Junior running back Kalen Ballage had a moment of peace and quiet hours before kickoff Saturday night as he stretched while seated on the home sideline on the southwest side of Sun Devil Stadium.
He paused for self-reflection, and pointed skyward before standing up to find his helmet and join his teammates.
The scene postgame, in contrast, was surreal and chaotic – Mike Bercovici, Jordan Simone, and Antonio Longino embracing former teammates after a 68-55 win over Texas Tech, accomplishing the mission that junior linebacker Christian Sam (inactive) set out on three years ago.
We Gone Be Scraight #FLEXIN On Texas Tech In A Few Years.. SAVE THIS TWEET.
— Christian C. Sam (@ShowinStatsSam) December 31, 2013
It’s funny how sports work – even on a night where a record-breaking statistical performance shaped the narrative, it’s the superstitions and idiosyncrasies that humanize and freeze these moments in time.
I'm calling this my gift of foresight when I picked a jersey to Tweet this afternoon. https://t.co/uYlZ7bv0V0
— Jeremy Hawkes (@JeremyHawkes) September 11, 2016
It’s how a kid from Peyton, Colorado (a town with a population smaller than the max capacity of some lecture halls on the Tempe campus) was motivated to overcome battles with mononucleosis and assorted injuries that never let Ballage get off the ground in 2015.
What a difference a year makes. After being sent home early from ASU's season opener in Houston against Texas A&M due to his illness, Ballage turned in a game so absurdly efficient that you might not believe your friend if they told you they posted similar numbers in Madden without a screenshot to prove it.
From the outset, it was evident that Ballage was faster, stronger, and played with tenacity unlike anything he had demonstrated last season. Getting out on the edges, powering through the tackle box, trucking defensive backs, and bursting free for a 75-yard touchdown, he did everything he could have short of throwing a touchdown pass out of the Wildcat.
No one player can take precedence when it takes 11 on each side of the ball playing in sync – but arguably no two players in the Sun Devil offense have a more important relationship than Ballage and junior running back Demario Richard.
“He’s my brother,” Ballage said. “He told me he was proud of me and like I said I mean he knows he was running by these guys and he knows how hard they worked."
Just like Ballage allowed Richard to embrace the spotlight after having the hot hand last season, Richard put his hard hat on Saturday and helped the offensive line grind out block after block as Ballage cruised to seven rushing touchdowns (his eight total amounted to an FBS record) and 137 yards.
“He did an amazing job,” Ballage said. “That’s not very easy to do, drive the ball all the way down the field then let somebody else get the touchdown or whatever it is, he’s very unselfish and that showed tonight. When we went into that formation he threw big blocks and made plays up front.”
Ballage was so appreciative of his offensive line that he started off by thanking each of them and even grabbing chairs for them while he stood at the podium.
“What they did up front was actually amazing,” Ballage said. “That’s why I decided to bring all five of them up here because they deserve it.”
Ballage took direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation six times Saturday night, and though everyone at Sun Devil Stadium knew what he was going to do with the ball, it didn’t matter – he was unstoppable.
“Really without (Richard) I couldn’t have done what I did tonight,” Ballage said. “Along with these guys (the offensive line) just because how tough he was running all night, hitting linebackers and making them miss so when I went in they were tired. They were playing on their feet on their heels, so he helped that just as much as the offensive line did.”
The two haven't always meshed perfectly, but their mutual desire to win strengthened their bond both on and off the field.
“We know that we can’t do what we’re doing without each other,” Richard said during fall camp. “(Ballage) has my back and I have his – if he’s tired and I need to finish a series, or if I’m tired and he needs to finish a series. Whatever works for us together, that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Head coach Todd Graham’s description of the dynamic duo summed it up best.
“I think where they’ve matured the most is that they don’t listen to everybody else,” Graham said. “Our guys aren’t like that.”
Richard is outspoken, and Ballage demonstrates quiet, humble confidence – the pair have a complementary chemistry and a track record of success together.
“I love going in the locker room before the game,” Graham said. “ I see them standing up in front of the offensive line talking about how hard they’re going to run for them. That’s unique.”
Naturally, Ballage will have a tough act to follow next week. But as Graham said, staying grounded and moving on to the next challenge will keep the two motivated.
“Kalen is a guy who is just now figuring out how powerful and explosive he can really be,” Graham said. “ I think tonight he began to scratch that surface really well.”
Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or follow @StefanJModrich on Twitter.
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