The 1997 Sun Bowl Trophy is on display at Kajikawa Practice Field in Tempe onDec. 12. ASU will play Duke for the 2014 Sun Bowl on Dec. 27. (Photo by Logan
Newman).
After two weeks without practice, the Sun Devils returned to the Kajikawa practice facility in preparation for the Sun Bowl.
“We’ve got a lot to play for,” head coach Todd Graham said. “Tenth win, that’s not happened very often in the history (of ASU).”
Getting the second-consecutive 10-win season is important to him. It adds to the pressure of getting one more victory — one more bowl game victory.
“We’re absolutely not done,” he said. “We’re focused on getting this bowl win.”
Last year, ASU had a chance to make a major bowl appearance but lost in the Pac-12 Championship Game to Stanford. As a result, the Sun Devils were selected to take on Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl, where they lost 37-23.
This year, ASU was in a similar situation: in place to make a Pac-12 championship run and, in turn, have a good shot at a major bowl appearance.
ASU couldn’t win the Pac-12 South. Instead, UA took the division and was selected to compete in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon, the winner, advanced to the first College Football Playoff.
For the second year in a row, ASU will participate in a smaller bowl game. For the second year in a row, the players are motivated and have the desire to win.
This year is different in that they can remember the collapse against Texas Tech.
"Coach Graham’s always harping on us about that, telling us to ask us how it really felt afterward, being in the locker room after that game,” redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly said.
This year, they’ll look to avoid those negative post-game emotions.
On the sidelines of the scrimmage drills on Friday morning practice, the defense exhibited positive emotions in its intensity and excitement.
Freshman linebacker Ismael Murphy-Richardson said practice went well, but the defense didn’t live up to the expectations that have been set by both Graham and the team as a whole.
“I think it was a good practice,” he said. “We have a high ceiling that we think we’re able to do and we’re only getting better as the day goes.”
Freshman defenders Renell Wren, Emanuel Dayries, DJ Calhoun and Murphy-Richardson received playing time at practice and Graham mentioned them all during the post-practice press conference. He said they’ve all played well, but their age and experience creates a hurdle when trying to fix injury problems from other players.
The main injury that affected that group’s playing time was to sophomore linebacker Laiu Moeakiola. Graham said you could see the difference with him off the field, but then backtracked and said it’s not a reason to accept defeat.
“That’s an excuse — we’ve got to do a better job of having the person ready,” he said. “It’s just hard when you have young guys having to learn multiple positions.”
Redshirt junior defensive back Jordan Simone returned to practice but wore a limited-contact gold jersey. Simone has not played in a game since ASU's game against Washington State on Nov. 22.
Graham was very vocal on the sidelines making sure his defense heard his critique, briefly pausing the scrimmage to yell about attacking the ball and forcing takeaways.
The defensive line put up good pressure and forced a fumble, but there were very few takeaways. Redshirt junior defensive back Lloyd Carrington picked off a pass thrown by redshirt junior quarterback Mike Bercovici to redshirt junior wide receiver Jaelen Strong.
Bercovici, and the ASU quarterbacks in general, have grown accustomed to tossing the ball up around Strong and allowing the receiver to reel it in. The quarterbacks didn’t look sharp today. In a three-down passing drill early, three consecutive Kelly throws were rather soft. They all fell incomplete: one batted away, one thrown behind Strong.
After the Territorial Cup on Nov. 28, Graham said Kelly will start against Duke. He reiterated this today, simply stating he would start and did not expand further.
It was the first time at ASU that Kelly was benched due to play, with Bercovici entering the game in the second half.
“It’s tough,” Kelly said. “Adversity happens throughout the year and it’s happened a lot for this team.”
Strong said the receiving core won’t be affected by the starting quarterback and the vast amount of changes hasn’t impacted their game.
“We practice with all the quarterbacks, getting the timing down,” he said. “You never know what could happen during the game.”
If the time comes in which Bercovici is forced to enter the Sun Bowl, the team will be prepared. Graham appreciates this mindset from his players.
“(I) love the attitude of this football team,” he said. “We have one focus, obviously, going to the bowl game and all that’s a reward for a season, a 9-win season. Our guys are hungry for the tenth win.”
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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