The Arizona State football team hasn’t been considered elite since Jake Plummer was taking snaps, but Sun Devils fans have to be happy with the team’s progress under Todd Graham. The Devils are still a ways away from being considered one of the best teams in the country, but they are playing with a mental toughness that was sorely lacking under previous regimes.
In years past, the Sun Devils have been extremely susceptible to “letdown” games -- under Erickson, ASU was 5-9 in games played the week after facing a ranked opponent -- and it seemed to derail promising seasons always. Last Thursday's tilt against Pac-12 favorite Oregon is exactly the sort of emotionally draining game that tends to leave a team listless the following week. So the Devil's mental toughness will be put to the test this weekend when they host the UCLA Bruins for their homecoming game on Saturday, October 27.
The Bruins aren’t great, but they’re good enough to steamroll ASU if the Sun Devils don’t show up ready to play.
Sat., Oct. 27, noon, 2012
