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By LINDSEY WISNIEWSKI
Cronkite News
TEMPE – It was a few strokes shy of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday when Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage, fresh off an historic performance, ran to the sidelines to thank fellow Sun Devil and offensive lineman Stephon McCray.
Moments later, Ballage walked through the Tillman Tunnel into the locker room.
“He was like, ‘Hey y’all are all coming up to the press conference with me?’”said a surprised ASU offensive lineman Sam Jones. “And I was like, alright.”
Ballage lined up 10 chairs in a compact press conference space, blanketed in maroon and gold, and asked his offensive lineman to take a seat.
This was now their stage, too.
“There’s 10 other guys on the field besides me,” Ballage said after shattering the ASU single-game scoring record and tying the NCAA record with eight touchdowns on 15 touches in a 68-55 win over Texas Tech. “I just happened to have the ball in my hands but there’s 10 other guys that are working on it. I truly believe that we had eight touchdowns, not just necessarily me.”
People may have not have known Ballage before the game but they know the Pac-12 player of the week and CBS National Player of the Week now. Even former Sun Devil basketball star James Harden and former wide receiver Jaelen Strong gave him shout-outs after the game.
But he wants everybody to know all about his linemen.
“I’ve tried as hard as I can ever since I’ve been here to build a relationship with each and every one of these guys separately,” Ballage said, “And together we combine all of that. There’s a lot of love.”
Ballage said junior Sam Jones is one of the players on the offensive line he shares a tight-knit relationship with because both hail from Colorado. Jones grew up in Highland Ranch, less than 65 miles from Ballage in Peyton.
“There’s some weird Colorado thing going on,” Jones said. “Honestly, since day one, Kalen and I have always kind of been on the same page.”
That friendship has helped spark the chemistry between the linemen and the running backs.
“It just means a lot that a running back cares a lot about his O-line and realizes all the work that we do to give him the opportunities,” Jones said. “It makes us really want to play harder for them.”
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Stephon McCray shares that feeling with Ballage and fellow running back Demario Richard, who have played a significant role in the team’s 2-0 start.
“They always support us,” McCray said. “I don’t think they ever doubt us. It’s always great to hear support from your teammates and hear they’re behind you and they trust you with basically your life out there because they’re carrying the ball.”
McCray also attributes the running backs’ and offensive line’s closeness to frequent team-building off-the-field.
“We go on outings,” McCray said. “Over the summer (and) winter but I think you guys are seeing it culminate on the field right now.”
But Ballage isn’t satisfied with his one-game wonder. Next up, ASU will play at the University of Texas at San Antonio on Friday.
“I think my teammates depend on me,” Ballage said. “I depend on them and I know a lot of people outside this team expect me to perform.
“I’m not going to do anything different than what I did before. I’m going to practice hard and play on Friday like I have been for my whole life. It’s just one step at a time from here on out.”
And, Jones hinted, one meal at a time.
“Kalen’s been sayin’ he’s going to take me to dinner, but he hasn’t yet,” Jones said. “So you guys should hold him to that.”
