Starting quarterback duties don’t end when the clock hits triple zeros. Trenton Bourguet’s coaches and teammates have raved about the tireless work he puts in behind the scenes studying film and the playbook, but he hasn’t spent much time with microphones and cameras in his face as the backup quarterback. Now that he’s officially been named the starter, Bourguet assumes a public role as one of the faces of the team. There may not be a player in the locker room better suited to serve as the new spokesperson of the ASU offense week in and week out.
“I felt confident in our game plan for the week, and going up-tempo, I think that helps a lot of us,” Bourguet said. “Personally, I played up-tempo in high school, so it was good to get back to that. We can spread the ball around the field more, which has helped us in a big way.”
Spreading the ball around is exactly what Bourguet did in Boulder. He completed passes to nine different receivers. Arizona State’s top pass catchers get plenty of love from Bourguet, but he takes pride in keeping every mouth fed.
UCLA will come to Tempe on Saturday night as the nation’s No. 10 ranked team in the midst of its best season in the Chip Kelly era. Bourguet’s first start couldn’t have been a softer landing, coming against a ghastly Colorado defense. He won’t have such a luxury this weekend. The Bruins’ defense has forced 13 turnovers, sacked the quarterback 19 times, and is allowing just 125 yards rushing per game. Bourguet won’t be able to lean on the run game in his second start; he’ll have to throw the ball almost as much as he did in Boulder.
“They’re a really great defense; they’ve had a great year so far, so it’s really going to make us focus on the details,” Bourguet explained. "Hopefully, with the game plan we have, we can come out and execute it at a high level and come out victorious.”
A consummate professional as a backup, Bourguet can now take time to appreciate how far he has come. He explained that while his opportunity often seemed far away, he knew it would come, whether it was during his freshman year or four years down the road. He trusts his work, his faith, and his approach.
“He told me the day before the game," Bourguet recalled. "I found out then, and I didn’t really tell anybody, but I just made sure that my parents were already out there. It was super exciting; I had some more family members there too. I’ve been working for this my whole life; I knew I was going to get an opportunity somehow. I just make sure to give credit where credit’s due. This is all God’s plan. I need to make sure I focus and stay in the moment and have fun trusting the team.”
As well as trusting his teammates, Bourguet finds success by trusting his instincts. He’s spent most of his life on a football field one way or another, and he’s found that drawing from his flag football days has helped him evade rushers.
“I grew up playing flag football, and in flag football, there’s always a rush, so you’re always avoiding it,” he explained. “That’s really helped me read blitzes and pass rushes at the college level.”
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Tight end Jalin Conyers is enjoying the spotlight following his monster game at Colorado on Saturday night. As he strolled into the Sun Devil Stadium media room on Tuesday afternoon following practice, he playfully peaked at tight ends coach Juston Wood as he finished up his session. Wood had just finished answering a question regarding Conyers’ infectious personality. “He’s just such a loveable and playful guy,” Wood said with great timing as Conyers video-bombed his position coach with an ear-to-ear grin.
Conyers remarked that he had never been in the media room before. During his normal rotation of talking to reporters, he’s relegated to the hallway. He joked that he would like to be back in the spotlight next week if he can put up a similar performance against UCLA. His recent success is partly a product of a new quarterback and play caller, but the potential has always been there. He won’t score three times every game, but making defenses worry about the tight end position dramatically improves the overall production of an offense that has become a multi-dimensional one personnel-wise.
“I think this offense is so lethal. We have so many weapons on this team, and we haven’t reached our full potential yet,” Conyers exclaimed. “For me personally, I’m just doing what I can to help the team win.”
As he continues to refine his game at the college level, he’s faced with challenges regarding position and experience in becoming a well-rounded player. He was recruited as a wide receiver, and while he still considers himself an elite pass catcher at tight end, he acknowledged the big differences between the positions.
“I would say learning to block really well,” Conyers remarked when asked what the hardest part of the transition was. “Just learning that and starting plays with a hand on the ground was different.”
Conyers and fellow tight end Messiah Swinson haven’t been utilized much in the passing game prior to the outburst at Colorado. Their lack of production has allowed them to be something of a sleeping giant, but Conyers put enough on film to attract the defensive attention of UCLA, something that will help the offense breathe.
“It definitely helped that people haven’t really seen what the tight ends can do,” Conyers said. “Showing that we can get in space and win those one-on-one matchups has really opened things up for us. To get (Elijhah Badger) open and open up the run game, it’s important.”
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