As they have no game to play this weekend, Sun Devils head coach Dirk Koetter decided to give his players today and Saturday off before gathering again for a regular practice Sunday evening.
With the rare opportunity for rest and relaxation, the players have varying plans. Although it appears everyone will be tuned in to watch Saturday's game between USC and California in some way or another. ASU will face the Trojans in one of the program's most anticipated match-ups in recent memory on Oct. 16.
Senior free safety Emmanuel Franklin said he will head to San Diego today after class with his friends.
"I'm going to kick my feet up on Mission Beach and just enjoy the weekend," he said. "I wish I could have gotten my hands on some tickets (to the USC game) because I know a couple guys out there that could have got me some. But, I don't have to go all the way up to [Los Angeles] to enjoy myself."
Sophomore defensive end Kyle Caldwell said he plans to go to his father's house to watch the game and barbecue.
"This weekend is here just to totally take the load off mentally, because five weeks straight can get to you," he said. "We have to be focused for the week coming up because it's going to be balls to the wall."
Senior quarterback Andrew Walter wasn't sure where he will be on Saturday but knew it would be with a pack of teammates.
"I don't know what we're going to do yet, but we're going to crash somebody's house," he said. "Somebody better be ready, whoever it is."
Walter added he didn't think the team would learn much as far as game planning from watching the game live, but Koetter will hold a formal film session on Sunday.
"You can't see a lot from the TV copy, because they focus on offense, which is the way it should be," Walter said. "But we just want to kick back and relax with the guys. We don't have too many opportunities to do that. The bye week should be relaxing."
Coaches' plans
While the players may be slouching, the ASU coaching staff will travel to various high school games in the Valley to look at prospective future Sun Devils.
"We are going to look at a bunch of guys," cornerbacks coach Mark Carrier said. "It's a good time for us to go. We're in a good situation, as people are starting to hear about ASU.
"Winning always helps recruiting. It's always going to be the measuring stick for players who are on that level. The more you win and the more success you have, the easier it is to go in there and push your program."
Winning the TO battle
One prime reason why the Sun Devils are undefeated right now is because they have dominated what Koetter calls the "No. 1 statistic in football" -- the turnover battle. So far this season, ASU has forced 12 turnovers while committing only two themselves.
"Everybody works on turnovers nowadays," Koetter said. "Having a senior quarterback certainly helps you with the interceptions. But Andrew has thrown a couple balls that could have been picked and they weren't, so you got to have a little luck. Being able to get pressure on the quarterback has helped us get some turnovers. It's just luck and momentum and the crowd. You seem to make your own momentum when things are going your way."
Reach the reporter at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.
