Tez’manian Devil: Vontaze Burfict

Tags

ASU, Defense, Sun Devils, Swagger, Vontaze

Tempe, Arizona - Vontaze Burfict is Arizona State’s first ever five star recruit for football and he has lived up to the hype from day one. Rarely, do you see a player like “Tez” with the speed, power, and raw intensity that football ultimately requires. Tez is a true demon the field.

One year out of high school, a freshman Vontaze took the field in his first NCAA game where he had the hit of his career on Idaho State quarterback Russell Hill. Vontaze pile drove him 10 yards into the backfield where Russell’s feet aren’t even on the ground. But Russell (ISU QB) got Idaho State’s moneys worth for coming to Tempe. All $400,000 of that paycheck to ISU was worth it for the views Vontaze’s sack received on YouTube.

Tez plays the game with intensity that cannot be coached. At this point in his career it seems as though he has no fears. He’ll level a ref and fly over an offensive front seven in a way that would make Ray Lewis think twice, and he killed a man. Lewis, the NFL player that Vontaze emulates his game after, was also played under Coach Erickson at Miami. Erickson has compared the two players on multiple occasions.

Legend has it that Vontaze is actually quite shy and quiet off the field, but once thehelmet goes on all hell breaks loose. Vontaze brings a certain swagger to the Sun Devils defense and a lot of that pours over to Brock and the guys as well.

He is unstoppable, He is dominant. but most of all he leads and sparks a defense that is one of the best in the BCS on 3^rd downs. He wants to kill you (if your not wearing maroon and gold). Let’s hope Tez can continue to roam the field anticipating the the Duck’s offensive moves like he does so well. So hide your wife , hide your kids, and hide your husband, because Vontaze is crushing everyone up in here.

If you need it drawn out for you, here. (freshman and sophomore years

Fashion Forward Turf Show by Nike

Eugene, Oregon – Fashion Designers, Art Directors, Buyers, and Models will be all eyes on College Gameday this weekend in Eugene, Oregon where the No. 9 Oregon Ducks face a proven No. 18 Arizona State Sun Devils. This Fashion Forward Turf Show is a seasonal debut of Nike’s finest combat football fall collection.

Both teams boast one loss each through six games with a shared 5 – 1 record. Oregon’s only loss comes from no less than current No. 1 LSU, while ASU was served a crushing 3 point deficit by No. 16 Illinois. Despite their losses, both teams have carried themselves with a “core swagger” all season confidently deciding games with other opponents.

As we know, the Sun Devils unveiled their new athletic identity this season with the “Fear the Fork” campaign while adding black to the school color palette. Black certainly proved to be an intimidating uniform combination defeating No. 22 Missouri, while the still innocent white uniform let us down in Champagne. At the halfway mark of the inaugural season it seems as though the uni’s are a success. The “swag” factor has proven itself in clear wins over USC and Missouri (with the help of a revamped student section), a promising rivals.com outlook, and a date to dine on number nine.. duckling.

Matching up Devils and Ducks shows a focused formula for the first visitor victory in Eugene in 3 years. Brock will have to swiftly navigate through blitz packages and avoid island-rate corners to gash big yardage. Vontaze and company must continue to anticipate the runs and routes, serving crushing blows for turnovers. Extra contributions may have to come from players matching Oregon’s tempo and speed like endzone zombies, Marshall and Miles.

These players are refined and polished talent but they are fueled by a mixture of confidence and adrenaline which stems originally in the form of, what we now know as swagger. Swagger is not something you can find in a can of Red Bull. This year, we got swag. Will it be enough for the win in Autzen? I think yes.

ASU – 37 ORE – 34

First One.

This is a TEST. 1.. 2.. 3.. — Hello Pitchfork Nation! This is just the first of many posts concerning the odds and ends of the 2011 Sun Devil Football season.