After an impressive fourth-quarter showing Saturday, super senior cornerback Chase Lucas took a postgame question about the doubters surrounding the team and turned it on those in the room. Inside the media room behind the north end zone of Frank Kush Field, the sixth-year Sun Devil pleaded with members of the media about the divisiveness of tweets and coverage.
“I want to speak to you guys in the media. This shit has been wearing on my heart for a long time, especially after that Washington State game,” said Lucas, citing the 34-21 loss to the Cougars. “I don’t think you guys understand a city builds a good football team. A village raises a kid, and a city raises a football team.
“What you guys say and what you guys tweet shows, man. And people see that. I’m begging you guys. I need you guys to stop doing that.”
Lucas’ pleas for the media to not tweet critical things about the program represented a misunderstanding by the Sun Devil captain of what the media serves as but shed light into the ASU locker room. On Tuesday, junior offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson confirmed that outside noise had made its way inside at times this season.
“I mean, we see it. I think everybody sees it,” Henderson admitted of the social media noise and the attention players pay to it. “Everybody my age at least has social media. We do feel pretty disrespected by a lot of that stuff, but not everybody is raised the same or had the same coaching or role-modeling growing up to where they know how to respond to that.”
After the loss to the Cougars, multiple players responded on Twitter and came to the defense of head coach Herm Edwards and the coaching staff.
“If I read something like that, I’m like, ‘OK, forget that, and forget the guy who just said this. We’re going to continue to be who we are because nothing matters besides what’s in this building,’” explained Henderson. “For some other guys, they might read that and say, ‘Oh, this is what they think of me? This is what they think about us? This is what is about to happen? Oh, we’re screwed.’ That’s not how we should look at it.”
The Sun Devils did respond well to adversity Saturday, picking up the sixth win of the season and maintaining their slim chances of winning the Pac-12 South. Success against the Trojans came offensively on the ground, where an offense that committed zero penalties ran the ball for 282 yards.
“As an offensive lineman, there is no better feeling than that,” Diesch said of the proficient rushing attack. Redshirt senior running back Rachaad White’s 202 yards on the ground were the sixth-most in a Pac-10 or Pac-12 game for an Arizona State running back. “Running the ball, shoving it down their throat. We all felt great and slept well that night.”
On White’s performance, Henderson added that it couldn’t have come against a better opponent to get him the recognition he deserves.
“He’s an extremely special back, and I think film always shows that,” said the Texas native. “That game wasn’t a one-hit, lucky none of that. Rachaad is a very special player, and I think that broadcasted it right there.”
Offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh’s position group was also proficient pass-blocking for junior quarterback Jayden Daniels. The third-year starting quarterback was not sacked by the Trojans; something graduate student left tackle Kellen Diesch was proud of.
“Obviously, no sacks is the goal for us as an o-line,” said Diesch, “so it’s always good to give up no sacks and as little pressure as possible. That’s a big compliment to us. Knowing that we gave up zero sacks -- it always makes me and the rest of the guys feel really good.”
When starting right guard Henry Hattis left Saturday’s contest with an injury, redshirt junior Spencer Lovell stepped in at that spot.
“I was already prepared that week, so I expected if someone went down, I would go in and finish the job,” said Lovell. “For the most part, I feel like I did alright. I’ve been waiting a while to play now, and I’ve been preparing every week like I’m a starter. Now, I get to go out there and show what I can do.”
Hattis rode a stationary bike off to the side during the second half against USC. The former Stanford transfer was not seen at practice at either Tuesday or Wednesday’s viewing period ahead of ASU’s matchup with Washington this week.
“We have great backups who are very well prepared at any point to come in the game. There’s almost no drop-off,” Diesch said. “I’m sure coach Cav feels good about it.”
With three weeks to play and lots of help needed from Utah, ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Sun Devils a 1.5 percent chance of winning the Pac-12 South. The analytical forecast gives ASU a 23.2 percent chance to win out in the regular season. In order to have success, the ASU offense will look to continue to build off its first zero-penalty performance this past week.
“If we can continue to do that, I love that,” Henderson said. “As long as we don’t go backwards, we have a chance.”
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