The ASU football team was victimized by a number of questionable calls during a 27-0 loss to California on Saturday, but the Sun Devils still are not sure if instant replay is a good idea in college football.
When ASU returned the opening kickoff against the Golden Bears, officials ruled junior Josh Golden fumbled the ball, even though the television broadcast showed he was down before the ball came out. On the ensuing play, Cal freshman Robert Jordan caught a 24-yard touchdown pass, and replays showed he was not inbounds during the catch.
Currently, the Pac-10 does not have instant replay in any form. The Big Ten has a system in which one official in the press box arbitrarily decides if a play is reviewed.
ASU head coach Dirk Koetter said he is opposed to such a system, although he would favor a system similar to the one the NFL uses: Each coach can challenge up to two plays per game to be reviewed.
"I have total respect for what officials do because they have a tough job," Koetter said. "I'm not a big fan of the system that is in college. But I don't think the NFL system is bad."
Senior quarterback Andrew Walter said instant replay should be a part of college football, but it would have to be implemented carefully.
"My personal opinion is to do whatever it takes to get the call right -- I don't care if it goes against you or goes for you," Walter said. "We put so many hours of hard work, sweat, blood and tears in the off-season that you don't want human error to come into it, if that is possible.
"Officials do the best they can do. They're not going to make every call, just like we're not going to make every play; that is just being a human being. But instant replay would probably remedy some of that."
Kicking woes
Koetter said he is concerned with the play of kicker Jesse Ainsworth, although he expects the junior to come out of a funk soon enough. After beginning the season as the Pac-10's top kicker, Ainsworth hasn't looked the part as of late. Against Cal, he hooked a 31-yard attempt.
"Kicking is exactly like your golf swing, and Jesse is thinking about it way too much," Koetter said. "Jesse can go out and make 25 in a row in practice. It's like standing over that 4-foot putt or standing on the tee box, where you have to hit it over the desert into the fairway.
"His mechanics are fine, he's got a strong leg, and his timing is good. He's just got to get back out there and make one in the game, and I'm sure he'll be back to normal."
Volleyball at football
Breaking from their normal routine, about 15 players -- mostly kickers, holders and returners -- stayed after practice Tuesday to work on special teams. The players used volleyballs in many of the drills in place of footballs.
Koetter said the team usually does the drills at the beginning of practice, but the drills are one of the things to be cut out, since practices have been shorter as the season has progressed.
"We just felt like one of the things we did not do a good job of in the Cal game was the little things that the specialists do," Koetter said. "So we said, 'Let's give them a few extra minutes, but let's not have the whole team stay out.' "
Best excuse ever
Koetter said he did not encourage players to vote.
"I do not see my job as a political consultant or to push my politics and religion on anybody," he said.
However, Koetter said at 10 p.m. Monday he received an interesting phone call on the issue.
"I had a player tell me he was going to be late to meetings because he had a busy day at school and a math test, and then he had to go vote on the other side of town. That is the best excuse I've had in a long time," he said.
Injury update
Oft-troubled tailback Hakim Hill left practice early Tuesday on crutches. Koetter said the injury was just a sprained ankle. Koetter believed the junior would be available for practice today.
Sophomore guard Zach Krula returned to practice in a limited capacity Tuesday after missing the last three weeks with mononucleosis and an enlarged spleen. The 6-foot-7-inch Krula participated mostly in conditioning work. At one point during his illness, Krula's spleen was nearly twice as large as it should be. It seems to be back to its normal, but doctors aren't sure due to Krula's size.
"Doctors know what a normal spleen is, but there is not a lot of research on giants' spleens," Koetter said. "Being out for three weeks, it is better for him to ease his way back anyway."
Koetter added that doctors would get the final say on when Krula could return at full capacity, although he anticipated the offensive lineman would be available Saturday when the team hosts Stanford. Koetter said he had no plans to change his starting lineup on the offensive line, however.
Since being out, Krula has lost up to 15 pounds, but he has been able to gain weight back easily in the past.
Reach the reporter at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.
