As lightning sparked against the indigo background that enveloped Sun Devil Stadium, it looked like another practice for Emory Jones playing in Arizona State’s season opener.
Jones was never rattled throughout the smothering 40-3 win over NAU under the Thursday night lights. Not by the weather. Not by the fact that he was dressed in maroon and gold. Certainly not by Northern Arizona’s haphazard coverage.
Three weeks of preseason camp passed before ASU head coach Herm Edwards announced Jones had won the starting quarterback job. It took significantly less time for the Florida transfer to get comfortable in his first game as a Sun Devil. Jones was efficient and decisive from the jump. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 152 yards. The offense cashed in points on every red zone trip, although every touchdown scored was from the rushing attack.
Jones was part of the ground game, too. He took 11 carries for 48 yards and two scores. Offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas implemented designed runs and read-option keeps for Jones. He scrambled when he needed to but consistently gave his receivers a chance to improvise downfield before tucking the ball.
The run game was expected to be solid. Wyoming senior transfer Xazavian Valladay fit the team like a glove, posting 116 yards and two touchdowns at a healthy 7.7 yards per clip. He showcased impressive contact balance and burst through the gaps of the offensive line. Redshirt sophomore Daniyel Ngata looked explosive and continually picked the correct crease to glide along. He finished with 60 yards on ten carries, five less than Valladay.
That’s why the focus remains on the passing game, which is still a work in progress. However, the established foundation looked more promising this time around. Jones was noticeably content to spread the ball in practice. That translated to a systematic performance versus the Lumberjacks, as Jones linked up with six different receivers throughout the contest.
“I’m the type of guy I just do what I’m coached to do, and I put the ball in everybody’s hands,” Jones said in a postgame press conference. “I just go through my reads and do everything I’m supposed to do. But we have a lot of talented guys and receivers, so we definitely have to rotate and get different guys in there.”
Here are all 18 passes thrown by Emory Jones against NAU, analyzed with thoughts and critiques.
Throw 1 — 1st and 10, ASU 22-yard line
The first play for Jones to kick off his ASU career. It was a designed rollout against off coverage with Andre Johnson rotating back for the ball in space. The shotgun gave Jones extra time to ensure he threw an accurate ball with zip and started the game off on the right foot. He hit Johnson on the numbers, and the tall wide receiver angled his way forward for 16 yards.
Throw 2 — 1st and 10, ASU 38-yard line
Jones worked out of the shotgun pre-snap again here. Glenn Thomas likes his quarterback under center, so it was surprising to see ASU stray from the philosophy at the start of the game. NAU loaded the box, so its outside defenders played off coverage to prevent the likelihood of ASU’s playmakers getting behind the secondary. Jones read this correctly and pulled the handoff from Valladay. He saw Elijhah Badger jettisoning toward open space on a quick out route. Jones begins to load the ball as Badger rounds his break. It’s a simple hookup, but one that was good for rhythm. And although Badger was met immediately following the reception, it took five NAU defenders to finally put him down.
Throw 3 — 1st and 10, NAU 46-yard line
Classic, even-split 11 personnel from shotgun again for this one. Another ‘Now’ play where Jones noted the landmark of the safety while making his pre-snap checks, then read the outside cornerback to determine the nature of the play. Tight end Messiah Swinson released on a quick flat look, and Jones’ urgency in getting him the ball allowed him to be in a great position to evade the first tackle from the downhill cornerback. A straightforward play, but the chains moved.
Throw 4 — 1st and 10, NAU 33-yard line
Same personnel, but with Swinson on the line and Jones under center. After the play-action, Jones got his sights set downfield quickly. Despite the blitz flying up the gut with Valladay late on the pass protection, Jones stood firm and delivered a deep rope to Bryan Thompson on a Sluggo. He endured the hit and gets flattened, but his valiance was rewarded with an accurate ball.
Thompson did a decent job selling the Sluggo. He managed to turn the cornerback’s hips but cut too sharply into the defender’s chest. The point of separation was lost. Even with Jones’ throw finding Thompson’s mitts, the cornerback was close enough to provide contact and catch point disruption through the end of the play.
Throw 5 — 2nd and 10, NAU 33-yard line
21 personnel I-formation with Case Hatch in at fullback. ASU baited NAU into thinking the offense would run the ball. Swinson lined up in the slot, and the mismatch of uber-athletic tight end versus average linebacker presented itself for the first time. Swinson dusted his zone defender with ease and worked a five-step slant into a void in the middle. Jones fired at the top of his dropback smoothly for a timely connection with Swinson. Then, it was yards after catch time for the 6-7 Missouri transfer. He rumbled his way to seven more for 19 yards total. Although ASU couldn’t find the end zone on its first drive, this Swinson reception set up freshman kicker Carter Brown for a basic 27-yard field goal, the first of his ASU career.
Throw 6 — 1st and 15, ASU 48-yard line
ASU ran the ball on three straight plays to start their second drive. The sequence primed the Sun Devils for another quick pass to work against NAU’s zone coverage. ASU ran a tight bunch trips setup to the right with Swinson as the front target on the line. Andre Johnson had a solo opportunity on the other side of the formation, and he took the underneath space rapidly on a short hitch. Jones needed just a single step to prime his throwing motion and hit Johnson for six yards. Again, not a sexy play by any means, but a yards churner nonetheless.
Throw 7 — 2nd and 9, NAU 46-yard line
ASU’s four-wide setup with Ngata lined up beside Jones in shotgun was able to spread NAU’s defense out considerably. Thomas dialed up a slip screen to Ngata and used a neat sidearm to get the ball to the running back. The play would have been more effective if the open-field block was executed with more precision. It would have allowed Ngata to slip past and gain momentum for tackle-breaking potential in the second level. However, Jones did well executing his part of the play structure.
Throw 8 — 3rd and 9, NAU 46-yard line
Thomas called for the second deep shot from Jones against a match coverage look from NAU. Zeek Freeman lined up solo at the numbers on the field side, and the formation created a ton of space for the speedy wideout to work with. Freeman won inside leverage on his post route and was able to stack the cornerback guarding him.
Unfortunately, Jones did not have enough air on the throw. Freeman’s separation dissolved as he slowed up to adjust for the trajectory, and NAU’s cornerback arrived for the breakup. A perfect ball would have traveled just inside the five-yard line. That would have given Freeman a chance to run under the throw and score untouched.
“The first one down there to Bryan Thompson, I should have probably thrown it a little farther in, and the other one to Zeke,” Jones said. “But it’s a learning experience for all of us. We have to go back in the lab and find ways to get better from this game.”
Throw 9 — 2nd and 5, NAU 46-yard line
A new drive began with the tried-and-true method. ASU ran the ball into NAU territory, then took to the air with its opponents backed up against the wall. Giovanni Sanders had a favorable matchup against the centerfielder safety. Sanders cut across on an Over route and became available for Jones. Jones initially wanted Andre Johnson on a deep post but decided against throwing deep into double coverage. Jones delivered a high and slightly-behind ball to Sanders along the right sideline, but the sturdy slot routeman held on with his dependable hands. A nice 21-yard find, which ended up as ASU’s longest passing play of the night.
Throw 10 — 1st and 10, NAU 25-yard line
Another play won by the work conducted during the play’s early lifetime. Badger had a clear one-on-one matchup and created a hyperbolic mile of separation on his out route. Jones felt the blindside pressure but showed no skittish bones in his body. He whipped the throw to Badger in stride, with the 6-2 receiver’s momentum carrying him out of bounds past the sticks.
Throw 11 — 3rd and 7, NAU 43-yard line
Jones returned to Badger later in the quarter on ASU’s fourth offensive drive when faced with earning a new set of downs. Jones operated from the shotgun with a four-wide setup at his disposal. Jones worked through his full progression before dotting up Badger on a return route. He gave Badger room to catch the ball and transfer his movement upfield for yards after the catch. The play fell a yard short of converting, but a targeting penalty bailed out ASU. The recipient of the helmet-to-helmet hit? Jones, who remained vigilant through his entire throwing motion and got smacked.
Throw 12 — 1st and 10, NAU 22-yard line
Jones to Swinson. Get used to hearing those two names mentioned together. Another read that was relatively simple for Jones — locate the isolation matchup, anticipate separation, dispatch a catchable ball. The decision to trigger on Swinson was swift. The 18-yard linkup set up Valladay’s first rushing touchdown in ASU uniform.
Throw 13 — 2nd and 1, ASU 41-yard line
Another easy decipher for Jones. The NAU cornerback gave Badger an eight-yard cushion. Jones recognized the coverage element as Badger was lining up. The broadcast footage caught that moment perfectly. Jones lets the play-action develop, then slung it to Badger on a stop route. The ball arrived with mustard, and Badger gained seven yards upon turning upfield into traffic. Getting Badger the ball with space to work with will be critical in order to maximize his athleticism. His four catches led the receiving group.
Throw 14 — 3rd and 4, NAU 18-yard line
The third incompletion of the night for Jones. Pressure filtered through the line, and Jones had to kick step his throw to get the ball away. It ended up in the dirt. Cam Johnson was wide open in the middle after his delayed release from the bunch trips setup. If Jones located Johnson a half-second earlier, the Sun Devils keep driving. Instead, another Carter Brown field goal opportunity.
Throw 15 — 3rd and 6, ASU 39-yard line
Once again, Jones’ eyes are money on this play. He stares down the linebacker, moving him closer to the comeback route by Sanders. This vision allows space for Jones to send the ball to his true target, a cutting Andre Johnson over the top of Sanders. Johnson also deserves credit for his concentration on this play. He took a lick from the downhill safety and hung onto the ball.
Throw 16 — 2nd and 8, NAU 45-yard line
A predetermined bubble screen for Thompson with one outside blocker. The veteran wide receiver gets seven yards. An additional play that merely gets the job done.
Throw 17 — 3rd and 9, NAU 26-yard line
This incompletion to a slanting Sanders was on Jones. There just is not much of an excuse for a non-pressured throw to be at his receiver’s shoelaces.
Throw 18 — 3rd and 12, NAU 26-yard line
Jones’ last pass was the same slip screen ASU tried earlier with Ngata. This time around, the running back catching the pass was George Hart. Jones lofted the ball a bit high, and it glanced off Hart’s fingertips. It’s a play that Thomas will surely refine in practices for Oklahoma State next week.
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