Arizona State’s best years under Todd Graham have had one thing in common: No matter the quarterback or offensive playmakers, the Sun Devils played their best with strong defense.
The last two years, as the program slid toward mediocrity, the defense was mostly to blame. Big plays. Poor tackling. You name it. The Sun Devils struggled, and it started to look like it would cost Graham, a defensive-minded coach who no longer could stop anybody.
And then, suddenly, unexpectedly, almost unbelievingly on a late Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium the defense morphed into top form, leading the Sun Devils to a stunning 13-7 win over No.