(Photo: Brett Deckert/WCSN)
Arizona State head coach Todd Graham announced on Monday that redshirt freshman quarterback Brady White will miss the remainder of the season with a significant right leg injury.
Although Graham didn’t elaborate on the specifics of the injury, he did say that it was really serious.
“My heart goes out to him, he did such a great job for us,” Graham said. “It’s a tough deal for him, but he’ll be back [next season].”
White was injured in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 23-20 win over UCLA. Redshirt sophomore Manny Wilkins was inactive for the contest – still ailing from a leg injury – and redshirt freshman Bryce Perkins’ status for the year still looks unclear due to a neck injury.
Although Graham expects Wilkins to return to the field this weekend against Colorado, he is prepping freshman quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole, as well as freshman Jack Smith and junior Coltin Gerhart should the need arise given the circumstances at the position.
“The good thing is that Manny’s deal was something that is a minor deal, I think he’s got a good chance of making it back this week” Graham said. “We’re working hard with Dillon, getting Dillon ready.”
Graham pointed out that even through the challenges at the quarterback position, his team has still responded well to the adversity, even as recently as this past weekend’s tilt with the Bruins.
“We didn’t have our starting quarterback last week and won,” Graham said. “We’re a team, it’s not about one person, or two people or three people, you know, that’s the game of football. The game of football mirrors life – you get knocked down, you’re going to have injuries, you’re going to have weeks where you don’t have people, that’s when you have people step up.”
Against Colorado, Graham hopes to run the ball with more success than the team has had as of late – given the uncertainty under center, he acknowledges that the ground game will need to play a much larger role moving forward for his team to experience sustained success.
“Our deal is we want to be able to run the football,” Graham said. “That’s something we’re committed to doing. Each game, I think the key, if you go to each year and you look and see the team that is going to win this league is the one that can stop the run and if you don’t let people run the football, then obviously it impacts a scoring offense.
“That’s something that we can’t be one dimensional.”
Regardless, it still looks as though Wilkins will make his return this weekend, and with that, should come a more effective rushing attack.
In games that Wilkins has started – and finished – this season, Arizona State has run the ball an average of 49 times for 237 yards. On the other hand, in games that Wilkins either doesn’t play or – in the example of the USC game – doesn’t finish, the offense has run the ball an average of 34 times for just 77 yards.
“I fully intend on Manny being back, I’m just being honest about that,” Graham said. “Our plan is for him to practice by Thursday.”
