This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After back-to-back 10-win seasons, coach Todd Graham believes Arizona State is better now than it has been since he arrived in Tempe in 2012.

More specifically, Graham believes it's the fastest team he's had, the strongest, the smartest — you name it.

That's a scary proposition for Pac-12 South opponents.

Consider that last year, the Sun Devils had the talent to beat four straight ranked teams and climb as high in the polls as No. 6 before Oregon State dealt them a stunning upset and set them on a track for the Sun Bowl.

Faster, stronger and smarter than that, and you have the profile of a College Football Playoff contender.

Strengths • They make fewer mistakes than you do, and they make more of their opportunities than you do. ASU was No. 6 in the nation in turnover advantage, with one fewer per game than their opponents, and fourth in fewest penalty yards per game, with 32. The Sun Devils scored on 91 percent of their red zone opportunities and limited opponents to 76 percent. On offense, gunslinger Mike Bercovici takes the reins from Taylor Kelly, and many think it's an improvement, given that Bercovici beat USC and Stanford and finished with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in an injured Kelly's stead last season. Versatile senior D.J. Foster is back after rushing and receiving for a combined 1,769 yards, and with sophomores Demario Richard (116 yards on 14 carries against Utah) and Kalen Ballage (who will also play some outside linebacker and return kicks), Arizona State has enough firepower that if it makes less mistakes and make more of its opportunities, it's not going to lose many games.

Weaknesses • The Sun Devils lost some valuable pieces in the trenches. The interior of their offensive line is a strength, but they'll replace left and right tackles, and the defensive line lacks experience — with returning players accounting for just 6.5 sacks last season. Bend but don't break is kind of the Sun Devils' shtick, but they did an awful lot of bending last year, allowing 417 yards of total offense per game. Without turnovers at opportune times, they could have easily lost as many games as they won. And while Bercovici is an outstanding thrower, there were few downfield safety valves like Jaelen Strong, now a Houston Texan. UCLA transfer Devin Lucien — coveted by Utah, too — is among the contenders to try to replace Strong's production.

Outlook • They'll be tested in the opener against Texas A&M in "neutral" Houston, but they'll be able to catch their breath in Weeks 2 and 3 against Cal Poly and New Mexico. The Pac-12 schedule sets up nicely for them, in that they'll get USC, Oregon and Arizona in Tempe, where they've lost just four times in three years under Graham. That doesn't mean their road slate is easy, though: UCLA and Utah loom.

Twitter: @matthew_piper —

Arizona State schedule

Sept. 5 • Texas A&M (in Houston)

Sept. 12 • Cal Poly

Sept. 18 • New Mexico

Sept. 26 • USC

Oct. 3 • at UCLA

Oct. 10 • Colorado

Oct. 17 • at Utah

Oct. 29 • Oregon

Nov. 7 • at Washington State

Nov. 14 • Washington

Nov. 21 • Arizona

Nov. 28 • at Cal Editor's note

This is the second in a series previewing each Pac-12 football team going into 2015. Next: Cal.