- Slug: Sports-ASU Monday, 622
By MAURICIO CASILLAS
Cronkite News
The Arizona State football team’s first win of the season came at a cost, as four players were nursing injuries on Monday.
Safety Armand Perry, who injured his left ankle in the game, was still on crutches in the portion of Monday’s practice that was open to the media. Defensive tackle Viliami Latu and running back De’Chavon “Gump” Hayes did not participate. Right tackle Billy McGehee was the only one of the four that practiced.
“The key for us is we’ve had some misfortune a little bit as far as people getting sick and some injuries and stuff like that,” ASU head coach Todd Graham said. “We’ve got to get that behind us and get some consistency in what we’re doing. This week is big. We need to go out and play our best football game because this is where it’s building up to. After this week, it starts counting and it counts big time.”
Running back Kalen Ballage, who was diagnosed with mononucleosis before the Texas A&M game, was at practice but only rode a stationary bike.
“Kalen was at practice today and feeling better. Obviously I don’t know anything more than that,” Graham said. “We’re hoping to get him back sooner than later, and we’ll have a little more idea of where we are with all the other guys specifically tomorrow.”
Graham said the 35-21 win over Cal Poly wasn’t pretty, but he was pleased with the outcome.
“Are we playing our best football? No, we’re not. We’ve got to do better,” Graham said. “We probably didn’t do as good of a job as a staff preparing them and we had less time to do it. But I feel good about it because of the way our guys responded and overcame a lot of adversity and won a football game.”
NEW STUDENT SECTION: Saturday’s game against Cal Poly featured the new “double inferno” student sections behind each end zone. The new student sections were created as part of the first phase of Sun Devil Stadium renovations.
“Going into my fifth year at Sun Devil Stadium I’ve pretty much seen everything,” quarterback Mike Bercovici said. “But, I genuinely got chills when I walked out there coming out of Tillman tunnel for pregame and all the students were right there going crazy.”
Graham said new renovations give the Sun Devils an even bigger edge playing at home.
“Both end zones were incredible. The new end zone seating is something really, really special, so that was something that was the highlight of the evening,” Graham said. “Obviously that’s going to really make this place a very difficult place to play in.”
FIRST LOOK AT NEW MEXICO: The Sun Devils will face off against an opponent that runs the triple-option for the second consecutive week, as they host New Mexico on Friday. ASU defeated New Mexico 58-23 last season.
“This is a different triple-option team. It’s not an under center; it’s not a Navy flex-bone deal. This is a gun, triple-option-type attack. The quarterback and running backs are faster, so it is a challenge,” Graham said. “They’re a very well-coached football team, very capable, big play capabilities. But we’ve got to be assignment oriented and take care of your responsibility, and that’s a big part of it for us.”
Bercovici said the team will need to hit its stride against the Lobos.
“Guys are starting to play with their eyes more. Going into the third game, the rust is off now. We’re ready to go,” Bercovici said. “You really start to get into that seasoned groove where you understand you have three practices, a walk through, and now it’s game day. Go perform.”