The always teaching Herm Edwards opened Arizona State’s fall camp last week with a message of day-by focus. Edwards and ASU’s “win the day” motto was preached as the Sun Devils opened camp. A week later, Edwards was once again teaching his team a new lesson after the beginning of this week saw wide receivers coach Prentice Gill and defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins be placed on administrative leave.
“We’ve filled those spots with some guys who have been here. It’s not like we weren’t prepared,” said Edwards, as Donnie Henderson takes over for Hawkins and Bobby Wade fills the void left by Prentice Gill. Before fall camp began, tight ends coach Adam Breneman was placed on administrative leave, with Juston Wood stepping into his role for the time being. “I talked about today to the team, adaptability. I told them the story not as a football team but just in life. I think we all had to deal with that 15 months ago with COVID. The world came to a stop, and we all had to adapt.”
Edwards analogized it to his brief youth baseball career and a stumbling block he fell upon.
“I was a pretty good baseball player in high school. As I got a little older and continued to try to play baseball, I couldn’t adapt to the curveball. I couldn’t hit the curveball,” said Edwards. “That’s kind of like life. Life throws you some curves. If you can’t sit in there and hit it, then you’re going to be in trouble. One thing I know about this football team: we handle curveballs. Always have. We’re built that way. That’s our mindset. It’s my mindset in general, and we just move on.
“We are preparing ourselves for the season. We’ve got a lot of young, talented players here. There is no doubt about that – probably the most talent that we’ve had since we’ve been here.”
A competitive and successful on-field product in Tempe this fall is the best thing possible for recruiting Edwards said, as the fourth-year Sun Devil head coach tried to soften the perceived impact of three of ASU’s top recruiters being away from the program.
“We’re not recruiting right now,” said Edwards. “I think the best recruiting you can ever do is win. We still have to win games, and that’s what we’re practicing to do.”
While the off-field distraction has impacted the coaching staff present on the field, Edwards cited the experience of the Sun Devil roster as something built to withstand these problems.
“This team is built to do that,” said Edwards of adapting to changing plans. Monday’s practice – which was closed to the media – was pushed back into the evening as the Sun Devil head coach attempted to return to Tempe after participating in this past weekend’s Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, where Edwards was a co-presenter of John Lynch. “They’ve done a good job of following my lead. They know who I am as a person, and they know whatever comes our way, we’ll adjust, and we’ll adapt. I’ve always said, ‘we’ll be just fine.’”
On the field, Arizona State’s offense produced by far its best night of production thus far in camp. Edwards joked that his departure spurred an offensive outburst as the unit displayed a level of fire and competitive spirit that was more noticeable than during the first week of fall camp.
“They were very competitive,” explained Edwards of the Sun Devil wide receivers’ productive night. “Johnny (Wilson) had a night where it was like, ‘OK’ (Edwards shrugged his shoulders in a what can you do? Type of manner). You couldn’t cover him.”
Tuesday night’s practice saw the opening team period start with the Sun Devil offense getting the ball inside the red zone. With a drive starting at the 10-yard line, the ASU offense was able to score twice as redshirt senior running back Rachaad White and redshirt freshman running back Daniyel Ngata each scored a touchdown. Later on, with the Sun Devil offense backed up against the goal line, Daniels found redshirt junior wide receiver Geordon Porter for a long gain (albeit LSU transfer Travez Moore likely would’ve sacked Daniels given the pressure around him.)
During varying segments of 11-on-11 play offensive coordinator Zak Hill’s unit was able to score touchdowns, taking advantage of the red zone situations in numerous ways. Daniels completed his first touchdown of the fall camp on a pass to Case Hatch out of the backfield. The offensive revolution following a lackluster first week comes on the heels of a meeting held by the leaders of Hill’s group.
“When you start training camp; the offense is always behind. There’s one ball, and they’re trying to do all these things,” Edwards explained once again of last week’s struggles for junior quarterback Jayden Daniels and his unit. “Rachaad said something. Jayden said something. It’s good that they spoke up. It was looking like the offense we anticipate that they’ll be.”
The players-only meeting held by members of the offense is further evidence of the leadership on display in Tempe this year. At times during the spring and early this fall, Edwards has told reporters that his program is player-driven and player-run. Before multiple practices this fall, redshirt super senior cornerback Chase Lucas has planted himself in the middle of the team huddle and spurred on the Sun Devils with an emotional charge.
“That’s what’s great about this team,” Edwards expanded upon when questioned on this weekend’s offensive meeting. “We’ve got guys at every level that stand up, and they have a voice. They have a voice on ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do. This is where we’re at.’ I think they are in constant communication with me as their head coach, letting me know how they are feeling and what they are thinking.
“That’s what we first talked about when I got here. A lot of these guys have been around, and when I look around at these guys who have been here for four years with me as the head coach, they know they have a voice.”
Practices for ASU will continue to be held during the evening as Edwards and the ASU staff attempt to help the players avoid the scorching temperatures of the mid-mornings. By the end of Friday’s practice at 11 a.m., it was already over 100 degrees in Tempe.
“When I first got here, due to the heat, I just felt that going at night was better for us,” said Edwards, noting that most of ASU’s games are played at night as well. “We’re a night team for the most part. Adaptability here again; I wanted to see what we were going to do and react when we went to the day, but I knew in my mind we were going to get back to the night practices. It’s a better atmosphere for us.”
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