Pac 12 Football Teams Arizona State 
If you still have Direct TV, Great News… You can view the ASU – Illinois game on September 8th. Why? Because it will be on ESPN
Former Washington quarterback Brock Huard (right) will work the contest as analyst.
What do you see from this matchup?
“Obviously, the storyline is two new head coaches coming in and implementing their systems and their beliefs and trying to find a level of identity, which sometimes is difficult for coaches even at established programs. Last year, midway through the year I talked with Bill Snyder at Kansas State. I said to him, ‘Tell me about your identity.’ And even Bill Snyder, a guy at 71, said, ‘I don’t really know. I’m trying to figure that out.’ So for both of these new coaches, they’ve been trying to build that identity through the month of August. It’s going to be the first real true physical tests for programs that are both pretty similar in position and standing right now.”
What’d you think of the Todd Graham hire?
“I’ve never done a game with Coach Graham. I met him at Pac-12 Media Day. I think the consensus coming out of Media Day was that he was pretty impressive. I know he’s incredibly aggressive. When I think of him and his style and the places he’s been, and frankly, his career arc in the moves he’s been willing to make and continue to move up that coaching ladder, he’s willing to take risks. He’s very aggressive. I think that’s in his nature, and he has a challenge on hand there to change the culture and some of the out-of-control ways that unfortunately ran rapid there I think the last five years.”
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ASU long has been referred to as a sleeping giant. Do you buy that?
“So much of that belief is built around recruiting. And recruiting is the lifeblood of college football and the fact that you have 85 scholarships that has leveled a lot of the playing field across college football. Well, at ASU, you get to recruit to Phoenix, Arizona, where it’s sunny how many days a year and it’s a nice college campus with lots of opportunities academically and socially and how can you not recruit the cream of the crop to come there? I think so much of that perception of a sleeping giant is built around the opportunities you should have in recruiting, but the challenge in the conference is, well, there’s USC. And USC has many of those same opportunities and it’s in the No. 2 media market in the world. Plus, you have all that history and tradition. And then there’s Oregon with Phil Knight and all the resources there. Look at Washington, where I’m from in Seattle. Another great city with a passionate fan base and a history of success, especially through the ’80s and ’90s. Arizona State has to have that level of success. They first have to build that to really reap the benefits of the opportunities that are there. “
Illinois QB injured
Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase left Saturday’s 24-7 win over Western Michigan with an ankle injury. His availability for Saturday’s game in Tempe is not yet known.
Before the injury, Scheelhaase, a dual-threat quarterback, completed 11 of 18 for 126 yards with a touchdown and interception. He also rushed seven times for 21 yards and a score.
Last year in Champaign, Scheelhaase completed 11 of 15 for 135 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 17-14 win. He also rushed 18 times for 67 yards.
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