It wasn't that Matt Haack was punting poorly in the first quarter against UCLA -- pinning the Bruins inside their 20-yard line three times -- but Arizona State coach Todd Graham demanded more of the junior.
"He kind of got on me a bit and really fueled me and got me going," Haack said. "Just something along the lines of playing with emotion. He's a very passionate guy, so he challenged all of us to play with the same kind of passion and emotion that he shows."
Whatever Graham stoked in the low-key Haack elevated his play to a level comparable to what he'd been showing in practice but not always during games.