Arizona State Sun Devils hungry for 10th win to end 2014

TEMPE, Ariz. — When they were last seen together, the Arizona State Sun Devils were leaving Arizona Stadium having lost to their in-state rival for the first time in three years. They had also lost the opportunity to represent the South Division in the Pac-12 Championship game for a second consecutive season.

That was 14 days ago.

Friday, the team reconvened for the first of 13 postseason practices. The hope was these practices would lead into a berth in the first-ever College Football Playoff, but instead they’ll precede an appearance in the Sun Bowl Dec. 27 against Duke in El Paso, Texas.

It’s obviously not the preferred destination to close out 2014, but it does mark the fourth straight year ASU will play in a bowl game.

“We have one focus,” head coach Todd Graham said. “Obviously going to a bowl game and all that is a reward for a nine-win season, but our guys are hungry for the 10th one. We can’t do anything about what’s behind us. I’m really proud of these guys.”

A victory in the school’s fifth Sun Bowl appearance would secure the Sun Devils back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since Frank Kush notched double-digit victories every year between 1970 and 1973.

As he did immediately after the 42-35 loss to Arizona, Graham reiterated quarterback Taylor Kelly will start the bowl game despite his benching late in the third quarter in favor of junior Mike Bercovici.

“It’s tough,” said Kelly, who had never been pulled from a game in his three years as a starter, “but adversity happens throughout the year. It’s happened a lot for this team this year, and it’s how you’re going to overcome it and make the best of it. It’s still my football team that I’ve got to push and lead every single day.”

With two weeks to prepare for Duke (9-3), the biggest task at hand for ASU may be trying to avoid history repeating itself.

A year ago, the Sun Devils never recovered from their loss to Stanford in the conference title game and were embarrassed in the Holiday Bowl, 37-23 by a seven-win Texas Tech team. This year, concerns of a letdown are being met head on.

“Winning the last game is always important,” cornerback Lloyd Carrington said. “We take any bowl game; we take it as a championship game as a team, so our main focus is just going and beating Duke and getting that number-10 win.”

Still, putting the UA defeat and losses in two of their last three games behind them is easier said than done.

“We didn’t like the outcome of the game, of course,” said receiver Jaelen Strong, who is unsure whether this will be his final time in an ASU uniform as he considers entering the NFL Draft. “We’ve got to focus now on Duke, a new opponent. It’s a new season. It’s bowl season, so we’ve got to get the win.”

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