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If the Arizona State Sun Devils weren’t already primed for their season-opener, they most certainly are chopping at the bit now.
This past weekend at Kevin Sumlin‘s annual Houston Coach’s Night, the Texas A&M head coach took a few jabs at the Sun Devils and head coach Todd Graham. During the speech, Sumlin brought Graham’s Texas-native roots into light. A little later, with a slight arrogance, Sumlin threw the haymaker when he mentioned how his program “snatched” the state of Arizona’s two best high school players the last two consecutive years (Kyle Allen in 2014 and Christian Kirk in 2015) right out of Graham’s fingertips.
Already set up for one of the biggest games of the 2015 season, the Sun Devils begin their campaign on the big stage against Sumlin’s Aggies. On Sept. 5, it’ primetime at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, a game that is expected to set the tone of the season for both teams. It’s as big of a game as any this year if the Sun Devils hope to start an early conversation for a playoff bid. A team often overlooked by PAC-12 juggernauts like Oregon and USC, the Sun Devils need to come out swinging against a team facing a transition year, but an SEC team nonetheless. Sumlin’s speech might have been the final ingredient to provide the Sun Devils with a winning recipe.
The Aggies might not be the best team in Texas this season, but their program has been on the rise in recent years under Sumlin, who has one of the best win ratios currently in the business. Still, even in what is expected to be a down year for Sumlin and the Aggies, A&M brings a big brand and an SEC trademark. Knocking down that opponent on the road under the big lights will undoubtedly skyrocket the Sun Devils’ stock.
Sure, it’s early and a non-conference game, but beating a big name, bigger-market team will prove that the Sun Devils are officially ready to play with the contenders of college football. A Game 1 victory like this on the road in what can be anticipated to be an overwhelming Aggie “Sixth Man” crowd would ignite the team and its fans.
Graham never speaks ill of opponents, but the head coach definitely won’t take the trash talking lightly. Instead of firing back in a news story or interview, Graham is more likely to use the taunts to fuel the fire and retaliate on the field. Plus, it’ll be a sweet bonus proving to Allen and Kirk that they made the wrong decision.
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