With two consecutive home losses, the ASU football team has received a wake-up call.
The Sun Devils have not hit the snooze button in practice this week.
The team’s physicality on the field showed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Coach Dennis Erickson said he is pleased with the team’s intensity.
“The last two days [of practice] have been as good as we have had all fall,” Erickson said.
The coaching staff has used the week to give more repetitions to younger players in an attempt to evaluate personnel.
“We’re not afraid to make some changes,” Erickson said.
Junior Tom Njunge and redshirt freshman Matt Hustad, who is coming off of injury and should be ready to play against Cal on Oct. 4, have been competing for time at right tackle, the position where redshirt
freshman Adam Tello has struggled.
“[Hustad] and Njunge are competing at that position,” Erickson said. “They’ll continue to compete every week. We don’t know who we’ll play; we’ll just see how it goes.”
Linebacker shuffle
Junior linebacker Gerald Munns missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be absent Thursday.
Erickson said that Munns is attending to personal matters.
Senior linebacker Morris Wooten played in his first game of the season against Georgia last Saturday and contributed with eight tackles.
Erickson said that Wooten’s presence provides an added element to the defense.
“His intensity level is very, very high,” Erickson said. “He’s very physical, he enjoys playing the game and he has others playing like that. His leadership out there is really important.”
Wooten missed last season’s Holiday Bowl and the first three games of this season serving a suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Injury front
Senior running back Keegan Herring has participated fully in practice this week.
Erickson said the staff will closely monitor Herring’s status in practice in hopes of having him ready for the game against Cal.
Herring’s typical enthusiasm was on full display in practice, and he said having friends and family close by helped him get through the disappointment of missing three games this season.
“It helps a lot having your family behind your back,” Herring said.
Sophomore defensive tackle Saia Falahola had surgery Tuesday morning on the hand he broke during practice last week, but he is expected to be ready for the Cal game as well.
Freshman linebacker Brandon Magee (pectoral muscle) ran on the side during practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Getting an early start
ASU recruit Brock Osweiler from Flathead High School in Kalispell, Mont. plans to graduate early so he can enroll at ASU in time for the spring semester and participate in practice.
Osweiler, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, is the No. 27 quarterback in the country according to recruiting Web site Rivals.com.
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu.
