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Sun Devil Football Cracks Polls At No. 23
 
ASU to open 2003 campaign Sept. 6 against Northern Arizona.
 

July 31, 2003

  • USA Today/ESPN Preseason Coaches Poll
  • Top 25 Team Capsules

    TEMPE, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Coming off an 8-6 season and a trip to the Holiday Bowl, the Arizona State Sun Devil Football team will open the 2003 season ranked No. 23 in the nation in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll.

    The Sun Devils return 37 letterwinners and 16 starters from last year's squad. ASU opens the 2003 season with a pair of night home games against Northern Arizona (Sept. 6) and Utah State (Sept. 13). The last time ASU opened a season ranked in one of the preseason polls was in 1999 at No. 25 in the Associated Press poll.

    Arizona State has also been picked to finish second in the Pacific-10 Conference, just three points behind first-place USC in a preseason poll of West Coast media members who regularly cover the league. USC narrowly edged out ASU in the media voting. The Trojans garnered 10 of 25 first-place votes, with the Sun Devils getting nine. It marks the first time since 1996 that the Trojans have been selected to win the league title in the preseason poll.



    Preseason poll
    Rank Team (first-place votes)
    2002 record
    Points
    Final 2002 ranking
    1.

    Oklahoma (29)

    12-2
    1,514
    5
    2.
    		 Ohio State (28)
    14-0
    1,495
    1
    3.

    Miami (Fla.) (5)
    12-1
    1,448
    2
    4.

    Texas
    11-2
    1,291
    7
    5.

    Kansas State

    11-2
    1,165
    6
    6.
    		 Auburn (1)
    9-4
    1,153
    16
    7.

    Michigan
    10-3
    1,110
    9
    8.

    Southern California
    11-2
    1,075
    4
    9.
    		 Georgia
    13-1
    1,030
    3
    10.

    Virginia Tech
    10-4
    932
    14
    11.
    		 Pittsburgh
    9-4
    712
    18
    12.
    		 Florida State
    9-5
    711
    23
    13.

    Maryland
    11-3
    704
    13
    14.
    		 North Carolina State
    11-3
    682
    11
    15.

    LSU
    8-5
    662
    NR
    16.

    Tennessee
    8-5
    658
    NR
    17.
    		 Virginia
    9-5
    526
    25
    18.
    		 Notre Dame
    10-3
    515
    17
    19.

    Washington
    7-6
    459
    NR
    20.

    Wisconsin
    8-6
    348
    NR
    21.
    		 Florida
    8-5
    312
    24
    22.

    Purdue
    7-6
    305
    NR
    23.
    		 Arizona State
    8-6
    297
    NR
    24.
    		 Oklahoma State
    8-5
    159
    NR
    25.

    Colorado State
    10-4
    143
    NR
      Penn State
    9-4
    143
    15
     
    Also receiving votes


    Iowa 132; Colorado 127; TCU 95; Texas A&M 90; Oregon State 70; Nebraska 64; UCLA 40; West Virginia 31; Hawaii 24; Boise State 22; Brigham Young 22; Fresno State 22; Minnesota 22; Boston College 21; Arkansas 16; Washington State 16; Mississippi 14; Clemson 13; Missouri 12; Oregon 12; Marshall 11; Georgia Tech 9; New Mexico 9; Southern Mississippi 9; Utah 7; South Carolina 4; Air Force 3; Louisville 3; California 2; Illinois 1; North Texas 1; Syracuse 1; Toledo 1.