2015 Arizona State Sun Devils football team

2015 Arizona State Sun Devils football

Cactus Bowl, L 42–43 vs. West Virginia
Conference	Pac-12 Conference
Division	South Division
2015 record	6–7 (4–5 Pac-12)
Head coach	Todd Graham (4th year)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Norvell (4th year)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Keith Patterson (2nd year)
Co-defensive coordinator	Chris Ball (3rd year)
Base defense	Hybrid Attacking
Captain	Mike Bercovici D.J. Foster Jordan Simone
Home stadium	Sun Devil Stadium (Capacity: 64,248)

2015 Pac-12 football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
North Division
#3 Stanford x$		8	–	1		12	–	2
#19 Oregon		7	–	2		9	–	4
Washington State		6	–	3		9	–	4
California		4	–	5		8	–	5
Washington		4	–	5		7	–	6
Oregon State		0	–	9		2	–	10
South Division
USC xy		6	–	3		8	–	6
#17 Utah x		6	–	3		10	–	3
UCLA		5	–	4		8	–	5
Arizona State		4	–	5		6	–	7
Arizona		3	–	6		7	–	6
Colorado		1	–	8		4	–	9
Championship: Stanford 41, USC 22
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant As of January 12, 2016; Rankings from AP Poll

The 2015 Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Todd Graham and played their home games at Sun Devil Stadium. They were a member of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Seasons at ASU	Alma Mater
Todd Graham	Head coach	4	East Central (1987)
Mike Norvell	Offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks	4	Central Arkansas (2005)
Keith Patterson	Defensive coordinator	2	East Central (1986)
Shawn Slocum	Special teams coordinator	1	Texas A&M (1987)
Chris Ball	Co-Defensive Coordinator, Defensive backs	4	Western State College (1985)
Chris Thomsen	Offensive line	3	TCU (1993)
Jackie Shipp	Defensive line	3	Oklahoma (1983)
Chip Long	Tight ends	4	North Alabama (2005)
DelVaughn Alexander	Wide receivers	4	USC (1995)
Josh Martin	Running backs	1	Tarleton State (2011)
Reference:^[1]

Previous season and offseason

Arizona State finished the 2014 season 10–3 (6–3 in the Pac-12), with a 36–31 victory over Duke in the Sun Bowl. The Sun Devils began the season ranked #19 in the AP Poll and won their first three games convincingly, but suffered a major loss when third-year starting quarterback Taylor Kelly broke his foot against Colorado. Backup junior Mike Bercovici made his first career start in a 62–27 loss to UCLA, the Sun Devils' worst loss under Todd Graham. The team quickly bounced back with a 38–34 victory over USC thanks to a Hail Mary with no time remaining to Jaelen Strong, a play dubbed by the media as the "Jael Mary". This momentum carried on as the Sun Devils defeated perennial Pac-12 power Stanford on ESPN.

Kelly returned from injury against Washington, and led them to a 24–10 victory. The following week ASU won a critical Pac-12 South game against top-25 Utah on a Zane Gonzalez field-goal in overtime. The following week, the Sun Devils played their biggest game in the Todd Graham era against highly ranked Notre Dame, a game that many analysts viewed as an elimination game for a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff. ASU stormed out of the gates leading 34–3 late in the first half, and although the Irish managed to cut the lead to 3 in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils pulled away and secured a 55–31 victory. With the win, ASU moved into the top-10 for the first time since the 2007 season. The good feelings did not last long however as the Sun Devils were upset the following week at Oregon State. Despite the loss, ASU went into the final week of the season with a chance to clinch the Pac-12 South championship, and earn the right to play Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

In the final week of the regular season, ASU was fighting for the Pac-12 South with UCLA, and in-state rival Arizona. UCLA was considered the favorite since they were playing unranked Stanford. But with a loss, the Arizona-Arizona State game would decide the division champ. Both games kicked-off simultaneously, and word had reached Tucson that Stanford upset UCLA with minutes to play. Arizona pulled away and defeated the Sun Devils 42–35, clinching the Pac-12 South. The following week, the Wildcats were defeated by Oregon who was selected to play in the inaugural College Football Playoff. ASU was invited to the Sun Bowl where they were matched with Duke. The game was expected to be a shootout as both teams had dynamic offenses. A late interception by ASU's Kweishi Brown sealed a 36–31 victory for the Sun Devils. Freshman running back Demario Richard scored all four Sun Devil touchdowns, and Zane Gonzalez added three field goals. A critical play was freshman Kalen Ballage's 96-yard kickoff return after Duke had taken a 31–30 lead to set up the go-ahead score. The 2014 season was a successful one in Todd Graham's third year as head coach. It marked the first time since 1973 Arizona State won ten or more games in back-to-back seasons.

Players drafted

Main article: 2015 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Team
1	30	Damarious Randall	Safety	Green Bay Packers
3	70	Jaelen Strong	Wide Receiver	Houston Texans
4	114	Jamil Douglas	Offensive Guard	Miami Dolphins
4	135	Marcus Hardison	Defensive End	Cincinnati Bengals

Reference:^[2]

Class of 2015 signees

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Jalen Bates DE	Kaplan, LA	Kaplan High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Oct 7, 2014
Jalen Bates DE	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Cade Cote OG	Gilbert, AZ	Williams Field High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	257 lb (117 kg)	Jun 23, 2014
Cade Cote OG	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Davon Durant OLB	Greenwood, SC	Butler Community College	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Oct 21, 2014
Davon Durant OLB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Raymond Epps TE	Yuma, AZ	Arizona Western College	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Apr 5, 2014
Raymond Epps TE	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Morie Evans ATH	Buford, GA	Buford High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jan 16, 2014
Morie Evans ATH	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Dillon Faamatau DT	Norwalk, CA	Norwalk High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	268 lb (122 kg)	Jan 26, 2015
Dillon Faamatau DT	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Tommy Hudson TE	San Jose, CA	Archbishop Mitty High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Jul 1, 2014
Tommy Hudson TE	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Malik Lawal OLB	Murrieta, CA	Chaparral High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	202 lb (92 kg)	Jun 18, 2014
Malik Lawal OLB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
George Lea DT	New Orleans, LA	Landry-Walker High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	258 lb (117 kg)	Nov 12, 2014
George Lea DT	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jaason Lewis ATH	Virginia Beach, VA	Ocean Lakes High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	241 lb (109 kg)	Sep 25, 2014
Jaason Lewis ATH	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Steve Miller OT	Gilbert, AZ	Gilbert High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Jun 23, 2014
Steve Miller OT	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Stanley Norman CB	Gardena, CA	Junipero Serra High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Jan 3, 2015
Stanley Norman CB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Kareem Orr DB	Chattanooga, TN	Notre Dame School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 2, 2015
Kareem Orr DB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Bryce Perkins QB	Chandler, AZ	Chandler High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	201 lb (91 kg)	Apr 3, 2014
Bryce Perkins QB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Nick Ralston RB	Argyle, TX	Argyle High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Feb 1, 2014
Nick Ralston RB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
DeOnte Reynolds DT	Pinole, CA	Contra Costa College	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	325 lb (147 kg)	Feb 4, 2015
DeOnte Reynolds DT	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Zach Robertson OG	Bellflower, CA	St. John Bosco High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	313 lb (142 kg)	Dec 26, 2014
Zach Robertson OG	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Khaylan Thomas OLB	Etiwanda, CA	Etiwanda High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Apr 3, 2014
Khaylan Thomas OLB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Mason Walter OT	Temecula, CA	Chaparral High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	Jun 23, 2014
Mason Walter OT	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Brady White QB	Newhall, CA	William S. Hart High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	186 lb (84 kg)	May 2, 2014
Brady White QB	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Joseph Wicker DT	Long Beach, CA	Long Beach Polytechnic High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	Feb 4, 2015
Joseph Wicker DT	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jay Jay Wilson ATH	Valencia, CA	Valencia High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Feb 2, 2015
Jay Jay Wilson ATH	Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 19 Rivals: 20 247Sports: 20 ESPN: 26
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 5, 2015.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent^#	Rank^#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	4:00 PM	vs. Texas A&M*	No. 15	NRG Stadium • Houston, TX (Texas Kickoff)	ESPN	L 17–38	66,308
September 12	8:00 PM	No. 18 (FCS) Cal Poly*		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ	P12N	W 35–21	46,500
September 18	7:00 PM	New Mexico*		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ	P12N	W 34–10	43,310
September 26	7:30 PM	No. 19 USC		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ	ESPN	L 14–42	61,904
October 3	4:30 PM	at No. 7 UCLA		Rose Bowl • Los Angeles, CA	FOX	W 38–23	80,113
October 10	7:00 PM	Colorado		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ	P12N	W 48–23	44,157
October 17	7:00 PM	at No. 4 Utah		Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, UT	ESPN	L 18–34	46,192
October 29	7:30 PM	Oregon		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ	ESPN	L 55–61 ^3OT	56,534
November 7	1:30 PM	at Washington State		Martin Stadium • Pullman, WA	FS1	L 24–38	32,952
November 14	1:00 PM	Washington		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ	P12N	W 27–17	51,695
November 21	1:30 PM	Arizona		Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ (Territorial Cup)	FS1	W 52–37	64,885
November 28	8:00 PM	at California		California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA	FS1	L 46–48	45,385
January 2	8:15 PM	vs. West Virginia*		Chase Field • Phoenix, AZ (Cactus Bowl)	ESPN	L 42–43	39,321
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Mountain Time.

Reference:^[3]

Game notes

Texas A&M

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sun Devils	0	7	7	3	17
Aggies	7	7	3	21	38

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First Meeting

Cal Poly

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mustangs	0	14	7	0	21
Sun Devils	7	14	0	14	35

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
3–0	1947	ASU, 33–6

New Mexico

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lobos	0	0	10	0	10
Sun Devils	0	10	14	10	34

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
23–5–1	2014	ASU, 58–23

USC

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	7	28	0	7	42
Sun Devils	0	0	7	7	14

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
12–19	2014	ASU, 38–34

UCLA

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sun Devils	9	6	14	9	38
Bruins	0	10	0	13	23

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
11–19–1	2014	UCLA, 62–27

Colorado

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buffaloes	7	3	7	6	23
Sun Devils	17	7	14	10	48

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–0	2014	ASU, 38–24

Utah

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sun Devils	10	0	8	0	18
Utes	7	7	0	20	34

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
20–6	2014	ASU, 19–16

Oregon

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	Total
Ducks	10	7	17	7	7	7	6	61
Sun Devils	0	14	17	10	7	7	0	55

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
16–17	2012	ORE, 43–21

Washington State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sun Devils	14	0	7	3	24
Cougars	0	10	7	21	38

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
26–13–2	2014	ASU, 52–31

Washington

	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	10	7	0	0	17
Sun Devils	0	3	7	17	27

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
17–15	2014	ASU, 24–10

Arizona

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	10	13	14	37
Sun Devils	14	17	0	21	52

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
39–48–1	2014	ARIZ, 42–35

California

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sun Devils	10	17	6	13	46
Golden Bears	3	7	21	17	48

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
16–16	2012	ASU, 27–17

West Virginia

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountaineers	9	13	14	7	43
Sun Devils	3	15	14	10	42

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
1–0	1979	ASU, 42–7

Rankings

Further information: 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	15	RV	RV	RV	NR	RV	RV	RV	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Coaches	16	RV	RV	RV	NR	RV	RV	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
CFP	Not released									NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Not released

References

↑ "Football – 2015 Coaches". Arizona State University Department of Athletics. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
↑ "Football – 2015 NFL Draft". National Football League. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
↑ "Schedule". Arizona State University Department of Athletics. Retrieved January 9, 2015.

Arizona State Sun Devils football

Venues	Normal Field (1897–1926) Irish Field (1927–1935) Goodwin Stadium (1936–1957) Sun Devil Stadium (1958–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Arizona (Territorial Cup)

Culture & lore	Sparky the Sun Devil "Maroon & Gold" Marching band

People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders

Seasons	1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

National championship seasons in bold

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