Tag: Arizona State Football

UNLV Officially Will Host Arizona State At Allegiant Stadium

UNLV will now host all but one game at the Raiders stadium.

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UNLV Officially Will Host Arizona State At Allegiant Stadium

Rebels will change a game vs Rams to make this happen.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Rebels are at the mercy of the Raiders

UNLV is getting another game to be played at Allegiant Stadium as an agreement between the Rebels and Las Vegas Raiders to be able to play the Sept. 12 game vs. Arizona State in the new NFL stadium.

To make this work, UNLV had to move its game vs. Colorado State to Friday to Oct. 23 because the Raiders have a primetime game on Oct. 25 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they want the field to look great.

“We are extremely appreciative of the Raiders organization for working with us on hosting the Arizona State game at Allegiant Stadium,” UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said in a statement. “Our community is energized behind new head coach Marcus Arroyo and his team as they move into one of the greatest sports facilities in the world and getting to host two Pac-12 Conference opponents there this fall will make it an even better experience for our fans and student-athletes.”

What this means is that only one game is going to be played at Sam Boyd Stadium when Louisiana Tech comes to town on Sept. 5. UNLV is at the mercy of the Raiders for when the Rebels can and can not play at their new multi-billion-dollar stadium.

Everything ended well with the Rebels having six of its seven home games at Allegiant Stadium. This year ended up well but future years might have some schedule juggling since the Rebels are tenants as the Raiders own the stadium and allow UNLV to play there, well, sometimes.

The only thing that could put a wrench in where games could be played in 2020 is if either the pro or college football season is adjusted due to COVID-19.
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College Football News Preview 2020: Arizona State Sun Devils

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing and predicting the Arizona State Sun Devils season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Arizona State Sun Devils season with what you need to know.

CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State preview in 60 seconds

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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– ASU Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 8-5 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Herm Edwards, 3rd year, 15-11
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 37
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 33
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 30

NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Arizona State Sun Devils Offense 3 Things To Know

– It was inconsistent, it was occasionally ineffective, and it needed more pop, but the offense was able to come through here and there when it absolutely had to. It finished tenth in the Pac-12 overall, couldn’t run enough, and was dead last in first downs.

And now it loses two of its main parts.

RB Eno Benjamin and WR Brandon Aiyuk are off to the NFL, but Jayden Daniels is back after a strong true freshman season. He was a bit too conservative – often in a good way, only throwing two picks on the year – but he’s a dangerous passer who hit the 300-yard mark five times, highlighted by his 408-yard day against Oregon. But Aiyuk …

CFN in 60 Video: Arizona State Sun Devils Preview
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– The star deep threat is done. Aiyuk is now a San Francisco 49er after leading the team with 65 catches. No. 2 target Kyle Williams is done, too, but Frank Darby is a dangerous big-play target who who averaged close to 20 yards per catch on his 31 grabs with eight scores. Finding a go-to receiver who can do a little of everything is a must.

– The offensive line has to be stronger. Donovan West is a star on the inside at either guard or taking over for Cohl Cabral at center, and there’s hope for an instant boost with transfers Kellen Diesch from Texas A&M and Henry Hattis from Stanford to help the cause. The line only paved the way for 123 yards per game and had major problems in pass protection.

Finding a replacement for Eno Benjamin is the bigger problem. 1,519 of the rushing 1,602 yards and all 13 touchdowns came from someone other than the available running backs on the roster. There are options – sophomore AJ Carter is the main one – but there’s little to no experience to handle the work.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Arizona State Sun Devils Defense 3 Things To Know

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

CFN in 60: Arizona State 2020 Preview

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Arizona State Sun Devils season with what you need to know.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Arizona State Sun Devils season with what you need to know.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

CFN in 60: Arizona State 2020 Preview

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Arizona State Sun Devils season with what you need to know.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Arizona State Sun Devils season with what you need to know.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Another 2020 mock draft links Saints to ASU’s Brandon Aiyuk

The New Orleans Saints landed Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the latest 2020 mock draft from NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.

The 2020 NFL Draft is little over a week away, and there’s a growing consensus among the experts on who the New Orleans Saints might end up picking. The majority of recent mock drafts have paired the Saints with LSU Tigers linebacker Patrick Queen, but the runner-up has to be Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ESPN’s Mel Kiper stands apart, having thrown the Saints together with Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell).

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager can be counted in the camp advocating for a Saints-Aiyuk teamup, having made that connection in his own updated mock draft:

The love for Aiyuk in league circles is a lot stronger than what we’re hearing in the media. In speaking with multiple GMs, even with the deep wideout class, Aiyuk is expected to come off the board in Round 1. I’ve got him going to New Orleans, a team that has very few holes, but could use one more receiver if the Saints are going to make a run for Drew Brees‘ elusive second Super Bowl ring this season. Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Aiyuk would form a very dangerous 1-2-3.

Aiyuk is an intriguing prospect, especially in the scenario Schrager sketched out. He projects Aiyuk to be the fifth and final wideout to be picked in the first round, with both of the top two linebackers already off the board once the Saints are on the clock (Kenneth Murray joining the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 19, and Queen getting sniped just ahead of the Saints by the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 21). If New Orleans is determined to address linebacker — its most-pressing remaining roster need — on the first day of the draft, a trade up the board might be in the cards.

However, Aiyuk would be a nice consolation prize, reinforcing a strength of the team even further. He’s one of the best run-after-catch threats in this draft class, making him an ideal fit with Drew Brees. If the Saints are going to continue being reluctant about gaining chunks of yards through the air on shot plays, trusting Brees to accurately put the ball in the hands of agile playmakers like Aiyuk would be the best path forward. There’s certainly an appeal to surrounding Brees with as many viable receivers as possible.

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Possible Saints draft target Brandon Aiyuk undergoes core-muscle surgery

Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is a target for the Saints in the 2020 NFL Draft, but his recent surgery might complicate things.

One prospect the New Orleans Saints may be eyeing in the 2020 NFL Draft just went under the knife. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk went through a core-muscle procedure on Tuesday. The injury this surgery repaired has dogged Aiyuk throughout the pre-draft process, but he gutted it out to finish athletic testing at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

While he described as a minor issue, Aiyuk did sit out Senior Bowl practices and the all-star game itself out of an abundance of caution. “If the Senior Bowl was next week, I would have been fine,” he told The Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran back in January.

Garafolo’s report added that the surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers, a Philadelphia-based specialist who is well-regarded in NFL circles for his work on groin muscle issues and sports hernia injuries. Given Meyers’ track record and Aiyuk’s own admissions, this shouldn’t be expected to develop into a long-lasting problem.

Now, will it impact his draft stock? Last-minute surgeries can cause a highly-rated prospect to fall down the draft board as teams look for rookies who can play right away, rather than sit out part of their offseason program. That’s what happened with Ryan Ramczyk, who the Saints drafted at No. 31 a few years ago despite the top-15 grade they’d awarded him. Ramczyk underwent hip surgery after Wisconsin’s 2016 bowl game, and ended up in a great spot with New Orleans.

However, we aren’t in a typical draft cycle. The NFL has already canceled lengthy stretches of its offseason calendar in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, including team workouts and organized activities, so Aiyuk won’t be missing more than other rookies around the league while recovering from surgery. In fact, Garafolo reported that the NFL’s adjustment played a direct part in Aiyuk’s decision to have surgery now.

So, it feels like this shouldn’t impact Aiyuk’s draft odds much at all. He could still slip a bit further than expected given the wealth of receiving talent in this year’s draft class, but we shouldn’t anticipate as big a drop for Aiyuk as might be expected in another year. He should very much be in play for the Saints at the end of the first round, as we projected in our latest 2020 mock draft:

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Daniel Jeremiah’s post-combine mock draft has Saints picking Brandon Aiyuk

Daniel Jeremiah connected the New Orleans Saints to Arizona State prospect Brandon Aiyuk in his updated post-combine mock draft on NFL.com.

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Wide receiver prospects remain the trendy pick for the New Orleans Saints in NFL mock drafts following last week’s combine in Indianapolis, with NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah connecting the team with Arizona State wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Jeremiah is a fan of Aiyuk’s ability to pick up yards after the catch, which he speculates could be featured well in the Saints offense.

That’s difficult to disagree with. While Aiyuk is currently seen as a fringe prospect to be selected in the first round, that speaks more to the depth and quality of this draft class than any flaws in his scouting report. Aiyuk was held out of Senior Bowl practices with a core muscle injury, but he completed athletic testing at the combine and put on a show.

Tipping the sales at 6-foot-flat and 205 pounds, Aiyuk sets himself apart with a remarkable catch radius — his wingspan measures in at 80 inches, just shy of the 81-inch wingspan boasted by Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, who stands nearly 6-foot-4. For added context, Michael Thomas measured in with a 78-inch wingspan when he came out of the college ranks.

That expansive catch radius allows Aiyuk to compete on off-target passes, giving him opportunities to make a play that opponents may underestimate or not expect. And as Jeremiah alluded to, he’s a terrific threat after the catch. He averaged 10.9 yards after the catch per the Pro Football Focus draft guide, forcing 14 missed tackles on just 65 catches. That raw speed and lower-body strength carried through into Aiyuk’s combine testing; he timed the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds exactly, and placed inside the top six competitors in both the vertical jump (40 inches) and the broad jump (128 inches).

He has the tools to help the Saints fill the role vacated by Willie Snead a few years ago, as their dynamic slot receiver. While Cameron Meredith’s body was too broken down to give him a real shot at it, the carousel of other candidates (ranging from Austin Carr to Dez Bryant and Brandon Marshall, as well as Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Krishawn Hogan) has been uninspiring.

Aiyuk specifically asked the Arizona State coaching staff to let him run more routes from the slot in his senior year, and that was reflected in his alignment. Per the PFF Draft guide, Aiyuk ran 102 slot snaps (out of 642 total) in 2019 after running just 26 snaps (of 402) from the slot back in 2018. He correctly diagnosed that his best shot at making a career in the NFL will come from the slot, and that’s something the Saints should keep in mind on draft day.

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Saints pick wide receiver and cornerback in latest 2020 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints picked Arizona State WR Brandon Aiyuk and Florida State DB Stanford Samuels III in the latest 2020 NFL mock draft.

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The New Orleans Saints are setting themselves up to approach the 2020 NFL Draft from a variety of directions, thanks to a talent-rich roster and a manageable list of pending free agents. However, their most pressing needs may lie at wide receiver and at cornerback, and a new three-round mock draft from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter acknowledged that.

Reuter connects the Saints with Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the first round, pairing the Sun Devils prospect with a first-team All-Pro wideout in Michael Thomas. Aiyuk is best known for his ability to gain yards after the catch and track vertical passes thrown deep downfield, so he could theoretically help out a Saints passing game that’s struggled to gain those chunks of yards through the air. He’s one of several receivers competing to be picked in the first round; a strong showing at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis could solidify his draft stock.

In the third round, Reuter has the Saints picking Florida State prospect Stanford Samuels III. Samuels is a tall, wiry defensive back (listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds) with a knack for getting his hand on the ball. He intercepted eight passes (with 16 total passes defensed) in three years for the Seminoles, lining up all over the secondary in zone coverage. He probably needs to bulk up to thrive in the pros, but he’d be a good fit for a Saints team severely lacking depth at cornerback; just three corners are under contract right now, and either Janoris Jenkins or Patrick Robinson could be salary cap cuts.

But what happened in the second round of Reuter’s mock draft? The Saints packaged this pick (No. 56) last year to acquire both Erik McCoy and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Reuter projects it to be traded again. It’s owned by the Miami Dolphins right now, but Reuter has the Detroit Lions ending up with it, and selecting Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Winfield is a tremendous talent (he intercepted seven passes in 2019 alone, and forced two fumbles), but you have to imagine the Saints are happy with what they got out of their involvement with this pick.

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How to Watch Florida State vs. Arizona State, Hyundai Sun Bowl Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Florida State vs. Arizona State Live Online.

After finishing the regular season on a high note that included an upset win against then-No. 6 Oregon, Arizona State will face Florida State in the Sun Bowl. The Seminoles are in a state of flux as they attempt to return to their winning ways after a tumultuous season. The teams have not met since a 52-44 Seminoles victory in 1984.

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Florida State vs. Arizona State

  • When: Tuesday, December 31
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Many wondered if the Seminoles (6-6) would even qualify for a bowl game after a regular season that included losses to Louisiana Monroe, Miami (FL) and Florida. The Seminoles had trouble putting any winning streaks together, getting back-to-back wins just twice during the season. New head coach Mike Norvell will get a first hand look at what needs improvement and what his focus will be going forward for the program. Norvell was hired earlier this month from Memphis after guiding the Tigers to a 12-1 record and American Athletic Conference title. The Seminoles will be coached by interim coach Odell Haggins, who took over when Willie Taggart was fired in November.

Running back Cam Akers and cornerback Stanford Samuels have both declared for the NFL draft and have decided to skip the game. Akers finished with a career-best 1,144 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, while Samuels totaled eight interceptions in 37 games over three seasons.

If anyone can get his team pumped up for a bowl game, it is ASU head coach Herm Edwards. Known for his passion and intensity, Edwards is looking for his first postseason victory. The Sun Devils (7-5) are in a bowl game for the eighth time in nine seasons and have not had an eight-win season since going 10-3 in 2014.

The offense will look quite different from the regular season. Skill players Eno Benjamin and Brandon Aiyuk are choosing not to play in the game to prepare for the draft. Benjamin has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, while Aiyuk totaled over 1,000 yards receiving. That puts freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels under an immense amount of pressure. He threw for 2,748 yards and 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 310 attempts. Daniels will still have a deep threat in Frank Darby, who had eight touchdowns and averaged 21.3 yards per reception.

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Saints sign a free agent wide receiver, but it’s not Antonio Brown

The New Orleans Saints signed free agent wide receiver Tim White to their practice squad following a group tryout involving Antonio Brown.

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The New Orleans Saints created a stir last weekend following a group tryout involving six different free agent wide receivers, notably including four-time All-Pro Antonio Brown. A few days later, the Saints signed one of the receivers they worked out, but it wasn’t Brown.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Saints practice squad added Tim White, a third-year pro out of Arizona State. White (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) initially spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad before joining the New York Jets’ offseason 90-man roster in 2019. He was waived during final roster cuts and had been a free agent until the Saints signed him.

New Orleans had a vacancy on their practice squad after having promoted rookie wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the active roster (replacing Krishawn Hogan, who ended his year on injured reserve), and several of the free agents they tried out practice squad-eligible.

That’s something Saints coach Sean Payton emphasized in his post-tryout media availability last Friday, when asked whether Brown’s involvement in the group workout prompted any plans to sign him: “No, not now. We had six guys in today, really. Six receivers that we worked out and a few of them are practice squad eligible. A few of them are veteran players. We worked them out, giving them physicals, mainly doing our due diligence on all of those players.” So far, all of the Saints’ actions following that tryout line up with Payton’s public statements.

For the curious, here’s who makes up the updated Saints practice squad:

  • TE Cole Wick
  • OL Casey Dunn
  • DL Jalen Dalton
  • CB Chris Johnson
  • LB Andrew Dowell
  • WR Tim White
  • WR Emmanuel Butler
  • RB/WR Taquan Mizzell
  • OL Derrick Kelly
  • TE/DL Mitchell Loewen

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