ASU Football: Slocum praises Czaplicki, defense needs “focus”

Arizona State Football special teams coach Shawn Slocum, linebackers coach Chris Claiborne and defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce all spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of ASU’s Pac-12 Conference opener against Colorado on Saturday. Here are the highlights of what each said.

Czaplicki’s journey to Tempe and performance thus far

Neither Slocum nor ASU freshman punter Eddie Czaplicki knew what they were getting themselves into when they converged on camp prior to the 2021 season beginning.

Slocum never saw Czaplicki in-person during his recruiting process due to COVID-19 protocols.

“It’s the first time I’ve signed a player that I didn’t see kick in person,” Slocum said of bringing Czaplicki in.

But Slocum trusted the tape and his peers.

“He was well-welcomed by some of the top kicking coaches around the country and that’s what got us initially involved with him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Czaplicki seemed to join the Sun Devils prescribed a different role than what he’s doing now.

“I really anticipated him being our kicker,” Slocum said.

The transfer of former punter Michael Turk to Oklahoma before camp created an opening at the position, which Czaplicki has stepped into and blossomed in.

“He’s a good technician and he works at his craft daily,” Slocum said. “He’s got a good procedure and a good base on how he’s learned to do this.”

Slocum praised his punter for handling such an immediate and tough transition.

“What you don’t know is how they’re going to handle it mentally, and I think he’s done a great job with the aspect of going into games — the first punt he had was outstanding,” he said of Czaplicki. “We talk about being outstanding every game and you’re really only as good as your last.”

ASU could split kicker reps

Slocum also said on Wednesday that the Sun Devils could be headed toward dividing up kicking duties.

Redshirt junior Cristian Zendejas, who returned to the Sun Devils after entering the transfer portal, could be ASU’s short-range guy while senior Logan Tyler could handle longer kicks.

“We have gone with Cristian because of his consistency – he has a tendency to make them,” Slocum said. “When we kick short field goals, he’s the guy to do it.

“Logan is still a factor and has done well the last couple weeks in practice with the long field goal attempts, so we have options there.”

Slocum did say other factors will play a part when field goals are kicked in games moving forward.

“The wind is a consideration there and how they’ve kicked in pregame warmups,” he said.

Silence between Claiborne, Robertson after fumble

Perhaps the catalyst in ASU’s loss to BYU on Saturday was senior linebacker Merlin Robertson’s fumble while returning his interception of Cougars sophomore quarterback Jaren Hall’s pass to the end zone.

When asked about what he told Robertson after the play, Claiborne said he let the scene do the talking.

“I didn’t say anything,” Claiborne said. “He [Robertson] knows. Ultimately, he wants that play back and we go the other way.”

Pierce issues ultimatum

ASU’s secondary was challenged against the Cougars’ length and vertical passing attack on Saturday, and Pierce believes some of the issues were rooted in a lack of focus. To correct this, Pierce has instituted intense standards.

“Next man up,” he said. “If you screw up, next man up. They [the players] will focus then. If you’re not on the field then you’re out of focus. Practice shows whether you’re ready to play, whether you’re a sixth year senior or a freshman. Those guys that do it right throughout the week will do it right on Saturdays.”

Pierce doesn’t believe ASU’s scheme needs to change to accommodate certain opponents, but rather that the Sun Devils need to be more consistent with their play.

“We got to do a better job of executing and finishing plays,” Pierce said. “If you got a guy in man, then you finish him. You got that gap, you stay in that gap. It’s about being focused, and you got to do it every play. For the most part, our guys have done a good job of doing that. There were a handful of plays, not a lot, where we weren’t as precise as we needed to be.”