- Slug: Sports-ASU Tuesday,590
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By BILL SLANE
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Monday Arizona State head coach Todd Graham had hope, Tuesday he said for certain: Kalen Ballage will play on Saturday.
Ballage made his return to the practice field Tuesday, dressed in a maroon jersey for full contact. During the portion of practice open to the media, the sophomore running back didn’t seem to be significantly slowed down after dealing with a case of mononucleosis.
REINFORCEMENTS: After practice Graham said that Ballage looked “a lot better than he did last week,” and definitively said that he is good to go against USC.
Graham also expects wide receiver Devin Lucien to play after injuring his hamstring against New Mexico. Lucien got some reps on Tuesday, according to Graham, and stayed after practice for some light work with quarterback Brady White.
Running back Gump Hayes and defensive lineman Viliami Latu are also expected to play this weekend.
THIS ORR THAT: On the first play of the team tempo period, Mike Bercovici threw a pass behind tight end Kody Kohl that ended up being tipped up in the air and intercepted by safety Kareem Orr. Orr earned the start in the secondary against New Mexico and continues to work with the first team this week.
After practice Graham talked highly about the potential of his freshman defensive back.
“I told Kareem, I said, ‘Kareem I wish I was you I’d have a lot better future,’” he said. “That guy is going to be unbelievable.”
DON’T CALL HIM THAT: Running back Demario Richard totaled 255 yards from scrimmage and earned the nickname “Little Richard” from Pac-12 Network’s Lincoln Kennedy. You probably shouldn’t call him that though.
Richard made it clear on Twitter the name is not at the top of his list of things he likes to be called.
“Yeah I had to send that tweet out right after the game, right after I watched the game on TV,” he said. “No disrespect to the announcer who said it though.”
There is a long list of nicknames Richard has earned in his short ASU career, “Super Demario,” “Baby Beastmode” and his Twitter handle “The Face of Cali.” Richard said the fans can call him whatever they want.
“Except Little Richard.”
WHATEVER IT TAKES: While the team has dealt with injuries, the healthy players have had to play in spots they normally wouldn’t have to. Richard lined up as a slot receiver against New Mexico and is ready to play wherever the team wants him.
“Whatever we need to win this game, to get started on the right track that’s what I’m going to do,” he said. “I’m comfortable anywhere – at spur, free safety, anywhere.”
VISUALIZE: Long after Mike Bercovici and Todd Graham have left the program at Arizona State, people will talk about the 2014 game at USC. A last-second touchdown pass from Bercovici, filling in for the injured Taylor Kelly, to receiver Jaelen Strong gave the Sun Devils a miracle win against the Trojans. The players who were at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that night, like wide receiver D.J. Foster, are taking that experience as motivation against the Trojans.
“That’s something that coach Graham said, to visualize that tonight,” Foster said. “Memories like that we’ll never forget in our lifetime, it’s just unbelievable I was a part of that.”
Foster also jokingly said that he still feels that the “Jael Mary” pass was his ball to catch and he would tell that to former teammate Jaelen Strong all of the time.
