Bourguet welcomes spring practice QB competition
Trenton Bourguet is no stranger to competition. He’s been a part of ASU’s quarterback room for the better part of four years, yet has only been the true leader of that group for a tumultuous 10-week stretch to close out last season. Bourguet performed admirably in the absence of injured signal caller Emory Jones but now finds himself again preparing to compete for Arizona State’s starting quarterback after having his injured foot surgically repaired shortly following the conclusion of the 2022 season.
“I think there have been 13 quarterbacks in the QB room since I’ve been here,” Bourguet said with a grin. “Competition is nothing new for me. We brought in some solid quarterbacks, and we’re all going to push each other. At the end of the day, the best man is going to win. I’m excited.”
Although he’s a native of Marana, which is virtually a Tucson suburb, Bourguet has been in maroon and gold long enough to appreciate the makeup of a true Sun Devil. He believes that Kenny Dillingham represents those character traits perfectly. He said the excitement surrounding the current state of the program despite 2022’s results is no accident, citing Dillingham and staff’s energy, passion, and relentless commitment to success as an infectious environment that fans can get excited about.
“The first day he got here, he showed the passion he has for this place. He was getting choked up; that’s how much it means to him,” Bourguet explained. “Our whole staff, in general, a lot of them are from Arizona. This is home for them; they’re not going anywhere. They want to build an empire here.”
Bourguet didn’t offer much when asked about the specific timeline of his rehab from foot surgery but hinted that he intends to participate extensively in spring practice to the best of his ability. In true Dillingham fashion, Bourguet also took a moment to advertise the April 15 spring game.
“It’s the same day as Pat’s run; everyone will be finishing that in the stadium, so there will be great vibes,” Bourguet said. “Lot of touchdowns, a lot of one on ones, it will be a great time.”
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Michael Matus doesn’t know how to be away from the game of football. Even when he tore his ACL during the first week of fall camp last August, he knew that taking time away from the game while he rehabbed the knee was never going to be an option. Throughout the 2022 season, he worked with coaches extensively and served as something of a liaison between the staff and the players.
“I think the biggest thing I took away from that is that people totally undervalue the effort and commitment it takes to be a coach,” Matus explained. “From my perspective, I tried to broaden my knowledge from just my position group. What are the linebackers doing, the safeties doing. I wanted to open my eyes as much as possible and see how the whole defense flows. I wanted to gain as much football IQ as I could.”
Given his extensive role within the team, Matus didn’t have any time to feel sorry for himself. Countless hours watching film, not just from a player’s perspective but from a coaches' viewpoint as well, allowed him to see the game in a more advanced way than he ever had before. This increased workload came with more accountability. Matus soon learned that taking a loss as a “coach” is an entirely different beast than the suffering that comes from it as a player.
“The only time I would really get sad about my injury or something like that was after games. It wasn’t sad that I wasn’t playing; I was sad that I felt like I didn’t do enough. At the end of the day, we went through all this together, and I wished that I’d done more. At that point, I was watching so much film and working with so many people that I didn’t care about my knee.”
“I guess, just by process of elimination, yeah!” Matus said with a laugh when asked if his leadership role has increased this year as well. “I’ve been here forever.”
Matus also highlighted how much he has enjoyed working with defensive line coach Vince Amey. Specifically, his high-octane approach to getting into the backfield.
“A lot of sacks and a lot of tackles for loss. It juices me up,” Matus said. “It makes me happy; it’s exciting. When you can be aggressive and play fast and worry about mistakes later, good things happen. If you go watch Washington State’s defense last year, they were crazy.”
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Amey's face lit up when he was told that Matus had sung his praises just moments earlier. He expanded on the philosophy that many successful defensive coaches hold near and dear, explaining the importance of controlled aggression when defending the run and rushing the passer. Despite questions about the depth of ASU’s defensive line heading into 2023, Amey loves the group he’s been able to work with and is excited to truly get to know his guys now that he can finally coach them on the field.
“I want to feel guys out, see what’s what and who is who. Hopefully, they make my job hard,” Amey explained before expanding on his philosophy. That’s been my mindset since I was a player and the same thing I’ve learned under other coaches. Running to the ball is mandatory. Getting off the ball, playing with bad intentions. Those are some of the things I preach.
His playmaking style doesn’t just cater to current players; it can be an elite recruiting tool. Amey talked about the desire of kids to be around the ball at any position, not just offensive skill players. He seeks those who not only want to hit and make tackles but also want to end up with the ball. It’s a chief selling point.
“Kids want to make plays. People want the ball. D linemen make plays in our style. If you’re part of our 1-11, at some point you’ll be making a play. I’m excited about it, and kids should be excited about it. If you can’t keep up with me and my style of defense, you can’t play.”
Not only is he a great linemen and leader, Matus always has a way with words.
“The best thing you can say about a defense is not that they’re really good or really talented; it’s holy shit, they run to the ball.”
ASU’s spring practice gets underway on Tuesday morning at the Kajikawa practice facility.
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