Sophomore running back D.J. Foster is tackled by a member of the UA football team in Tempe. Foster aided in the defeat of the Wildcats in the absence of Marion Grice, who was injured. (Photo by Diana Lustig)ASU coach Todd Graham said sophomore running back D.J. Foster chose the Sun Devils two years ago because “he blindly trusted us.”
The trust isn’t so blind anymore.
In fact, the trust between Foster and the Sun Devil program is as high as it has ever been.
Foster, stepping in for injured senior running back Marion Grice, ran for a career-high 124 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Sun Devils (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) to a 58-21 Territorial Cup victory over UA and clinching homefield advantage for next week’s Pac-12 championship game.
“It feels good and at the end of the day it’s all a blessing,” Foster said. “My coaches just gave me the opportunity to just let me try to be the player that I can be.”
It was the first time in Foster’s career that he was the go-to guy in the backfield and the Scottsdale native couldn’t have looked any more ready.
On the first play from scrimmage, Foster scampered forward for 12 yards and by the end of the first quarter he had 37 rushing yards, already surpassing his season average of 16.6 entering the game.
Foster said his preparations all week were building up to a breakout performance.
“My coaches and my teammates challenged me,” Foster said. “I just tried to step up and my coaches and my teammates prepared me well for this week and I just wanted them to have the trust in me that nothing was going to let down.”
Foster said he spent a lot of time with Grice during the week and during the game to make sure he led the Sun Devils to their second consecutive Territorial Cup victory.
“I was talking to (Grice) all week,” Foster said. “He’s definitely a great leader and a great teammate. He kept me mentally sharp, telling me things that I was missing out there, certain reads that I could look for blocking and stuff. During the game he was always in my ear making sure I was staying focused.”
Just as Grice has done so all season, Foster found the end zone, too.
His first score, a 14-yard run at the 12:58 mark of the second quarter, put the Sun Devils up 20-0.
Foster’s second meeting with the end zone, a seven-yard run in which he broke two tackles, effectively put the Wildcats away and extended the Sun Devil lead to 51-21 with 13:17 remaining.
Redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly said he never doubted Foster’s ability to replace Grice and be a game changer.
“I had a lot of confidence in the guys that were going to step up and play that role,” Kelly said. “D.J. did a great job tonight. Some people forget how good a player he is and how he runs the football.”
Foster and Graham sat side-by-side in the postgame press conference, rejoicing at the Sun Devils’ first 10-win season since 2007.
Graham made it clear how he felt about Foster’s career performance.
“D.J. Foster is a special tail back,” Graham said. “To be able to go and do what he did tonight, it’s not surprising to me at all. He’s a big time player and a big time leader for us.”
Foster will have to lead the Sun Devils again next week as Graham announced post game that he doesn’t expect Grice to be ready for the Pac-12 championship game.
Foster said the feeling of beating the Wildcats for the second straight year and being one win away from the Rose Bowl is better than any he’s had as a Sun Devil.
“It’s unbelievable,” Foster said. “We’re anxious, but we know we have got a lot of work still. There is still a big game coming up, so we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We still have to work hard and prepare like we always do. We just have to understand what we have in front of us and how close we are to our goal.”
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu and follow him on Twitter @DsShapi
