(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
On the backs of Arizona State Football’s 25-18 loss to UCLA Saturday night, head coach Herm Edwards held his weekly press conference Monday to further discuss the Sun Devils’ loss to the Bruins and the upcoming rivalry game against Arizona.
Offense, closing games must be learned further
The issues on display in the loss to the Bruins could have been foreseen, and Edwards said the lack of practice time and physical preparation before the game played a part in those.
“[New offensive coordinator Zak Hill]’s only had two live games,” Edwards said. “We’re still working at it. It’s familiarity. We have new running backs. We have a host of new receivers. We use the tight end packages a little more than we’ve done here in the past. All of that stuff has to get worked out and the only way you work it out is you have to play games.”
Late game situations have doomed the Sun Devils to make them 0-2. No matter what the greater situation is, Edwards says his team must finish.
“It’s understanding the situation and not letting your guard down,” he said. “Sometimes games ebb and flow – they go up, and then they go down. I think there comes a point in the game, especially in the fourth quarter in a tight game, where every snap becomes more magnified. [It comes down to] what team is going to gain momentum. We have lost momentum. We had some momentum and we had the game right in our hands and we lost the momentum. Whether it was on offense or defense, I think when we get into those situations, we have to understand and close the game out.”
Not only does ASU have to continue learning its own new scheme, but it must combat the what opposing defenses counter it with.
“It became a game of handling their pressure,” Edwards said of the UCLA contest. “They brought a lot of pressure. It was a matter of our receivers getting open against man-to-man coverage. That’s our deal right now. People are going to bring pressure and see if we can beat their cover guys.”
Defensive line a bright spot overall
While it was redshirt sophomore defensive end Michael Matus who broke out in Week 1, ASU once again brought its own pressure defensively against the Bruins due to other individual performances.
Redshirt junior defensive lineman Tyler Johnson recorded three sacks and six tackles. Matus added on another sack of his own Saturday.
“I think he’s improved tremendously,” Edwards said of Johnson, who briefly left the program in the spring before returning. “He’s one of the bright spots for us on defense as far as rushing the quarterback and getting to the quarterback. He made a couple plays in the UCLA game against that running quarterback [junior Dorian Thompson-Robinson] that are very difficult to do. You guys watched the game, he’s a handful in space, and Tyler did a great job of rushing the pocket and keeping the quarterback contained.
“He’s always been a guy to make a play or two but he had a really consistent game. One of his most consistent games in my opinion.”
Next to Johnson was junior defensive lineman Jermayne Lole, who had a tackle for loss and forced UCLA to use manpower to account for his presence.
“He’s an unsung hero inside,” Edwards said of Lole. “He’s getting a lot of double teams at times in passing situations. He’s always in position to make the quarterback uncomfortable. He’s a smart player. He’s real physical inside and has a way of working his way to the quarterback. He’s been very consistent for us. When you have a couple guys inside, that’s a concern for offenses.”
Excitement for Territorial Cup
With ASU looking for positives amidst a winless, choppy season, Friday’s rivalry game against Arizona serves as an energy-booster for the Sun Devils.
“It doesn’t matter how many games you have won or lost,” Edwards said. “When you play a rivalry game, you understand the emotion of it all.”
In a way, though, Friday won’t feel the same without fans, according to Edwards.
“The sad part is that fans can’t come in and watch it,” he said. “That’s half of [the experience]. The fanbases get after each other. It’s fun to watch.”
When asked if the Wildcats only being ASU’s third opponent of the year made the game feel different, Edwards said there was a bit of a changed aspect.
While returners know what is coming, the younger parts of ASU’s roster don’t. Edwards said a portion of the upcoming week will be spent getting those players prepared for such an emotional, important game.
“We have a bunch of young guys in their first year going into this [game],” Edwards said. “We’re trying to give them little pieces of what this game really means for our fanbase and where it stands in college football. It’s one of the longest in college football. All of those things matter.
“Everyday we talk about it a little bit. You show them certain things. What has transpired over the years. These guys have had high school rivalries, but now this is a college one. This is bigger.”
