Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/181992
Game Preview: arizona state A By Dan Murphy rizona State did itself no favors on the schedule during the month of September. Saturday's trip to AT&T Stadium in Dallas to play Notre Dame will be the grand finale of an early-season gauntlet loaded with brand-name opponents. The Sun Devils have returned from a bout with mediocrity under secondyear head coach Todd Graham, but the program has yet to prove it can be a consistent winner on the big stage. Arizona State is 0‑19 against top‑10 teams this decade, and is 4‑15 against all ranked opponents since 2008. Athletics director Steve Patterson gave his players a string of chances to get over that hump in the past month. The Sun Devils have played then-No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 5 Stanford and USC in the three weeks leading into their game against the Irish. Despite the murderer's row of nationally prominent teams, the school's fan base has had its sights set on a victory in Dallas since this summer. "It's pretty much all that people have been talking about around here for several months," said Doug Haller, who covers Arizona State sports for the Arizona Republic. "If they don't win, there are going to be a lot of people jumping off the bandwagon." After a season-opening warm-up against Sacramento State (55-0), the Sun Devils (2-1) beat Wisconsin in one of the most bizarre finishes in college football in recent memory. Lackluster officiating cost the Badgers a chance to kick a last-second field goal in a 32-30 ASU triumph. The following week, Stanford owned the line of scrimmage in a 42-28 result that was more of a beat-down than the final score indicates. Playing against tough, physical opponents early in the year kept Graham and his offense from establishing a running game. The Sun Devils averaged 108.0 yards per game on the ground, a Game Info Notre Dame Vs. Arizona State Date: Oct. 5, 2013. Site: AT&T Stadium (80,000). Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET. Television: NBC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Series Facts: This is the third meeting between Notre Dame and Arizona State. The Irish hold a 2-0 advantage over the Sun Devils. Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (31-13, fourth season). Arizona State — Todd Graham (11-6, second season). Noting Arizona State: In Shamrock Series games, Notre Dame's annual home-away-fromhome contest, the Irish remain undefeated heading into their trip to Dallas (they have won the four contests to date by an average margin of 28 points) … Arizona State head coach Todd Graham is facing the Irish for the third time in four years; he beat Notre Dame while at Tulsa in 2010 and lost as the Pitt coach in 2011 … The Irish are 4-2 under Brian Kelly in professional sports stadiums — and they'll play in NFL stadiums twice this season — against Arizona State in Dallas and at Pittsburgh.