Sparky's Countdown: 4 Weeks Until Arizona State Kicks off 2021 Season

We're officially under a month until the Sun Devils are back in action.

Donnie Druin | Aug 5, 2021

Sparky's Countdown: 4 Weeks Until Arizona State Kicks off 2021 Season /

With Arizona State beginning football camp this week, we can officially say it: Sun Devils football is back.

COVID-19 has really put a wrench into football-related aspirations. 2020 was thought by many to be the season Arizona State, under the leadership of head coach Herm Edwards, would make the jump and secure a conference championship.

However, ASU played a shortened schedule last season, leaving much to be desired from one aspect of reaching aspirations, and another in simply watching Arizona State play football.

With only four weeks until the Sun Devils host Southern Utah at Sun Devil Stadium, we break down the magical number of four on this week's Sparky's Countdown:

Sparky's Magical Number of the Week: 4

Four.

Arizona State played just four games last year. As previously stated, a team with such high hopes were unable to fully play through their schedule in 2020.

There's a sense of unfinished business about this season, as 15 starters from 2020 return for what many believe to be one of the best ASU teams to come through in years.

Those four games showed us a lot about Arizona State. We saw their ability to run the football, and the defense's ability to wreck havoc when needed. However, we also were shown growth is still required on both sides of the ball. The Sun Devils lost two of their four games by a combined 8 points to USC and UCLA.

Can quarterback Jayden Daniels make the jump to being one of the best passers in the country? Will Arizona State's offensive line ensure Daniels is clean enough to do that? Will the Sun Devils do what great teams do, and emerge victorious from close games?

There's been a lot of questions surrounding Arizona State, on and off the field. For months now, the program has had to endure the negative spotlight that comes with allegations and NCAA probing. Pac-12 media members picked the Sun Devils to finish third in the Pac-12 South.

The rest of the conference doesn't buy the hype.

That's fine, as what really only matters is the belief of every player, coach, trainer and assistant in Arizona State's locker room. However, there's a certain satisfaction that comes with proving others wrong in the process of proving yourself right.

Those four games last year never quite blossomed into what the Sun Devils had hoped for. However, they now serve as building blocks for a 2021 season that promises so much.

Sparky's Magical Number of the Week: 4

You May Also Like