Before joining Todd Graham's Arizona State staff as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator in 2014, Keith Patterson coached defense for two years at West Virginia. This hit home when he recently examined the Mountaineers' defensive depth chart.
"I sat there, and looking at their starting defense, I was going, 'Golly, seven of those guys I started when they were freshmen when we beat TCU at TCU,'' Patterson said after Tuesday's Motel 6 Cactus Bowl work out. "I'm going, 'These guys are going to be really good some day.' I didn't know I'd be playing them.''
ASU (6-6) on Saturday squares off against West Virginia at Chase Field.