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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 12, 2015

Todd Graham

Tempe, Arizona

Q. Todd, what goes in, what ingredients do you need to have a strong rushing defense?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, I mean, obviously it helps to have some really explosive and strong, and physical players on the defensive line, first and foremost. Then I think, obviously, it goes back to fundamentals, being fundamentally sound. But the key is push. If they get pushed, then they're winning. If we get pushed, we won't play on their side of the ball, they won't play on our side of the ball.

So obviously you have to have some guys that are pretty strong, pretty physical. You've got to be fundamentally sound. Make sure guys are disciplined in their gaps and keep those run fits extremely tight. So those are the two main factors.

Then, obviously, we do some stuff from a movement standpoint, and schematically with some pressure with run dogs and things like that.

Q. Give me your impression of the challenge of playing at Utah and what you see from tape on both sides of the ball from the Utes?
COACH GRAHAM: So impressed. I am every year. This game has come down to the last series, and last year the last play. We went into overtime and won on a field goal. So very impressed. Coach does a tremendous job. They're very disciplined. The desire and the heart that they play with and how hard they play.

Obviously, it's a very difficult place to play. It will be very loud, a very challenging place. But that's going on the road in the Pac-12. That's the way it is. But obviously they're very deserving of their fourth ranking in the country, and they have -- they play really -- you can tell they really care about each other. They're a close-knit team, and, man, they play with a lot of physicality. So they've been very impressive.

Q. Your team is tied for first in sacks in the conference, and you lead in tackles for loss. Utah's given up just two sacks this season. That is an interesting dynamic. Can you talk about that going into this game?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, they've obviously done a really good job getting the ball out. He's a very difficult guy to sack to get around. He's 6'7", he's very strong and eludes a lot of rush. So he's a guy you have to do a good job of tackling when you get the opportunity to sack him.

But, yeah, they've done a good job. They're the best in the league as far as giving up sacks. They've given up the least amount. They're going to run the football. Obviously Booker -- their offensive line is very well-coached, very physical, and their tight ends do a good job blocking as well. Also, they use the quarterback as well off the read zone stuff, so they're very sound there.

We've got to be -- special teams is one of the big factors this week, and that's been a strength for us. It's definitely a strength for them. So I think that's special teams defense and taking care of the ball. The most important factor is going to be the turnover ratio. Who wins that is very critical.

Q. Against Colorado you really were able to go ahead and make that offense a one dimensional offense. Doing a great job in the run defense. Doing a great job establishing the line of scrimmage with sacks, TFLs. But what are some of the issues you identified in the pass defense from last Saturday?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, one, not making critical errors. We had three pretty major critical errors. One was alignment issue that we can get corrected. So the big thing is just not making mental errors or critical errors in assignment. Just being sound vertically. Not taking undo chances on trying to bite on underneath stuff and things like that.

I think we were in a game where you get three scores up, and I could tell, just, you can't do that. People get back in the game. So you just need to correct it. Most of the things are just correcting mistakes.

Q. It seems like special teams as a whole has really stood out the last couple weeks. How would you assess that department's development since the first week?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, I think our guys have bought in and understand the importance of that. Our whole deal is about desire and effort, and it shows up big time on special teams plays. I think Coach Slocum's done a great job of getting our guys to understand the importance of that and it will be very, very important this week because that's an area we have to win. We have to win special teams.

Q. What is Demario's situation?
COACH GRAHAM: He's good. He'll be all right.

Q. Expect him to play this week?
COACH GRAHAM: Yes, I do. Yeah, we've got a good prognosis and going through treatment and stuff like that. But I expect him to practice tomorrow.

Q. Armand Perry, do you expect him to get back on the field this week?
COACH GRAHAM: No.

Q. You said Antonio Longino had a career best game on Saturday. How big is it going to be to get production from that double backer spot on Saturday?
COACH GRAHAM: It's going to be important for our whole forcing unit. Defensively is obviously the key. The team that can run the football is the one that will have the advantage. So they've got a pretty good running attack, really good running attack. So just each one of those guys are doing their job. That's what it's about every week. It's not about one guy or another guy. It's about 11 guys doing their job. I thought Tony did. I thought he had a pretty incredible game, probably the best game he's had since he's been here.

Q. After he scored his first ASU touchdown Saturday, I was wondering if you could talk about Devin Lucien and the way he's been incorporated into the team? He talks a lot about how well he's been received transferring?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, obviously, it's been a process, and he's done a good job for us. He made a lot of good catches and he continues to get better every week. It's very difficult to come into our program in that short a period of time and really be able to embrace everything that we're about, and he's done a great job with that. He's been a great addition for us, and only getting better.

Q. A report surfaced that USC Coach Steve Sarkisian was drunk during the ASU game. What did he seem like to you? You talked to him beforehand and after?
COACH GRAHAM: I don't have any comments on that. I'm focused on Utah. Save that for the tabloids.

Q. Talk about the vertical game. You've got some explosive chunk plays with Mike going down field with Tim White. It just seemed you took your shots more aggressively this time around?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, that's one of the things we talked about is that this time of year you're at the midway point. We've got six ballgames left to see where we're at after that, and we've got to play to win. That's one of the reasons we were aggressive on 4th and 2 there going for it, and we wanted to hit some shots over the top and get some shots down the field. So that's always the key.

I think every big game you play in you go back to the UCLA game was one that, man, it's hard, man, to execute 13 plays down the field and score all the time. So you want to get a -- you like hitting those explosives, so I like to see that. That's something we needed to get more of.

Q. You mentioned Utah's rushing game, just what kind of challenges does a running back like Devontae Booker create?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, I think that he's up there in the caliber with Paul Perkins. Those two guys have got to be as good as there is in this league. I mean, really strong runner. He's a powered, downhill runner, makes a lot of his yards straight ahead and cutting it back. So the challenge is like it is every week. But more so with this week because I think their offensive line is really good. I think their offensive line is blocking really well and that coupled with a great back like Booker is a big challenge. On the same hand, that's one we have to rise up and meet.

Q. Your thoughts on Kyle Wittingham philosophically and the way he likes to do things with his scheme personnel?
COACH GRAHAM: I've got a lot of respect for him. You look at what he gets out of his players and how hard his players play. That is the thing I'm most impressed of on tape is watching how hard his players play on kickoff cover, how hard they play on defense, how hard they play on offense. Every year it's a dog fight because he does such a great job. I've got a lot of respect for him. You can tell the character and toughness and fundamentals. They're very well-coached.

Q. When you went back and watched the film, just what did you see? You mentioned this after the postgame, but Antonio Longino, what did you see from him on film?
COACH GRAHAM: Man, he just, I mean, his effort was unbelievable. He ran some plays down from the back side. It really is probably more opportunity, but I think he really was just at a different level from where he had been. He played really good, and I thought he played great.

Obviously, it was the production, not staying blocked, coming off, attacking, and then taking the proper angles. Fundamentals, fundamentals were so much better, and it resulted in him having a lot more productivity.

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