(Photo: ASU Athletics)
It was a quick, to-the-point answer from head coach Todd Graham when asked if he thought Taylor Kelly would be ready to retake his spot at the starting quarterback of the No. 14 Arizona State Sun Devils.
“I do.”
Kelly, a senior quarterback who has 30 career starts at ASU, suffered a foot injury late in a blowout win over Colorado that forced him out of action for important conference games against three consecutive ranked opponents: UCLA, USC and Stanford. Junior Mike Bercovici played exceptionally well in Kelly’s absence, recording wins over USC and Stanford, and racking up 1,243 passing yards and nine touchdowns in his three starts.
But with Kelly back to healthy, Graham made it clear that the reins of the prolific ASU offense will be handed back to the senior.
“Taylor Kelly is a winner and hopefully we can have him ready where he can go this week,” Graham said.
With six passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in his three starts in 2014, Kelly has certainly performed well too, but more than a month removed from his last in-game action, there could be concern for rust. Graham said that he’s confident that the senior will play as well as ever in his return to the field.
“I don’t think he will have any problems,” Graham said. “The main thing is that he is healthy, physically. I am not worried; it is just a matter of practicing and getting his timing and rhythm back.”
According to Graham, Kelly was actually very close to playing on Saturday night against Stanford. After practicing on a limited basis in the week before the game, Kelly warmed up with the team and would have been available to play if needed.
“He wanted to go last week, but we have an obligation to make sure we aren’t putting kids in jeopardy,” Graham said. “If I was making the decision with my heart I would have let him play, but he wasn’t ready to play and we will see how he progresses this week.”
If Kelly is able to play, the biggest change for the Sun Devils could be the re-emergence of D.J. Foster as a threatening running back. While the playmaking junior managed to tally 151 total yards against Stanford, his yards per rushing attempts have dropped off drastically since the injury to Kelly.
Part of that can be attributed to the improved defenses of the last three opponents, but much can be credited to the team’s difficulty at breaking big plays in the read option with Bercovici. While the junior has the better throwing arm, Kelly is undoubtedly a bigger threat as a runner and keeps defenses honest.
That could be helpful against a Washington Huskies defense that Graham said is very similar to the Stanford defense that ASU faced on Saturday.
“Coach [Mike] Norvell and I think it is very similar game as last week,” Graham said. “This is a very explosive defensive football team. They are probably the best we have played to this point as far as their ability to impact the quarterback.”
The Huskies are fourth in the nation in sacks with 27 and the team has the second-best turnover margin in the nation. Kickoff in Seattle, Wash. is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:45 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.
You can reach Adam Stites on Twitter @AdamStitesASU or by email arstites@asu.edu
