(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
Taylor Kelly lines up in the shotgun, takes the snap, makes a quick 3-step drop and fires to the sideline where Jaelen Strong is just turning around to make a catch while an unfortunate cornerback is doing all he can to dislodge the ball and prevent a first down.
That was like clockwork over the last two seasons, and it’s that nearly telepathic element that Arizona State hasn’t had with redshirt senior Mike Bercovici and his myriad of weapons.
And despite there being a nice balance of usage between those weapons at times — eight different receivers have caught at least five passes this season — nobody has really made a clear case for the go-to guy in ASU’s offense. There isn’t a lack of credentials either, especially in the case of ASU’s do-it-all star, senior D.J. Foster.
Much was made of Foster transitioning to receiver, and despite an offseason focused on making that change physically, – Foster came into fall camp listed at 195 pounds, 10 pounds lighter than last season – injuries and illnesses across the skill positions have hindered that change in full.
Over the first three games of the season, Foster has averaged 6.67 carries, just about half the amount of carries her average per game a season ago (14.92). Naturally, the more time spent in the backfield means less time spent mastering timing with Bercovici on the outside no matter how much extra work those two get in with each other.
“We just got to find our chemistry,” Foster said. “That’s it. I mean, we just got to come out here and keep practicing hard and get our timing down with Mike.”
Most recently, Foster was limited to nine touches for 24 yards, and ASU head coach Todd Graham admitted after the win over New Mexico that Foster was “a little banged up.”
Redshirt senior Devin Lucien is another weapon that was perceived to be Strong’s direct replacement at least positionally, if not production-wise. Lucien, although an inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter than Strong, has been the go-to, possession option that Strong filled during his two seasons in Tempe.
As a graduate transfer from UCLA, Lucien and Bercovici have known each other since their high school days, and while Lucien’s numbers have increased in each of ASU’s three games, that natural click hasn’t been there quite yet, according to Lucien.
“We just want to be great,” Lucien said. “We just haven’t been able to mesh the way we wanted to. We’ve had some great connections, but we’re just not where we want to be. I don’t know if we’ll ever be where we want to be because expect perfection all the time, so we’re just trying to get better.”
Lucien and Bercovici are routinely among the last offensive players to leave the field at practice, and if people are questioning the efforts of the two getting synced up, their voices aren’t heard.
And while the two play the same positions as the lucrative Kelly-Strong combo, they aren’t equal on what was the trademark of the passing game in 2013 and 2014.
“Our back-shoulder fades, sometimes we’re not on the same page,” Lucien said. “Sometimes it’s my fault; sometimes it’s his fault. We just got to really work on it, and that’s what we’re doing. That’s why I’m always one of the last people off the field. I’m trying to figure out what I can do best to help the team.”
At times, the two click notably. Lucien is regularly on the end of quick slants and moves the chains regularly. Lucien is second on the team with 13 catches and is averaging 11.3 yards per reception, so that feeling-out process is slowly but surely coming together.
But other times, the unfamiliarity can be seen in plain sight. Such was the case against Cal Poly, when ASU came up empty on two trips to the red zone, one of which ended by a confusingly thrown interception on fourth down. On that play, Lucien lined up on the far left side and ran a slant-and-out. With the corner still covering Lucien, Bercovici lofted a hopeless ball that kept the score level at 21 in the third quarter.
“Stuff happens,” Lucien said of the interception. “We knew what happened that play, so that’s why we didn’t get too rattled by it.”
What isn’t happening is a clarification as to what this offense is, other than less potent than Graham’s first three years in Tempe. This edition of the Mike Norvell offense is averaging 28.7 points per game through three weeks, a full 10 points beneath the 38.3 from the last three seasons.
And watching the Sun Devils operate against New Mexico, it was clear that they are still trying to discover their identity as well. The first drive consisted of three hopeless incompletions, and the following series consisted of two short running plays, a false start from redshirt junior offensive tackle Evan Goodman and another incompletion.
Obviously, ASU got things rolling in the middle of the New Mexico contest, but questions are still very much surrounding this offensive unit and who it’ll look toward in crunch time. But most prominently, the Sun Devils need to get their unit up to full strength.
Sophomore running back Kalen Ballage has yet to see the field this season because of his mono diagnosis, redshirt junior De’Chavon Hayes missed the New Mexico game due to a hamstring issue, and redshirt junior Tim White is still recovering from a hand issue despite being one of ASU’s most explosive weapons over the last two games.
“It’s just the mentality of the next man has got to be ready,” Norvell said. “Does it present challenges when guys go down? Most definitely, and especially when it’s multiple guys at one position. You got to move things around and look at how you’re dispersing the touches, the reps, making sure you’re keeping guys fresh.”
But the fact of the matter is: The “next” man up wasn’t the “first” man up, and ASU hasn’t been able to get into a rhythm without all its weapons.
On the other hand, at some point, injuries cannot excuse consistent three-and-outs and mishaps in the redzone, where ASU once again had issues against New Mexico.
ASU found itself at the 1-yard line in the first quarter, and a 17-play drive netted them just three points after a few disappointing plays, including a mishandled snap by Bercovici.
Jaelen Strong was Taylor Kelly’s go-to man in the end zone. That was clear. Everybody in the Pac-12 knew that. Just three games into the young season, and I’m not sure anybody – including ASU – knows who to stick with in the final 20 yards.
Redshirt junior tight end Kody Kohl made a nice diving catch in the endzone against Cal Poly, and Bercovici looked toward him again last night before he got tripped up by a New Mexico defender.
Tim White has been ASU’s most explosive wideout, thrusting himself into the spotlight against Cal Poly with a 59-yard run that ended with a 4-yard touchdown reception. White was once again effective against New Mexico, snagging four receptions and another touchdown.
But the man that ASU fed the most with Lucien and Foster hampered was sophomore Demario Richard, who went off with 104 yards rushing and a whopping 151 yards receiving, most by an ASU running back in program history.
Richard was able to bounce through the tackles routinely throughout the night, and his 255 total yards accounted for 56.8 percent of the Sun Devils’ entire offense. In all reality, Richard has been the most consistent contributor on offense through three weeks, and although it was assumed the 18-year-old would make a jump in progress in his second season, him shouldering the load of the offense is something few people saw coming.
If you ask ASU’s players and coaches, they’ll all reiterate their confidence in the unit. They will say how excited they are to get on the practice field, get better, listen to their coaches and play hard come Saturday. They should. That’s their mentality – at least externally.
But now, USC is coming to town, so everybody – coaches, players, fans and reporters alike – will all have a better picture of what exactly this ASU offense is or isn’t, and even then, we all might not know.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
