A good, long look at … Arizona State

By Ryan Greene

Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 | 12:41 a.m.

Each Friday during the 2008 season, the Sun will take an in-depth look at the Rebels' upcoming weekend foe, giving you a crash course on what you need to know, plus what you might not have known already.

A good, long look at ... Arizona State (Saturday, 7 p.m. PST, Fox Sports Net)

The rep ... You could almost take what was written about Utah in this piece a week ago, hit copy, hit paste, and really not skip a beat. Yes, another week brings another nationally-ranked opponent for the Rebels. This time it's No. 15 Arizona State, who is this year's most likely candidate to dethrone Southern Cal atop the Pac-10 ranks ... or at least the best equipped to make a run at the Trojan kingdom. Second-year coach Dennis Erickson - who has the 10th most wins among active coaches - has molded this program in a rather short time frame. The Sun Devils have a combination of size and speed which on paper justifies their spot in the weekly Top 25 polls. Of course, some talent mixed in there doesn't hurt, either. This is the first meeting ever between ASU and UNLV, which is surprising to some considering the two schools' proximity. The Sun Devils' identity this year centers around one of the nation's most polished and accomplished quarterbacks - senior Rudy Carpenter. In 37 career games, he's completed 62 percent of his passes for 8,731 yards and 62 touchdowns.

Last week ... The Sun Devils opened up Pac-10 play in Week Two with a 41-17 smoking of Stanford. In a sense, Rudy Carpenter just had another day at the office, tossing the bean for 355 yards and a trio of scores. Yawn.

Maybe the most significant story line to come from the victory was the hamstring woes of senior running back Keegan Herring - arguably ASU's most versatile offensive threat. After sitting the season's first game, he re-injured the hammy while picking up 59 yards and a score on 12 carries. His backup - junior Dimitri Nance - had 18 carries of his own, totaling 75 yards.

The Sun Devils trailed early - 7-3 after a quarter - but Carpenter hit his stride in the game's second stanza, hitting each of his top two receivers - Kerry Taylor and Michael Jones - for a score. The duo combined for 171 yards on 11 grabs.

Defensively, linebacker Gerald Munns was the anchor as usual, recording his first career interception and earning Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week Honors ... all with a broken pinkie on his left hand.

Overall, things weren't necessarily clean for ASU. The Sun Devils committed 10 penalties, but the defense held Stanford - and its three quarterbacks who saw the field - to just 120 yards through the air. Cornerback Omar Bolden - who UNLV coach Mike Sanford said could be the best in the Pac-10 - continued to brandish his aggressive style, and picked up a couple of flags in the process. Bolden said this week he has no intentions of backing down.

The significance of this week ... This week may not mean as much to ASU as it does to UNLV. That's just being honest. As much as some people like to put down the theory that teams could look ahead past an opponent towards a bigger one on the horizon, these are still mostly teenagers, and diverting those distractions is no guarantee.

ASU has No. 2 Georgia heading out to the desert in a week. Students at Sun Devil Stadium already have 'Bring on Georgia' signs on display (which were distributed last week by a group of local Chick-fil-A franchises). The buzz has already started.

Though from the technical side, Erickson might decide to hold a couple of guys back this week - most notably Herring. He's already said Munns won't go this week, while one would have to think that with what Herring's dealt with of late, he'll probably get some rest, too.

Ohio State said all week it wasn't looking past Ohio before squeaking by the Bobcats last Saturday in Columbus with USC on the horizon. Just saying.

Why Arizona State can beat UNLV ... Certainly, there will be matchup problems all over the board in the Sun Devils' favor.

When ASU's on offense, don't be surprised to see the Sun Devils heavily favor the pass. Jones - a 6-foot-4 senior - will likely be lined up across from Quinton Pointer, who's still adjusting after missing much of fall camp while recovering from an elbow injury. Carpenter likes to take shots down the field, and that could be the theme early on. UNLV also has some question marks, most notably in its front seven. It'll be interesting to see how ASU attacks the trenches, with the Rebels playing without Starr Fuimaono (torn ACL) and a not-at-full-strength Ronnie Paulo (lower leg bruise) in the linebacking corps.

Defensively for ASU, if it can win in the trenches, it probably wins the war. No doubt, UNLV's biggest strength on offense is an experienced and sound receiving corps. But they're only effective if Omar Clayton can get them the ball. And if the Sun Devils' havoc-causing defensive line can get in Clayton's face, that threat could be neutralized. Standing in their way, though, is one of the Mountain West's most experienced and technically strong offensive lines. The battle in the middle will decide things on that side, no question.

Why UNLV can beat Arizona State ... UNLV grabbed an early mental edge against Utah, and as everyone knows, couldn't quite sustain it beginning late in the first half last weekend. The opportunity to steal momentum could be there right off the bat for the Rebels. If the Georgia distraction holds any weight, UNLV has an opportunity to hit ASU in the mouth early - and make a decent impact.

For the UNLV offense, establishing Frank Summers could be key in keeping Carpenter & Co. off the field as much as possible. The Tank had a promising start in Salt Lake City, with 40 yards and a score on the Rebels' opening drive last week. Then he never really found a groove the rest of the night. UNLV should be trying to keep him in the fold.

In terms of working against the Sun Devils' senior gunslinger, the obvious sticking point needs to be tackling. The Rebels will be trotting plenty of new faces out there for some significant snaps this week - most notably freshman Nate Carter in the weak side linebacker post. Against an offense like ASU's, it's the little things - such as tackling - which could decide whether a game is kept close or if it gets out of control in an instant.

Infirmary report ... Munns is the one big name who for sure will be in street clothes Saturday. He had a pin inserted into his left pinkie on Tuesday. The depth at linebacker is just as much an issue for ASU as it is for UNLV these days. According to the East Valley Tribune, true freshman Brandon Magee hurt a pectoral muscle while lifting weights Tuesday, and another reserve - Chad Lindsey - left the team this week.

Again, a lot hinges on whether Herring is a go. Even if he can't, Nance is no slouch. But, still, multiple dimensions are nice to have. The two are very different backs, with Herring being the homerun hitter (he picked up 20 yards last week on his first carry of the year), and Nance being a punisher going north and south.

The Sun Devils could also be without tight end Andrew Pettes, who is nursing a groin injury. He, like Herring, will find out Saturday what's up.

A name which could creep up for the Sun Devils ... Erickson has toyed around recently with junior tailback Shaun DeWitty, a 6-foot-2, 227-pound monster of a ball carrier. He only has three touches this season (one carry, two receptions), but if Herring can't go, he might get an extended look.

Don't sleep on Las Vegas product Lawrence Guy, who at this time a year ago was beginning his senior season at Western High. He's made an impact early on at Arizona State and is seeing some serious run. He's totaled six stops so far this season, and is playing with a bit of added juice this week, as he doesn't want to be shown up by UNLV linebacker and close pal Ronnie Paulo.

Be sure to log onto www.lasvegassun.com both leading up to, during and after Saturday's game at Arizona State. You'll find ongoing numbers and analysis in our game day blog, plus postgame analysis, reactions from the Rebels, photos, video highlights and much more