Arizona State preview: Koetter returns to Phoenix, promises fireworks

New coach Dirk Koetter is confident his new offense can be as explosive as his Boise State unit was last season, when it ranked No. 1 in the country by averaging nearly 45 points a game.

It's a bold prediction considering that the Sun Devils averaged 25.5 points last season and enter fall practice without a clear No. 1 quarterback.

"(Koetter's) young, he's got a lot of energy, and that's exactly what we need," said quarterback Jeff Krohn, announced as the starter on Aug. 20. "And he's got a lot of confidence. You can see it when he walks into a room."

Sun Devils at a glance

SportsLine.com rank: 58

2000: 6-6 overall, 3-5 Pac-10 (tied 5th)

Coach: Dirk Koetter -- First year at ASU; 26-10 in three seasons as a head coach

Returning starters: 16; 8 offense, 8 defense

Players to watch:
RB Delvon Flowers, 5-11, 196, Sr.
WR Donnie O'Neal, 6-2, 181, Sr.
C Scott Peters, 6-4, 293, Sr.
LT Levi Jones, 6-6, 316, Sr.
DT Paul Glass, 6-6, 335, Sr.
DE Terrell Suggs, 6-3, 232, So.
LB Solomon Bates, 6-2, 257, Jr.
K Nick Murphy, 6-0, 185, Sr.

Primary strengths: ASU's experienced offensive line will help the skill players adjust to Koetter's new high-powered offense. Punter Nick Murphy, a semifinalist for the Ray Guy award last season, has improved even more in the offseason and will significantly help the Sun Devils in the field-position department.

Potential problems: Krohn won the starting QB job, but is he the long-term answer? On defense, ASU will start the season with two new cornerbacks.

Overview: It's not as though ASU is a reclamation project for Koetter. The Sun Devils have hovered around .500 for the past three seasons, and that's where 2001 should find them, although much will depend on how they break from the gate in the Pac-10 season. ASU plays its first three conference games on the road, against UCLA, Stanford and USC.

Krohn started nine games last season despite being slowed by mononucleosis and a variety of ailments. In the fall, he held off 6-foot-5 junior Matt Cooper (who had been an afterthought during much of his career under Bruce Snyder) and Andrew Walter, a 6-5 redshirt freshman who has a strong arm.

Center Scott Peters is likely to be playing in the NFL next year. Left tackle Levi Jones earned second-team all-league honors last season.

Abundantly talented senior Delvon Flowers returns at tailback, but no one is sure what to expect because he is coming back from reconstructive knee surgery. He averaged 6.4 yards a carry in 1999 as J.R. Redmond's backup.

Receivers Donnie O'Neal and Shaun McDonald can catch the deep ball, and senior Ryan Dennard, son of former NFL standout Preston Dennard, has a chance to make an impact.

Koetter will be his own offensive coordinator this season, calling all the plays.

New defensive coordinator Brent Guy has eight returning starters, although he'll put them in a new 4-2-5 scheme that uses three safeties.

Senior Willie Daniel and junior Alfred Williams return at safety and will provide leadership in the backfield that otherwise will be new. Fast, but new.

Sophomore defensive end Terrell Suggs is the defense's difference-maker. He ranked among the Pac-10's best with 16 tackles for loss and 10 sacks last season. A group of four tackles has the potential to form one of the league's best rotations.

Junior Solomon Bates and the combination of Eric Fields and Mason Unck should make the two linebacker spots productive.

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