There was a renewed sense of urgency and desire this morning as the players piled out of the trolleys and made their way on to the practice field. With the non-conference schedule in the rearview mirror, everybody was busy looking through the windshield as the Sun Devils open Pac-12 Conference play this Saturday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at Sun Devil Stadium.

Please Let DirecTV know exactly how you feel

While DirecTV continues to ask for your patience as they say they have been diligently working toward a fair agreement with the Pac-12 Networks, we ask you, #SunDevilNation, to not only continue to express your concerns, but to increase them.  

There are currently five Pac-12 teams in the Top 25 and 20 conference matchups on Pac-12 Networks during the rest of the 2012 season, including this weekend’s conference opener between our Sun Devils and Utah.

With one of, if not THE, strongest fan base in the country, supporters of the Pac-12 Conference should not be treated any differently than those who enjoy the Big Ten Network or any other regional sports networks that DirecTV currently distribute broadly. From beaches and mountains to deserts and forests, from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Seattle to San Francisco, our fans should have the opportunity to watch their players, teams and universities. 

With DISH now on board, the Pac-12 Networks have deals with four of the five largest television distributors in the country. Seems a little strange DirecTV can’t see the value in the Conference of Champions? 

This is a direct quote from DirecTV’s website:

“We will continue to work with Pac-12 Network to resolve this for the benefit of both fans and non-fans alike. Until then, the majority of Pac-12 football games featuring the most popular teams with national title implications remain available to all DIRECTV customers through the ESPN family of networks and ABC Sports, FOX Sports and FSN, FX, CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network and several other regional services.”

If you find this to be untrue and are disappointed by the stance DirecTV is taking, then don’t hesitate to let DirecTV know exactly how you feel. The voice of #SunDevilNation can’t be silenced! 

Avoid will call lines and save money

In order to avoid will call lines and save money, please print your tickets at home. There is no special link or extra step required. Simply select “print at home” as your delivery method and don’t waste your Sun Devil football experience waiting in line and fighting crowds. If you ordered your tickets over the phone, you can choose the option to receive them via e-mail, which will also ease your stress and help you bypass a hassle.

Tickets can be picked up at the will call ticket office in front of the Carson Student-Athlete Center Wednesday – Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Game Day beginning at 10:00 am. Parking is available in front of the Sun Devil Ticket Office Saturday mornings, until Veterans Way closes at 2 pm.

Get your tickets early and you can tailgate till game time!

Hopefully more in common than just home state

As Taylor Kelly gets ready for his first Pac-12 Conference game against Utah on Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium, we take a moment to look back at our other favorite Idaho Sun Devil quarterback, Jake Plummer.

Plummer connected with wide receiver Carlos Artis for a 78-yard touchdown, the first of many in Plummer’s illustrious Sun Devil career, vs. Utah on Sept. 4, 1993. Check it out here. Special thanks to Tim Ring from 3TV for providing us with this. 

Meet a new Sun Devil – Andres Garcia

Garcia saw action against Missouri as a gunner on the kickoff team and coach Graham said he wants to get him out on the field more often.

Here is a little more info on Garcia

He was born and raised in Nogales, Ariz., and graduated from Nogales High School in 2009. A junior, he has a 3.9 GPA at ASU. Academically, he was on the Principal’s List and won the Apache Award (given for great athletics and academics) in high school.  Athletically, he was an All-State running back with current Sun Devil Jamal Miles as a junior. He was also a First-Team All-Arizona receiver as a sophomore and a First-Team Southern AZ running back as senior. He lettered in football, baseball, soccer, track and basketball. He went to Pima Community College at first and has been here since at ASU.  Coach John Sanders said he was notable because of his fine GPA and work ethic, which is why he was given a shot as a walk-on.

Tidbits from Coach Todd Graham following Tuesday’s practice

On whether he expected running back Marion Grice to have the kind of impact he has had, this quickly into the season:

“Yeah, I did.”

On some of the issues from the Missouri game he wants to address:

“Underthrowing deep balls – we have to practice timing our offense, full speed, every day. We’re getting closer every day. The system is a timing, rhythm offense.”

On quarterback Taylor Kelly:

“[Taylor Kelly] is a leader, whether it is studying film, doing community service or taking care of his stuff in the classroom, he gets it done.”

On seeing more reserves out there, especially on kickoff coverage and other special teams:

“[Charles] Beatty, Grandville Taylor, Marcus Washington, Brandon Johnson, Kyle Middlebrooks – we’re trying to get all of them more involved.”