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The only podcast covering all things Arizona State athletics! We bleed maroon and gold, and love talking about the Sun Devils no matter what sport.
David Howman (00:01)
Welcome one, welcome all to another episode of the Echo from the Mutes podcast. I am your host David Hellman joined by my two co-hosts, Tom Harden and Austin Bundy. And we are really excited because it's almost game time. It's time for Arizona State. They're back in the top 25 after upsetting Texas Tech last week. And now they get another home matchup against Houston. The Cougars are a little bit tougher of an opponent than some people thought they would be.
Tom Hardon (00:13)
and
David Howman (00:30)
at the start of the season, they're coming into this game looking really hot. Their only loss is to Texas Tech and they pose a significant challenge for Arizona State, especially now that they're back in the top 25 and they're looking to stay in the top 25. The last time that they got back in, of course they had that loss to Utah. So this is kind of the moment where it feels like everything is coming up to this moment that they can show that they have that consistency, they have their identity figured out.
Tom Hardon (00:54)
Thank
David Howman (00:59)
And of course, there's a lot of injuries that they're dealing with on top of it. So there's plenty to talk about today in this episode. ⁓ Tom, Austin, we've got a lot to break down for this game. What's the number one thing that Austin that you're looking for right now going up against Houston?
Tom Hardon (01:00)
Thank
Thank
Austen Bundy (01:17)
Well feel like Sun Devil fans, they don't know this by now, they've been living under a rock. ⁓ Sam Levitt will not have Jordan Tyson going into this game. He has been ruled out with an injury. I'm guessing it's the hamstring injury that he suffered against Texas Tech. So I'm looking for anybody not named Jordan Tyson to step up and be the number one receiver against Houston. Hopefully Sam's able to spread the ball out a little bit, but he's going to need somebody to step up in those big moments, someone who's going to be making those
downfield
catches when the team needs it. ⁓ I don't think they're going to be able to rely on the run game, whether that's Sam's own legs or it's going to be anybody in that committee of running backs. I think it's going to be Sam playing a little bit of hero ball, but he's going to need guys downfield to step up and make the catches that Jordan Tyson typically would make unless Kenny has come up with some game plan to figure out something where you're thinking and Duncan across the middle.
and just getting first downs and marching down the field into that red zone where we all know they're in need of some improvement. that's probably going to be the biggest issue. So that's what I'm looking for.
David Howman (02:25)
flawless.
No notes in the red zone.
Tom Hardon (02:34)
Yeah, Austin, I'm with you. This is an opportunity for for Jaren Hamilton to build off his breakout game. It's an opportunity for Jalen Moss to step up tight end involvement. I want to see obviously more Shamama Taylor, but Cam Harpole in there as well. Even if the run game isn't isn't paramount this week, getting it working some passing to the running backs and. Keep a lot of the pressure.
keep a lot of pressure on the Houston defense to step up and defend against the pass. If it works, find someone that works, keep twisting the knife, keep working it, keep them having to step up and keep up.
David Howman (03:21)
Yeah, someone's gonna have to step up in this receiving core and it's anyone's guess on who it's gonna be. One of my friends from college when I was at Arizona State, he out of the blue, D owned me this morning, was just like Jared Hamilton legacy game incoming this weekend. And I was like, man, let's manifest this. Jared Hamilton really kind of had a little bit of a breaking out this last week, finally was able to connect on some of those deep shots.
And I think he's got a lot of potential as that downfield threat guy. I don't know if he, what necessarily he brings on all the other types of rats that we've seen from Tyson. I mean, he's the go-to guy for those quick in breaking slants. He's really great out of the slot with his route running skills. I think at this point with Jaren Hamilton, he's a little bit younger, obviously newer to Arizona State. ⁓ I don't know if he can.
do all of what Jordan Tyson does. But that's why you get a guy like Jalen Moss who is experienced. Obviously he's still getting into the rhythm within this offense. Shaman Mateyar, I feel like every single time we record an episode here, we're always talking about get more Shaman Mateyar, get more Shaman Mateyar. Like let's use him more. Every time that ASU has focused more on Mateyar in their passing game, good things come from it. And then the next week it's like, okay, he has
two targets and then we'd get back on here and we're like, where's my Shaman Mateo targets? And so maybe this is the week that like, like you were saying, using some of that underneath stuff, getting Mateo some easy stuff, whether it's on the catch, he's got some wheels for a tight end or just being that kind of checked down Charlie kind of guy, dink and dunk down the field. But they got questions with the run game too. mean, Kyson Brown is out for the foreseeable future. We haven't seen a whole lot from Kanye Yudo.
⁓ relic brownie has been banged up. He's been playing, but he's, he's playing through some injuries. They got some questions on, on the skill player positions. And then of course there's the offensive line. Makua Pule started at center this past week. ⁓ Ben Coleman is out for the year. So there's just questions all over this offense right now. And it feels like the one thing that is sort of a certainty is Sam Levitt, which is crazy to say because a week ago we were saying
I don't even know if he's gonna be able to play against Texas Tech and now it's like, say him Levit, like, come save us.
Tom Hardon (05:47)
you
Austen Bundy (05:54)
Yeah, that's right. mean, go for it, Tom.
Tom Hardon (05:55)
But through
adversity comes success. And it's been that next man up mentality all season long. And I don't think there's really been a more clear point for that than the stretch that ASU is currently in.
Austen Bundy (06:15)
Exactly. mean a lot of people are saying this is deja vu all over again ASU sitting at five and two after beating a big opponent coming off of a second loss without Sam Levin at quarterback in that game It feels like last year all over again, and hopefully this is ⁓ This is the beginning of the streak that they're go on run the table Hopefully all the way back to Dallas. We'll see if they can actually fulfill that ⁓
But I mean, gotta, at this point you gotta have faith. mean, they proved this all except David wrong last week with they can still keep up with the best in this conference. This is not one of those ⁓ major regression years where they are just absolutely a shell of themselves. I don't think they've played up to the level they did last season. But again, we're at the point of the year where that team was hitting its stride and perhaps they do that again now.
Tom Hardon (07:12)
It's also a tale of two different teams. We don't have Kam Skatabu this year. Everybody knows that. Trying to replace him, recreate him, what have you, this team has been able to find success in different ways. It's never really been the same way every single week, but somehow, someway, this team has been able to find success.
David Howman (07:12)
Yeah, I think.
Yeah, I think that's the most encouraging thing to me is we haven't even really, this team doesn't even really know what it is yet. I think defensively, they know who they are. They know what they can do on defense. They know what they're capable of. But especially on offense, feels like every single week, it's a different formula. they're, mean, we know Sam Levitt is looking for Jordan Tyson on any single play. He's...
Honestly, this game, he's probably still gonna be looking for him. He'll be there on the sideline, he can hit him there. But I think this team hasn't even really hit its stride yet. And that's equal parts encouraging and frustrating because you want at this point in the season to be where things start gelling. But for a variety of different reasons, largely coming down to injuries, but also just ⁓ probably a little bit of...
maybe feeling a little bit too confident in the off season as far as everybody's gonna take a step forward. I don't think everybody did take a step forward, but they're troubleshooting now and that's at least what you wanna see. ⁓ But then again, you're going up against Houston who, ⁓ Austin, you mentioned already how I called my shot this past week predicting ASU to win and I was completely right. I also called my shot on Houston being a surprise good team and.
Andrew Hazlett, who's not with us for this episode, but he pointed out ⁓ earlier in the week on our last episode, too. He was also high on Houston. I was saying back at the Big 12 Media Day, like Willie Fritz and the things that he's saying, the track record that he has as a head coach and where Houston was at in going into his second season sounded a lot like and felt a lot like they could be this year's version of.
2024 Sun Devils of kind of coming from nowhere and taking the Big 12 by storm. Like I said at the jump, only team they've lost to is Texas Tech. And until this past week when ASU beat Texas Tech, nobody had played the Red Raiders closer than Houston. They were actually very close in the first half with them and then the second half had a couple of unfortunate poorly timed turnovers. Things just kind of got out of hand. So.
They're a legit team. I don't think that there's necessarily any one thing that they do that's incredible. They just are very efficient. They know their identity and they don't shoot themselves in the foot. Tom, you you wrote about their offensive scheme specifically and this offense that Willie Fritz and Slade Nagle have going on in Houston. Tell us a little bit more about that and how ASU matches up against them.
Tom Hardon (10:21)
Yeah, so as I wrote for Devils in Detail earlier this week, Houston's offense is, they're not world beaters by any means. They don't have eye-popping stats that are going to jump off the page at you. There's no one, like, there's no one go-to guy. There's, you know, there's a handful of guys in the wide receiver room, but really where they are going to...
go after the Sun Devils is on the ground. They've got a great running quarterback. They've a solid running back room. They're going to pound the ball about 50 % of the time, if not more. And their way that they are going to try and win this game is to win the time possession battle and run the clock out. Give ASU as few opportunities to possess the ball as possible.
David Howman (11:14)
Yeah, and they're very, very good at it. And that's the formula that Fritz has had in multiple stops throughout his career, most recently at Tulane. And he turned Tulane into a really, really good football program with that approach. Of course, ASU is pretty darn good against the run too. And they just went up against a really good rushing offense against Texas Tech. And they were able to more than hold their own in that one.
⁓ so it's really going to be, think that that's the, what I'm most looking forward to as far as just a football entertainment standpoint of seeing a great run defense versus a great rush offense. I'm a little bit more concerned about how a Jordan Tyson less offense will do against Houston's defense. Cause their defense is also really good. And it's crazy because they lost their defensive coordinator this past off season, ironically to Texas tech.
and they went out and got Austin Armstrong, who's also another rising star in the coaching ranks. And they haven't missed a beat. Their defense, just they make plays over and over and over. Not necessarily like the splash play all the time. It's not like Texas Tech with their $50 million defensive line that's wreaking havoc every single play. But it reminds me a lot of ASU's defense last year where...
You know, they weren't going to necessarily dominate a game, but they made plays in the moments that mattered most. And it's that that's that's the kind of team that worries me the most because, know, when you face a Utah, when you face a Texas Tech, you know, it's going to be a big game. You know, it's going to be a tough game. But also, I think the just the anticipation of it, the players get hype for that game. They show up ready to play. Even though Houston is is only a one lost team.
Tom Hardon (13:08)
Thank
David Howman (13:09)
I don't know that this is necessarily a game where a lot of people are looking at it like this is a measuring stick for us. I mean, as we're talking right now, ASU's favor by seven and a half points doesn't really give the respect to Houston. does this count as a trap game? Is this something that we're worried about even though they have the better record coming into this one?
Austen Bundy (13:35)
I'm not particularly eager to call it a trap game based on record alone. think ASU respects Houston enough to know that this is a team that you can't look past. But I think that's by virtue of the fact that the biggest team ASU has to play is already behind them.
And so at this point, what are you looking past if it's just a territorial cup? The territorial cup happens every year. They're always waiting for that. But I don't think they're looking past any of these opponents towards that just yet. So I think they're going to take Houston serious enough. What's going to be more of the trap is the way the fan base and perhaps ⁓ the coverage of the game goes because ASU just beat Texas Tech. ASU is now ranked again. ASU has now got the storyline.
of will they repeat what they did last year behind them. ⁓ That's where think Houston gets maybe buried a little bit in a lot of the coverage, gets buried in how much attention they're really gonna get for how good they are at six and one. ⁓ So that's where...
The team itself, I think, is going to take them seriously. They're not looking past them. It's whether or not everybody else is going to think, Houston is this, like, this is an opponent we get up for. Like, this is an opponent you sell out Mountain America Stadium for and do everything you can. Like, the hype level may not be there like it was for Texas Tech. That's not to say that the fans aren't going to show out. Maybe, I mean, we all see how Kenny activates the Valley, but it's not going to be at the same level as it was leading up into the Texas
this tech game. think when people finally get to this game and the game finally gets going, then I think it's gonna start hitting people. But I don't think the team's going to look past Houston right now. I think they've got their eyes squarely on the task at hand. And I mean, you were talking about getting up and getting hype for this ⁓ from the players point of view. They've got some brand new uniform combinations that they're gonna be ⁓ debuting here.
for this game. again, it's going to be that look good, play good mentality. I think they got to go with. I mean, you had the sunburst last week that seemed to do some miracle on the team. Hopefully this all new, never before seen combination is going to do it for them this week.
Tom Hardon (15:58)
Yeah, I think I think if Houston is able to win this game, it'll be more so because of Arizona State beating themselves through. It doesn't even necessarily have to be through big mistakes. It'll be just little things, lack of execution, ⁓ ill time, ill time turnovers, ill times, play calling, what have you. But this is a game that Arizona State should be able to.
Should be able to win. I'm not going to say should be able to dominate, but you know, on paper this should be a win, but. Arizona State still could lose if they beat themselves.
David Howman (16:40)
Yeah, you were saying like, you know, ill timed turnover, ill timed play calling, ill timed special teams miscues could always be that. We talked about that on the last episode too. I think that's kind of where I'm sitting right now is only a way that ASU loses this game is if they do something to beat themselves, which.
I mean, that sounds like low hanging fruit and like coach speak of, know, nobody can beat us except ourselves, you but I mean, Houston is the team that like, like they are fundamentally built. They beat teams because they don't beat themselves and other teams do like that is where they're at. That is they're comfortable in that kind of mode. And that's what really does scare me about this matchup. And also like Austin, like how you were saying of
The focus right now in this game is ASU. They beat Texas Tech, obviously that's a huge win. And they should be the one that's talked about most just because they beat Texas Tech, which is impressive. And then of course there's the talk about Jordan Tyson. Can they do it without Jordan Tyson? But ASU's back in the top 25. And Houston, they were receiving votes. They didn't get into the top 25 based on where they were at in the receiving votes. They're roughly 29th in the country.
So they're looking at this and saying, like, okay, you know, we're not good enough for the top 25, even though we have a better record than ASU. You know, I mean, that could be a motivating factor. There's also kind of just the chip on their shoulder factor of, you know, hey, nobody's won in Mountain America Stadium since the 2023 season. Like, we can be the ones to do it. And you know what really helps out in a rowdy crowd like that?
having a strong run game that you can rely on. You're not doing as much communication before the snap. You're not having to change routes. ⁓ You just get up there, you run it, and their offensive line can just push people around and dominate. ⁓ That said, on the flip side, ASU is really freaking good at home. And I obviously don't doubt their ability to beat anybody at home.
Austin and Tom have clearly reservations about their the actual efficacy of their home field advantage, but ⁓ It's something that I think It's every every new week that they have somebody at home I think the longer that streak goes on the longer it becomes kind of a concern in the back of my mind of How much longer can they keep it up? How much longer can Kenny keep the valley activated and fans keep showing up? It's like again
awesome like you said they showed up for Texas Tech because undefeated number seven like that's an easy pitch showing up for unranked Houston and you know I mean they're not even a traditional big 12 school like how I'm curious to see how what the fan response is going to be for this game
Tom Hardon (19:50)
I'm going to throw a number out at your a few numbers out here. Looking at you Houston's improvement from from last year to this year. In 2024, Houston ranked 126 in passing offense at 152.7 yards per game. 90th in rushing offense at 135.4 and 128th in total offense at 288.1. This year their passing offense has.
Improved drastically through seven games to two hundred eleven point three yards a game. They're up to almost 170 yards per game rushing 381 yards per game in total offense now this this team has made leaping you know leaps and strides this year and they're They're still not you know, they're still not super high on the rankings. They're still coming in at about 90th and in passing offense and all of FPS, but
It's just the way that they go about it. is, you know, that's what gives me my only reservation because this is the kind of team that they milk the clock on their first drive. If they have the ball first and they and they get a touchdown, they're up seven nothing. We try and get it back quick. If we don't know if Arizona State does not.
convert on that next possession, Houston milks the clock again and before you know it, it's a 14-0 hole. That's what's lurking in the back of my mind as far as how Arizona State might end up beating themselves.
David Howman (21:24)
Yeah, mean, it's, the more I think about it, the more I'm talking myself into predicting the upset. I don't know if that's exactly where I'm gonna go with it. So, you know, check back on devilsanddetail.com to find out who we all pick. You know, I do have the best record among us, but it's gonna be...
Tom Hardon (21:46)
for now.
David Howman (21:50)
Obviously, and we talked a little bit about this on the last show too, the further we get into October, beginning November, like each one of these big 12 games now, like if they drop one more, that's kind of curtains for the big 12 title race. And Houston is kind of in the same spot where they have the one conference loss. They can't afford to.
to drop a second game. There's too many one loss big 12 teams right now. There's also two teams that are undefeated in the conference. So, you know, it's almost like we're already in playoff mindset right now within the big 12 specifically because it's it almost has this winner go home feel. Whereas all the other teams that aren't necessarily in the running right now, they get the chance to play spoiler. And for Houston, it's right now is kind of a
They kind of are living in both worlds where they can play spoiler because ASU is, or at least the betting markets are kind of overlooking Houston in this one. ⁓ But they're also right in the thick of things. that's, ⁓ it's, I'll say, ⁓ I love this feeling of the playoff feeling in late October already.
Before we didn't really have that before the college football playoff was expanded to 12 teams. was, you know, if you, if you lose one game, there goes your chance of competing for a national title. And then it's okay. Which bowl game would I rather go to? Um, so it has really elevated the in season enjoyment factor and the experience and, especially in the big 12, because it is fairly wide open. Um, you know, and whereas in the
SEC, it's like, well, we kind of know who the top two or three teams are going to be in the Big Ten. It's like Ohio State is going to win this conference. We know that Oregon is going to be right there. Indiana, we know is going to be in the mix, which is crazy to say that Indiana is like a lock like that. It's it makes me feel a lot more grateful that ASU is in the Big 12 now.
Tom Hardon (23:59)
you
Thank
Austen Bundy (24:13)
Yeah, exactly. you've got I think it was Joel Clad who said when the 12 team playoff was first introduced, you finally like these games mean something again. College football games in October and November means something again. You're not having, like you said, so many teams that are getting eliminated in September, getting eliminated in early October because they have their first loss. Unless you are a blue blood like in Ohio State or in Alabama that is given a second chance to get back in by winning.
their conference and their conference title games because they're all practically locked to make it there anyways. yeah, having ASU, ASU being in these environments, these unfamiliar environments that we all kind of grew up without because unless you were part of the Jake Plummer years or part of even that 2013 Pac-12 championship game era where
ASU had a potential shot at a national championship in that season. And then even right after that, the 2014 season with the first, 2014-15, the first year of the 14 playoff when the school got as high as number six and then it all came crashing down. But yeah, right. We're not going to mention the city that starts with a C.
Tom Hardon (25:29)
That's all that causes me pain.
David Howman (25:32)
Yeah.
My body hurts as you mentioned, mentioning that. I gotta chill all through my bones.
Tom Hardon (25:36)
So.
The other season that comes to mind as it was singing up those is 2007, co-pack 10 champions and ultimately getting blown out in the holiday bowl. But that's another one of those teams that gave Arizona State fans hope of making it to the next level.
David Howman (26:06)
Yeah, and that season was actually the first season that I went to a game. Like, first ASU football game was during the 07 season. And I was like, ⁓ man, like this is awesome. Like, we're so great. And then, you know, we all know what happened next. And it was just a rude awakening to being an ASU football fan. And I think that's like, like you guys bring up great points too is.
There's been successful seasons. There hasn't been consistency after the successful season. Like Todd Graham had consecutive 10 win seasons and that was, it was like he discovered fire when that happened. People lost their minds. They're like, my God, we did it. And then he went on about like, this is the best team I've ever coached and they went five and seven and, and, then quickly all the consistency that, that we thought we had with Todd Graham went out the door.
And we're still waiting on that. And this is kind of the first season where it was like, OK, Kenny Dillingham broke through last year, had the best season that anybody has had in a very long time as far as the national stage they played on at the very end. And then they brought back vast majority of their starters, more returning starters than any other team or tied for most in the nation.
Tom Hardon (27:08)
Thank you.
David Howman (27:34)
And, but now we're seeing some of the problems that have kind of thrown them off course. Kenny Dillingham even admitted after the Utah game, like he had been coaching his veterans soft and he changed his approach and it clearly worked against Texas Tech. But, but that's, that's something that I keep coming back to as well going into this game, but also going into future games, because even if they beat Houston, like great, they're, they're right back either. They're still in the thick of things in the big 12 race. Now you got to go on the road.
to Ames to face Iowa State. And they're one of those teams that's not really in the hunt right now. They could be if a few things go their way, but they're probably at this point resigned to playing spoiler and traveling to Ames is tough. But then also when you get back, like you have West Virginia, who is very much in that spoiler territory. You've got to go on the road to face Colorado. That's with the altitude, that's not exactly... ⁓
Tom Hardon (28:11)
Thank
David Howman (28:32)
That's not a gimme and Colorado just upset Iowa State as well. So. There I don't think they're a good team, but they're a team that you can't overlook. And so in this overarching theme of like. They need to just lock in the way that they did last season. It's just it's different once you've tasted success and being able to repeat that success is a very hard thing and it's obviously been especially hard for Arizona State over the years.
Tom Hardon (28:39)
Yeah.
Thank
I tell you what, that Colorado game is one that I've got circled as I'm just bracing myself for whatever may come. Even though we're farther ahead at that one, that's still one that's on my radar as, that's a must take care of business game.
Austen Bundy (29:23)
Translation, it's a doomsday scenario.
David Howman (29:26)
I love that that duality of man.
Tom Hardon (29:29)
I don't want to say the
name of that town, but we're all thinking it.
Austen Bundy (29:33)
Hahaha
David Howman (29:35)
I love the duality of man between you guys. Like that is a must win and then doomsday. This is where it all falls apart.
Austen Bundy (29:42)
Hahaha
Like I said, if I gotta employ reverse psychology for them to pull off another championship, I'll do it.
David Howman (29:52)
Yeah, small price to pay. But yeah, so I mean, obviously major stakes with football with this game against Houston. ⁓ Not to completely switch gears, but also to completely switch gears. Tom, what's going on with Sondeval hockey? Because that's kind of always our like, I feel like we can fall back on that and feel good whenever there's...
There's not great things going on in football, but I mean, we talked about on the last show, were a little inconsistent this last weekend. They're still kind of figuring out their identity similar to ASU football. ⁓ What are we looking for going into this weekend?
Tom Hardon (30:41)
Well, this weekend, thankfully, is a much needed buy that will give a chance for Brazen Bozer, hopefully, to get back to game shape. He's been out for the first six games with an injury. Arizona State also gets Jack Beck for the first time this season after setting up the first six games due to ineligibility reasons. So I'm looking for over the next week leading into next week's games at Miami of Ohio.
just flushing out a true game plan because what I saw in the Augustana series was very flat play and very uninspired play. I'm looking for, with the injection of Jack Beck into the lineup, he's projected to be a top six forward, projected to be a major piece on the power play, which has been woefully ⁓
inadequate going long stretches without without converting and even allowing three shorthanded goals last weekend when you have the man advantage you are not supposed to be giving up goals like that so I'm looking for coach powers and the rest of the coaching staff to
find that mix of lines. What I saw with the Colin Potter, Carmelo Crandall, Ben Keven line as the number two line, that line struck gold and should be the centerpiece line for, at least centerpiece of the top six.
getting health back on defense, really identifying who's going to be your main roster, your main lineup every night. Because this team on paper is deep, but Coach Power still has to figure out which guys will be going in night in, night out, who's going to be dressing every night.
David Howman (32:47)
Yeah, I mean, I'm, you guys know I'm not the biggest hockey guy out there, but also it's nice to be able to like, anytime that I see hockey doing great, it makes my heart so warm because, you know, I think we all kind of grew up around the time that hockey, like ASU started actually having a real hockey program and ⁓ it's just so unexpected.
of all the colleges out there to have like a really great hockey program that is Arizona State out here in the desert. And I just, love how much the fans have taken to it. ⁓ And I love seeing them do well. And so then when, they have those inconsistencies, it's like, my God, are they like, are they getting ASU-ified by everything else? ⁓ But you know, I mean.
Tom Hardon (33:41)
Well, we saw this last season too. It was a very similar slow start. And then the Denver series in mid November last year, that was the turning point that got the Devils on there, got their stuff figured out, got into their groove and really ran through and surprised not only the NCHC, but the college hockey at large.
David Howman (33:45)
Right.
Tom Hardon (34:07)
This year, Arizona State is no longer the underestimated. They're no longer the hunter, they are the hunted. And no team is going to sit back and look at Arizona State and think, this is, why do they even have a team? Why are they at this level? No, like they are.
Every NCHC team is going to have the Arizona State Series circled on their calendars and be prepared to the max to face the semifinals.
Austen Bundy (34:40)
Yeah, think once we get into, mean, non-conference late is still all important because it's where you're supposed to be racking up a lot of those early wins and boosting your resume a little bit. But I think once they get into conference play, I think they're going to start playing up to their competition a little bit more. And like I said last week when we were talking about it, it's the games where you need to take care of business. Like the Duluth series, where they're supposed to be the worst team in the NCHC this year. You take care of business in those series. It's a confidence booster. get rid of some of
bad habits and you're going to start playing up to the competition like the Denver's like the Western Michigan's like the North Dakota's, St. Cloud State's and really offer something more than we've seen so far this season. So I've got a little more confidence in the hockey team being able to step up and eventually be one of the four teams punching their ticket to St. Paul this year.
Tom Hardon (35:33)
Well, a Duluth team that is five and one and currently number 18 in the latest USCHO poll, I might add. They have taken a lot of people by surprise with how much they're improving. Miami is taking everybody by surprise with their four-and-oh start. They will be traveling to Lyndon Wood to play this weekend. That's a series that I will be keeping an eye on because I want to see just what this Miami team will bring to the table next weekend.
But it's also worth noting that Arizona State still has six non-conference games remaining, a series at Mold Arena Thanksgiving weekend hosting Ohio State, then traveling to Hanover, New Hampshire to play at Dartmouth before the holiday break. And then the first series out of the holiday break will be the Desert Hockey Classic.
David Howman (36:22)
Yeah, and in keeping with the theme of teams that are willfully under looked before they go on to prove people wrong, ASU men's basketball is... We're getting close to the start of basketball season guys, and just about everybody is picking ASU to finish last in the Big 12. I don't think that's a surprise at all. Whereas like a few years ago or last year when ASU football was picked to finish last,
It was like, okay, I don't think that they're one of the top teams in the Big 12, but last seems a little harsh. ⁓ For men's basketball, it seems about fair. But again, they can only prove us wrong at this point. They can only go up from these ⁓ expectations. ⁓ And also, they just had the Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day earlier this week.
Tom Hardon (37:02)
Thanks.
David Howman (37:21)
And I gotta say guys, I am really, really excited, really looking forward to seeing this women's basketball team. ⁓ New coach Molly Miller, anytime that I hear her speak about the team, the camaraderie that this roster has already built, which is almost exclusively built through the transfer portal once she got hired, ⁓ I feel like every time I come away with a new phrase that she has that I'm just like, that is incredible.
In this most in the media day at one point she said I want our team to be like going to the dentist. Nobody wants to do it. Nobody wants to face us because we're just we're going to be selfless. We're going to be relentless. We're going to be a team that plays as a team as opposed to having just like star players that we work through. And it just it feels like the chemistry of that group is for a team that, like I said, was built through the portal.
It feels really exciting. There's so many similarities to how I felt going into last year with Kenny Dillingham with football and just the energy and the positivity. ⁓ It's got me really fired up to watch this team once the season starts up.
Austen Bundy (38:34)
Yeah, for
sure. mean, it's one of those like, like you said, being able to emerge from the ashes. You've got two programs that were not, not fun watches last year. And, I, I'm like you, I'm excited for the women's team to, to prove a lot of people wrong. I want to see them really come out firing in all cylinders and just making a statement. It would be really impressive to see how Molly Miller
revives the program after it kind of went into a little state of dormancy and irrelevance in Tempe. I mean, with the men's team, I'm not as optimistic. ⁓ I mean, David, you know, when it was just you and I on Devils in Detail last year, I mean, I was kind of at about halfway through the year, I was kind of just like, hate watching those games because I just had to write about them. I didn't want to sit there and watch.
David Howman (39:14)
you
Yeah, I felt bad
every single time because you were like, I'll handle basketball. And I'm like, me, I'll handle football. And I mean, with a little overlap here and there, course. But I was just like, man, I got the better end of that deal. Boy, did I. ⁓
Austen Bundy (39:44)
Yeah, I was, I was,
least I had the hockey beat to at least alleviate it until Tom came along at the end there.
David Howman (39:51)
And then he took that from you. Well, and like, for those who don't know, like we, like Austin and I started with Devils in Detail like the night before the BYU game. So like the turning point for the season. And then literally from there, it was just constant upward climb, just win after win after win. They crushed Iowa State. And I was like,
man, they haven't lost since we started covering the team. Like, I think it's us. And then, you know, the beach bowl happened and the heartbreaking way that that happened. was like, okay, so it wasn't us, but you know, maybe we helped out a little, but then, on the flip side, you're covering that men's team and ⁓ boy, you know, it's, I feel like it's been always this constant trend with Bobby Hurley teams too, where non-conference is great.
Tom Hardon (40:41)
Thank
David Howman (40:48)
And even this last season, I mean, they ⁓ beat St. Mary's, they're a constant tournament team. They almost beat Gonzaga. And I think they lost to Florida. That was the only bad loss, which obviously Florida won the whole thing. So you're fine with that. But their non-conference record was really, really exciting against really good teams.
Tom Hardon (40:49)
Thank
Austen Bundy (40:51)
They played close with Gonzaga.
David Howman (41:16)
And then Big 12 Play started and just everything fell apart.
Austen Bundy (41:23)
We've seen that before with them. mean, what was the Remy Martins last season? They went what 12 and 0? They won all their non-conference games and then as soon as Pac-12 play came along, it's completely different team. would the real Sun Devils please stand up? And they all sat down for the rest of the year.
David Howman (41:25)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Tom Hardon (41:40)
Yeah, that's the point I was going make with the back to back years beating Kansas.
Austen Bundy (41:44)
Yeah.
David Howman (41:48)
Amazing experience beating Kansas, by the way, but you know, it's it again brings me back to that football season that we don't need to speak about, but where, know, you you get that win over Notre Dame and it's like, man, what a game. One of the best wins in football history. Don't need to talk about what happens after. So. Yeah, no, they beat Notre Dame, you know.
Austen Bundy (42:11)
That's where it ended. The season was over there. They made the playoff.
Tom Hardon (42:12)
you
David Howman (42:18)
They had to cancel the postseason, you know, reasons, ⁓ and that was it. Exactly.
Tom Hardon (42:24)
for competitive balance.
Austen Bundy (42:26)
Yeah.
And then that actually happened when COVID happened for the basketball team that would have gone to the tournament two years in a row.
David Howman (42:32)
Exactly. Yep. So it all, you it all comes full circle. And what I'm hoping for for men's basketball at this point is look terrible in the non-conference and see if that works out for a good Big 12 record because let's just try again, the reverse psychology. Yeah.
Tom Hardon (42:49)
reverse psychology, why not?
Austen Bundy (42:52)
I mean, they're
starting their season off against Gonzaga, so we can go ahead and put that in the last column.
David Howman (42:58)
But wouldn't it be so ASU to win that one?
Tom Hardon (42:58)
Bye.
Austen Bundy (43:02)
They started with a, yeah, started off with a win. Everybody's like, ⁓ Bobby Hurley in his final year back against the wall. And then it's just going to go up. Lafayette School for the Blind.
David Howman (43:08)
and then lose to like South Dakota School of Mines.
Tom Hardon (43:18)
in a sec.
David Howman (43:20)
Yeah, yeah, so But we still have a little bit before basketball starts up. I'm excited. I'm excited for both of those teams I'm more excited for women's basketball as we all I think we call her at this point ⁓ but ⁓ It's gonna be an interesting watch either way for both men's and women's basketball it'll be interesting to see in monitoring how hockey
is able to rebound after this bye like you were saying, Tom. And of course, we're all very, very excited and primarily focused on this game against Houston. ⁓ It's gonna tell us a lot one way the other about the team that we have this year, the resolve, how they're able to, you know, like we were talking about, not beat themselves, play clean, efficient football, do it without Jordan Tyson, doing it without a few guys that they have kind of leaned on throughout the season.
So I'm really excited. I'm looking forward to it. I know we all are ⁓ and and We're gonna have a whole lot of coverage during and after the game on our social media on Devils in detail And of course, we'll be back in a few days here at Echo from the Beats talking about the game ⁓ Hopefully talking in a positive light. I'm looking forward to getting to brag again about being right whether or not other people agree with me is
neither here nor there, until next time, until we get to that point, ⁓ signing off for Austin Bundy, for Tom Harden, Attica from the Beats, I'm David Hellman, and as always, give them hell, devils.