Devils want clean thoughts

PULLMAN – Is there danger in looking ahead?

Ask Ohio State, which prepped for this Saturday’s nationally televised showdown at USC by squeaking by Ohio 26-14 at home last week.

The closer-than-it-should-have-been victory dropped the Buckeyes to fifth in the polls and took some – but not all – of the luster off ABC’s weekly “Game of the Year” – and our game of the week (see sidebar).

So consider Arizona State warned.

After the Sun Devils’ dominating 41-17 win over Stanford last Saturday, the talk didn’t turn to this week’s visitor to Tempe, UNLV. No, the 13th-ranked Sun Devils were confronted with questions about their Sept. 20 game, against second-ranked Georgia.

Heck, the ASU students even held up “Bring on Georgia” signs during the Stanford game.

But that, according to Arizona Republic reporter Jeff Metcalfe, was a plot by Georgia-based Chick-fil-A.

Seems the Atlanta company supplied the signs and meant them as a compliment to Georgia.

The ASU student body was the unwitting messenger.

Asked about looking past UNLV to Georgia this week during the Pac-10 conference call, ASU coach Dennis Erickson was ready.

“That’s a question that’s been asked a lot,” Erickson said. “But the bottom line with us, and I’m sure any other team, is to focus on a game at a time. I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true.

“(Our players) know the schedule, they know the reality. They know what’s going on right now. But they know the game of football, they’re competitors, and they’ll prepare like they do every week.”

The Sun Devils have one more game to fine-tune their offensive line, Erickson’s main area of concern coming into the season.

Against the Cardinal, who sacked ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter six times last season, the offensive line only gave up two sacks, though part of that is Carpenter’s new emphasis on getting rid of the ball quicker.

“It’s still hard to tell,” Erickson said of the line. “I’m happy with where we’re at, but for us to be competitive, to have a chance to win this league, we’ll have to continue to get better.”

Carpenter’s quick-release strategy hasn’t hurt his accuracy. The senior was 27 of 36 against Stanford and has thrown for 733 yards in the first two games, an ASU record.

The running game also helped relieve pressure, with the Sun Devils rushing for 127 yards, led by Keegan Herring, who, despite nursing a hamstring, rushed for 59 yards.

At least he has a week to get healthy.

Around the conference

Is 18th-ranked BYU the newest member of the Pac-10? The Cougars traveled to Seattle last week for the first annual Jake Locker penalty game and will host UCLA this week, the third time they’ve played the Bruins in a year. BYU traveled to Pasadena last September and lost 27-17, but got revenge in the Las Vegas Bowl, 17-16. … The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Locker was, as could be expected, a common topic of discussion on the Pac-10 coaches’ conference call Tuesday. Oregon’s Mike Bellotti, a member of the NCAA rules committee, said he would like to see the rule adjusted, but worried it would open it to interpretation that would vary from game to game and conference to conference. USC coach Pete Carroll spent a lot of time talking about allowing players to enjoy the game. … Oregon State punter Johnny Hekker has struggled this year, averaging just 28.6 yards per punt and having one blocked. OSU coach Mike Riley expressed his support of the freshman Tuesday and expects him to turn it around. … Stanford wide receiver Richard Sherman had an MRI on his shoulder, banged up against ASU, but coach Jim Harbaugh said he was cleared and should play at TCU on Saturday. … Oregon running back Jeremiah Johnson dislocated his right shoulder in the Ducks’ rout of Utah State but is expected to play this week. … UCLA running back Kahlil Bell, injured vs. Tennessee, is trying to return this week but is extremely questionable, according to coach Rick Neuheisel. … Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama has been nearly perfect in the Wildcats’ first two games, with a quarterback efficiency rating of 181.60. The senior has completed 78 percent of his passes, with five touchdowns and no interceptions. … The tree-sitter saga at California is about over. After court rulings went its way, the school has knocked down all but one tree in the way of expansion of the athletic facility, according to Bears coach Jeff Tedford. When the expansion was announced more than a year ago, protesters moved into the trees and took the school to court in an attempt to save the grove.