Just over halfway through the season, the injuries are starting to pile up for the ASU football team.
In addition to the expected players, like sophomore safety Armand Perry who is still making his way back from an ankle sprain that he suffered against Cal Poly, key players like redshirt senior wide receiver Devin Lucien and junior defensive lineman Ami Latu were limited due to a variety of ailments.
Even freshman quarterback Brady White, who has not seen on the field this season, is feeling the effects, as he has been in green the past two days.
With the grind of the season starting to catch up to his players, coach Todd Graham said the bye is here at the right time for the Sun Devils.
"It's right in the middle and that's when you want it," Graham said. "It gives us time for our guys to heal and prepare."
As depth grows thin at the skill positions, the off days provide time for players to both heal and improve, which is why ASU has mainly focused on fundamentals and incremental progress instead of starting to install a full game plan for Oregon.
With three losses and the outlook darkening for ASU, the team continues to stay on message, going one rep at a time and winning that rep in hopes of improving as the year has gone along.
The biggest thing Graham said the coaching staff has focused on this week has been takeaways, something that has been a hallmark of Graham-coached teams in his career. This season, though, the Sun Devil defense has not been as opportunistic, forcing only nine in seven games.
Graham called the lack of takeaways "confusing" and "bizarre" and said the team is working hard to rectify the problem.
ASU's turnover differential of minus-four would be the worst in Todd Graham's tenure in Tempe by a wide margin, with 2012's plus-six difference the next worse.
Despite their swarming defensive front, the Sun Devils can't seem to cause the same number of takeaways, something that's confused him and his staff.
"We're hitting 'em in the backfield, we're hitting 'em hard and I think we're on a record pace for us TFL-wise and impacting and sacking the quarterback," Graham said. "I guess the people we're hitting are doing a good job taking care of it."
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Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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