Herm Edwards and Jayden Daniels: A Duo No One is Talking About

When Herm Edwards left his job as ESPN to become the next head coach at Arizona State, it seemed like a move that wouldn’t greatly effect the college football world. Now, after just two years in Tempe, Edwards has the Sun Devils in position to compete for a PAC-12 championship.

In 2018, when the Sun Devils hired Edwards to be their next coach, Todd Graham had just been fired after finishing two of his last three seasons under .500. Now, after 2 years, ASU is on the come up. They’ve been 15-11 over the last two years and have grabbed some statement wins, with two victories over Michigan State and an upset of top-10 Oregon on Saturday Night Football last year.

Edwards has also made a large impact on the recruiting trail. He has brought in two top-30 classes (according to 247 Sports) – an accomplishment Graham failed to achieve in his last two years with the Sun Devils. One of Edwards’ first recruits was a 4 star quarterback out of San Bernardino, California. His name? Jayden Daniels. Daniels was inserted as the starter last year after senior star Manny Wilkins graduated. Daniels looked a little timid at first , managing only 19 points in an early season win over Sacramento State, but he became the man in week 3 in East Lansing.

Michigan State was the #18 team in the nation and boasted an elite defense, and ASU looked like just a young team. It was 7-3 in the 4th quarter, but true freshman Jayden Daniels led his team down the field to win the game 10-7. ASU then matched up against #6 Oregon on a Saturday Night in November. Daniels threw for 408 yards and 3 TDs, including an iconic 3rd & 16 connection with Brandon Aiyuk.

This all occurred while his counterpart Justin Herbert, the supposed “best QB in the PAC 12”, Justin Herbert, completely disappeared in the 2nd half. So what’s my point? This team and this quarterback were underestimated all last year, and they beat some nationally relevant teams that took them for granted.

Next year, the Sun Devils return 76% of their 2019 production on defense, and they have an offense led by Jayden Daniels. Herm Edwards and Jayden Daniels have turned this program around. Ladies and gentlemen, assuming there is a season, the Arizona State Sun Devils are going to win the PAC-12 in 2020.

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Saturday’s Pac-12 Recaps and Takeaways

The Pac-12 had four matchups on Saturday, with one big upset and a huge statement victory among the results. Here are all the recaps and takeaways from Saturday along with the games to come today.

Arizona State 66 Arizona 65

The Recap: 22 was a special number for Arizona State as they held Arizona to 22 second-half points to rally from a 22-point deficit and beat the #22 Wildcats 66-65. Remy Martin scored 24 to lead the Sun Devils while Alonzo Verge sank the game-winning layup with 9 seconds left. 

The Takeaway: Arizona is not good away from home. The Wildcats are ranked due largely to their 10-1 home record, but they are now 0-4 in road games. Home court matters a lot to this squad – they beat the Sun Devils by 28 at home just weeks earlier. 

Colorado 76 Washington 62

The Recap: Tyler Bey scored 16, McKinley Wright IV had 15, and the #23 Buffaloes rode a 51-point first half to an easy win over Washington at home, improving to 5-2 in Pac-12 play and a three-way tie for second in the conference. 

The Takeaway: Colorado’s depth is a huge strength: Big comebacks are hard enough to make, but overcoming an 18-point halftime deficit is near impossible when your opponent continuously has fresher legs on the court. Colorado had four players play at least 12 minutes off the bench, while Washington had one such player. Overall, Colorado’s bench outscored Washington’s 25-4, which may be a difference-maker in the postseason. 

USC 75 Oregon State 55

The Recap: Propelled by Onyeka Okongwu’s 18 points, USC dominated both halves and earned a huge road victory at Oregon State, keeping pace with Colorado and Oregon for second in the conference with their fourth win in five games.

The Takeaway: USC may be the most dangerous Pac-12 team in the Playoff: USC is now 5-2 in true road games and 7-4 in games played outside their home arena. That’s a huge advantage on every other Pac-12 team, and it could make a huge difference in the postseason, where most if not all games will be played on neutral courts.

Utah 76 Washington State 64 

The Recap: The Utes got a big day from Rylan Jones (24 points) and huge contributions off the bench from Mikael Jantunen (16 points) as they handled the Cougars for the second straight win following a four-game skid. 

The Takeaway: Utah’s defense is their key to victory. The Utes have a decent offense that can put up 70 points a game, but they rarely blow you out of the water with a jaw-dropping offensive performance. However, in four Pac-12 losses, Utah is giving up 84 points a game, compared to 66 points a game in their 3 wins. If Utah figures out how to play consistently good defense, this team could make moves in March. 

Friday’s Games

None

Sunday’s Games

UCLA @ #12 Oregon

Stanford @ Cal