1941, consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com