Washington Football: 3 takeaways from upset loss at Arizona State

1. Todd Graham’s job is safe in Tempe

Todd Graham came into 2017 with major questions about his job security. Entering his sixth season in Tempe, Graham needs to get Arizona State back to a bowl game if he hopes to land a seventh season with the Sun Devils.

That goal gained a major boost on Saturday night as Arizona State pulled off its biggest upset in years. The offense did just enough to score 13 points, while the Sun Devils defense stymied Browning and the Washington offense all night long. There were no gimmicks, just hard-hitting football that favored the ASU side on its home turf.

There is still a lot of work to do in order to return to the postseason. Arizona State is now 3-3 after the upset of the Huskies, and they continue to struggle running the ball despite boasting a backfield tandem of Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard. Six wins is hardly guaranteed, as the second half of the season includes road games against Utah, UCLA, and Oregon State. The Sun Devils also face USC, Colorado, and Arizona at home.

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But even if Arizona State somehow does fail to reach a bowl game in 2017, Graham’s job should be safe for another season. The coach has proven an ability to get his team fired up for big games, and the goodwill from this upset victory will be enough to keep him on the sidelines at Sun Devil Stadium for another season and beyond if he wants it.