(Photo: Jannah Din/WCSN)
Every Monday Todd Graham holds a press conference to discuss the previous week and Arizona State’s upcoming opponent. We’ll try to decipher what exactly the second-year Sun Devil’s head coach is saying during his often long-winded, sometimes funny, and always entertaining and informative media sessions.
Note: All quotes were transcribed by Sun Devil Athletics.
Todd Graham: Offensively, obviously they’ve got big time talent, big time play makers; their running backs, wide receivers, they’re as good as you can play against. They’re a good team.
Translation: Notice how I didn’t talk about USC’s head coach? Yeah, there’s a reason for that.
Graham (on Jaxon Hood playing this week): I doubt it; he’d be very doubtful this week.
Translation: He’s going to miss more than just this week. We are in trouble.
Graham: We’ve been a faster tempo, but we have not run the ball the way we need to run the ball, that’s probably the biggest concern there.
Translation: Our offensive line needs to be more physical and we need to get more creative with our running plays.
Graham (on Will Sutton being double-teamed): Almost most of the time. What I mean by that is whether they’re sliding to him and doubling with the center or the guard, or they’ll put a back on him and chip him, but in all the pass plays he’s been extremely active.
Translation: He almost gets double-teamed most of the time, which means he gets double-teamed sometimes, which means that yes, the pundits are right. Sutton isn’t the same player this year that he was last year, and it’s not all because teams are focusing on him. I don’t know if it’s weight, motivation, fear of injury, an injury, all or none of the above, but it’s something. The Sun Devils need him to get better, quick.
Graham (on D.J Foster getting carries): No. No, he’s a running back and we’re doing the same things we did last year with him.
Translation: You can probably guess, but this comment came when asked if D.J. Foster is now a wide receiver. News Flash coach: he is. You aren’t doing the same things as last year. What Graham meant to say is “yes he is, but I don’t want USC to think that, because, as we all know, Lane Kiffin doesn’t watch film.”
Graham: If you sit down and talk to him, I said this last week, but very few guys that play at the caliber that he’s going to play at, he’s not even very close to being at where he can play at, but he is about to fall down on the sideline. We were getting ready to do the onside kick and he can barely stand up he was so worn out.
Translation: Jaelen Strong is our best receiver, but man do we need some others to step up until he gets into game shape. Wait, did I just say game shape? You mean he’s not in game shape? Wow, how did I keep this kid from going to USC?
You can reach Jason Galvin on Twitter @Jason_Galvin or by email jgalvi1@asu.edu
