Devil’s Junkie Podcast

Sun Devil fans, let alone sports fans at large have never seen a pandemic bring the world of sports to its knees at best mudding the future of some sports and at worst bringing others to an abrupt end. So, in this environment we are left to talk about the impact COVID-19 will have on ASU football that could resume at the earliest in a couple of weeks, and wrap up the Sun Devil basketball and baseb...

ASU’s spring break still has us working, specifically delving into the state of the Sun Devils position by position they completed 50 percent of their spring practices. Later we move from the gridiron to the hardwood discussing ASU as a 3rd seed in the Pac-12 tournament this week and what they need to do to hear their name called in Selection Sunday and be called as “safely” in the field of 68. Th...

ASU basketball’s winning streak ended in a road sweep by the L.A. schools. What are the various postseason implications of these results in the next couple of weeks for the Sun Devils? We then shift gears to spring football and break down position by position our impressions of Arizona State. Thanks for tuning in! Episode Rundown (42 minutes) (0:44) We analyze where does the Sun Devil basketball s...

Episode Rundown (66 minutes)   (1:17) ASU successfully addressed some of its needs as it landed a backup quarterback in Daylin McLemore as well as tight end Jake Ray. Offensive coordinator Zak Hill offered his insight as to what each of those high school player prospects can bring to the table.   (11:56) The Sun Devils also added two graduate transfer offensive linemen and we caught up with one th...

Under Bobby Hurley, upsetting ranked opponents or comeback wins overcoming halftime deficits have been commonplace. Saturday night’s victory over Arizona though wasn’t just another contest that fit both categories. We discuss how historic this win actually was and have the Sun Devils now found the formula to build on its current momentum? Episode rundown (24 minutes)  (1:10) Reviewing ASU’s improb...

Much like the last day of 2019 the first week of 2020 has put a big smile on the collective faces of ASU football fans, seeing not only three four-star prospects publicly pledge to the Sun Devils in a span of 48 hours, but also realizing what impressive milestones have been achieved in the process. We examine all of the signees to date in this class, and what can be expected from them as incoming...

My interview on the NoBull show with Jordan Simone and Shawn Crespin reviewing the Sun Devil newcomers. This interview was done before LV Bunkley-Shelton committed to Arizona State.

It’s been whirlwind of activity for the first three or so weeks of December and this week's episode covers it all. We take a deep dive look at the crop of ASU newcomers inked in the early signing period, as well as the multiple staffing decisions made by Herm Edwards on both sides of the ball and the thinking behind all of them. Thanks for tuning in and Happy Holidays!!!  Episode Rundown (62 minut...

I offer my analysis of the crop of Sun Devil newcomers, as well as explain why Hem Edwards decided to name Tony White as defensive coordinator 

A ho-hum ASU win over its archrival didn’t generate many fireworks but the next morning in Tempe was much more eventful in comparison as head coach Herm Edwards announced the dismissals of offensive coordinator Rob Likens, wide receivers coach Charlie Fisher and tight ends coach Donnie Yantis. Those two topics and an extensive Q&A session with ASU fans are all covered in this week’s episode. Episo...

Herm Edwards said it best: ABC didn't come to Tempe to feature a 5-5 ASU team but rather their opponent no. 6 Oregon, but following a signature 31-28 win over the Ducks, it was the home team that their crew was ultimately talking about. We review that exciting Saturday night Homecoming game, look ahead to the Sun Devils' rivalry game this weekend through the lens of a former Arizona player and the...

If you follow the Sun Devil football team and feel trapped in a Groundhog Day environment, you’re probably not alone. As repetitive deficiencies continue to reveal themselves, Arizona State isn’t able to stop the bleeding and finds itself with the longest losing streak, four games, it had endured since 2016.  We discuss the key factors in the loss in the 35-34 loss to Oregon State, the highly cont...

The soul-searching process for ASU continues, as does their skid which now stands at three games. We discuss what went wrong in a 31-26 home loss to USC, and invite former ASU quarterback, Rudy Carpenter, to discuss the debut of true freshman signal-caller, Joey Yellen, who nearly led the Sun Devils to a comeback win. We also talk some Arizona State hoops as the basketball team tipped-off its 2019...

We said ASU was at a crossroads going into the UCLA contest, and following the loss to the Bruins, the Sun Devils' season has now taken a sharp and adverse turn. What are the aspects that have contributed to a two-game skid and can Arizona State rebound in November? We try to make sense of it all with our guest former Arizona State defensive back and Sun Devil Network sideline reporter, Jordan Sim...

The Devil’s Junkie Podcast: Following lopsided loss ASU’s resiliency will be tested once again A minor setback before a major comeback? That’s how the ASU coaches and players would like to view their 21-3 loss to Utah as they look to bounce back from that defeat as they take to the road again to meet UCLA. We discuss what took place Saturday night in Salt Lake City and what implications can that c...

Reviewing another dramatic Pac-12 win, this time at home to the tune of a 38-34 decision over Washington State, and how the positive familiar trends outweighed the negatives tendencies in a precious conference victory. This Saturday it’s on to Utah for a challenging road battle against the favorite to win the Pac-12 South. We discuss the key elements of this week’s foe and how they can affect the...

Reviewing the 24-17 road win at Cal, and going into the bye we provide our overview of the 2019 season to date, and whether the Sun Devils are poised to better themselves from last season’s mark? We also discuss the new California State law allowing student-athletes to earn money from using their likeness in 2023.   Episode Rundown (56 minutes) (1:30) Another week, another road win against a ranke...

Recapping the 34-31 loss to Colorado and discussing whether the Sun Devils can rebound as they take to the road to face no. 15 Cal? Episode Rundown (38 minutes) (1:03) A less than adequate defensive game plan put ASU in a hole that they could not climb out of. What were the aspects that contributed to it? (12:00) Even in a loss, there are a lot of positives that the Sun Devil can draw upon for the...

Episode Rundown (32 minutes) (0:44) Discussing the all too familiar sight of a dominating Sun Devil defense which bends but not breaks and in instrumental in supporting a struggling offense en route to another win. (11:58) Having extremely difficulty is moving the ball and scoring against a stout Spartan defense is more than understandable, but when it counted the most this side of the ball for AS...

My interview today with Jon Crispin and Jon Jansen breaking down Saturday's afternoon matchup in East Lansing

Episode Rundown (45 minutes) (0:52) What has been the main culprit for the Sun Devils' offensive struggles and how can they be remedied?   (15:55) The ASU defense and special teams, on the other hand, have been bright spots in this young 2019 season. How can their performance be impacted as they continue and carry a heavy burden for this team?  (33:16) Looking ahead to the road game at Michigan St...

Episode Rundown (75 minutes) (1:09) Why was Jayden Daniels named ASU's first-ever freshman quarterback to start the season opener? We discuss the evolution of this position battle and what this means now to the other signal-callers in terms of their depth chart ranking.  (16:44) There were many other stories lines on offense to track at Camp Tontozona and discuss them all in this segment (43:00) M...

Episode Rundown (18 minutes)   LOS ANGELES - Ralph Amsden and Hod Rabino share their impressions of Pac-12 Media Day, how the various coaches reacted to their standing in the preseason poll, and how do they see the division races shaping up for the 2019 season.

We’re exactly one month ahead of ASU’s season opener and just a couple of days away from the Sun Devils’ first preseason practice. We take a comprehensive look at the 2019 Arizona State squad and break down each and every position and its storylines going into this season. Episode Rundown (128 minutes) (1:11) Reviewing the media preseason poll from Pac-12 Media Day. Was that projection a fair one...