Arizona State bowl-eligible: Everyone owes Herm Edwards an apology

The Arizona State Sun Devils received plenty of criticism after hiring Herm Edwards, but after getting bowl-eligible, everyone owes them an apology.

Arizona State came out on top against Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins by a score of 31-28 to improve to 6-4 and become bowl-eligible. Arizona State was able to beat UCLA with a steady combination of run and pass with running back Eno Benjamin rushing for 182 yards and a touchdown and wide receiver N’Keal Harry adding 100 yards on seven receptions. Quarterback Manny Wilkins accumulated 259 total yards with a touchdown through the air and two rushing scores.

In addition to becoming bowl-eligible, the Sun Devils moved into a jumbled tie at the top of the Pac-12 South with a 4-3 record in conference. With Arizona State, Arizona, USC and Utah all with three conference losses, the door is open for the Sun Devils to make the Pac-12 Championship Game.

That’s something no one outside Tempe, AZ thought would be possible after the hire of Edwards. The hire was panned by experts and fans alike because of Edwards’ lack of experience coaching college football. His last and only college coaching job was as San Jose State’s defensive backs coach from 1987-1989. It seemed on the surface, that Edwards was going to be an unmitigated disaster in the desert, but he’s been anything but that, and his critics owe him a big apology.

Arizona State plays their final two games on the road at Oregon next week then at Arizona the following week. The Sun Devils already have victories over Utah and USC this season, so winning out will give them head-to-head wins against all of the teams they are currently tied with at the top of the standings. This would be a big statement to the rest of the Pac-12 for Edwards to make in his first season at the helm of the Arizona State coaching staff.

Edwards did inherit a veteran team with a returning starter at quarterback and an NFL receiver in Harry. The play of Benjamin at running back has given Arizona State a really solid offense and Edwards has played a grind-it-out style in the fourth quarter to seal games and sit on late leads. Still, he’s exceeded all expectations and could be doing the best coaching job in the entire conference this year.

While many laughed and mocked the hiring of Edwards, it’s he and the Sun Devils who are having the last laugh.