(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
“Next-man-up” can be an overused phrase, a fallback plan with a built-in excuse when misfortune strikes a football team.
Every program in college football suffers injuries, an inevitable cost of doing business in a physical sport. Only a fraction of teams can sustain major absences; even fewer improve as top players go down.
In the last two weeks, Arizona State has been the latter, relying on second-team fill-ins to help spark an unforeseen mid-season turnaround.
“We’ve been through the hard times and I think it builds character and I think it builds toughness,” coach Todd Graham said. “I think you get to a point where you realize what it takes sacrifice-wise to get there. These guys have done it.”
Compared to its season opening lineup, ASU rolled out six different starters in its 30-10 win over Utah last week. All half dozen replacements looked right at home, helping the Sun Devils win their first conference road game in over two years and rise to a tie atop the Pac-12 South division standings.
“It’s next man up, and trying to get the next man ready,” defensive line coach Michael Slater said. “You’re going to control the things you can control, and we don’t have control over injuries.”
Slater’s group has been impacted as much as any position on the roster. Yet, a porous run defense in the first half of the schedule has been washed away thanks to back-to-back impressive efforts: ASU limiting Washington and Utah to barely 200 yards combined on the ground.
“We made a few adjustments. You always talk about guys seizing the moment and taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. That’s what guys have done.”
Earlier this season, Graham was hesitant to give his second-teamers any sort of opporunity.
Right from the start of the year, ASU stuck to its depth chart; the Sun Devils didn’t make a single defensive substitution in the first half of their season opener against New Mexico State. When player rotation did come in the fourth quarter that night, Graham said postgame he wished he’d waited longer to pull his starters after watching a three-score lead dwindle to six points after the personnel switch.
The Sun Devils followed a similar starters-only script in a week two loss to San Diego State, only making major changes when injuries to linebacker Koron Crump and receiver John Humphrey forced the coaching staff’s hand.
It opened the door for second-unit faces to make a case for more playing time. They’ve proven to be successful.
Sophomore Kyle Williams has covered for Humphrey in the passing game, becoming the third leading receiver on the team. Cornerback Chase Lucas has settled nicely into the secondary after a season-ending ACL tear to Joey Bryant. Tight end Jay Jay Wilson switched to defense to help make up for another season-ending blow to Crump, clearing the way for backup tight end Ceejhay French-Love to make several key catches this year.
Even the removal of fifth-year senior AJ Latu off the defensive line in favor of a role as devil-backer – another move aimed at cushioning the loss of Crump – has been inconsequential thanks to the stellar performances from defensive tackles Renell Wren and George Lea.
“Each of those guys feed off each other,” Slater said of his newfound duo. “George started the Washington game and Renell took it a little personal and when he got the opportunity to get in, he’s done a phenomenal job and has been very disruptive…Those guys know I have confidence in both of them and that the guy that’s doing the best is going to get the most reps.”
When backups have been forced into action this year, they approach the chance with a unique mindset. They don’t see injuries as opportunities to steal jobs, but as obligations to step up to cover for a missing teammate.
Take last week for example. When junior slot receiver Jalen Harvey got banged up midway through ASU’s win over Utah, Ryan Newsome was tabbed to go in the game.
“Being there for Jalen when he got hurt was a big deal,” Newsome said. “Guys had to step up when other guys go down. I told Jalen I had his back and I was going to do whatever I had to do to help the team win and we got it done.”
Newsome’s preseason bid to win a starters’ job was derailed by a hamstring injury late in camp. Though he recovered within weeks of the beginning of the season, the Texas Longhorn transfer has patiently waited for his turn to break out in the offense. When the moment came in Salt Lake City last week, he made a big 19-yard catch.
Just the latest example of a growing collection of stand-in success.
“Just having each other’s backs is a big deal,” Newsome said. “We’ve grown together as the season has gone on.”
Meanwhile, the position-switching Wilson has made the most-stark change for his team, voluntarily sacrificing playing time and offensive production to learn a new position on the other side of the ball. He had plenty of help getting comfortable with his new role.
“Going into devil-backer, with DJ (Calhoun) and Christian (Sam) helping me out, it was just an easy transition, way easier than I thought it was going to be,” Wilson said. “AJ (Latu) helping me out, Crump even coming in watching film with me, teaching me pass rush moves. My teammates have all been really supportive.”
Wilson was validated against Utah, capping ASU’s impressive triumph with a fourth quarter pick-six, first intercepting Utes’ quarterback Tyler Huntley and then running him over on the goal line to score.
“You are always looking for athleticism. I watched Jay Jay at H-back and tight end and he’s tough,” defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. “If you watch that interception on Saturday, how smooth was that? I’ve coached some great players…and I’m not sure he’s [not] a future NFL linebacker.”
Latu was supposed to be Crump’s main replacement, but was also knocked out of the lineup last week with an injury. Wilson echoed similar sentiments as Newsome when it came to the bitter-sweet route to his increased playing time.
“That’s crazy how you can have a great game like (Latu) had (against Washington) and lead the team in sacks and then you get injured,” Wilson said. “That’s bum and it hurts. It hurt me too. I’ve looked up to him since I got here.”
Graham has not been shy to acknowledge the effects his veteran leaders, like Latu, have had in the locker room this year. The messages preached by not only the coaching staff, but the elder playmakers on the team have resonated with a young crop of talent, many of whom have been summoned to replace hurt upperclassmen starters this year.
“This team has a lot invested. It’s a veteran team and we’ve got veterans that are dictating to all the newcomers and our young guys, this is how we do things,” Graham said. “These are the expectations: don’t come to practice unprepared. You are going to be prepared, you are going to do things the right way, you are going to respond the right way.”
It might sound like just coach-talk. But “next-man-up” sounds that way too. Both messages are being received. In spite of notable losses in key positions, ASU is winning and improving.
“There is nothing like teaching and seeing kids getting it,” Graham said. “Our players deserve all the credit, because they are the ones that have the investment and I do think the fact that we have been here and we haven’t compromised our values and we have a culture is the reason why it’s producing discipline and why we are getting better.”
