Mental preparation takes even more of a prominent role for the ASU defense
Another sweltering day of football practice is taking place Wednesday is taking place. Deep into September, morning temperatures have yet to dip under 90 degrees. Working out in pads under a cloudless sky, Arizona State must endure the conditions all the same.
But despite the heat, no player stops for a water break. No player is observed joking with teammates off to the side or goofing off between reps. The team is silent save for the clack of equipment, coaches barking instructions, and the occasional grunt of effort.
This is the consequence of losing.
ASU committed 16 penalties for 121 yards against BYU. The team racked up 36 yellow flag infractions over the first three games. On defense specifically, yellow flags for offsides and facemasks are uncharacteristic when you consider the identity of a unit that has spent so much time playing together. With the Sun Devils returning home to face Colorado as its first conference opponent, such behavior is expected to be cleaned up straight away.
“We have everything. The talent is there, physicality is there, it’s just up here,” Omarr Norman-Lott said, pointing to his temples. “Playing smart with what’s between our ears.”
During the positions drill period, defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez did not use the football attached to a long pole that he usually employs to help him test the eye discipline of his group. Instead, that item lay neglected under one of the towers used by the coaching staff to film practice. This forced the players to pay attention to the movement of Rodriguez’s hands.
Only once the distinct motion backward was initiated were the players permitted to leap out of their three-point stances and engage the awaiting tackling dummies.
Norman-Lott jumped offsides on his first attempt of the session. As Rodriguez gave a solemn shake of his head in disappointment, some of the players had already started doing their burpees. While it’s clear the team still has to make strides to clean up its play for the Pac-12 level of football, the punishment has been successful at sending a message about what standard of discipline will be tolerated moving forward.
“You learn real fast with that,” Norman-Lott said, “so yeah, it’s been working pretty good. It’s effective.”
Another reason for the unanimated tone of practice was the absence of defensive end Travez Moore, who suffered a season-ending knee injury versus BYU. Moore often brought a unique flair to practice, encouraging his teammates with an upbeat attitude and setting the team at ease with his easygoing personality. But he was also an effective pass rusher when he paced Tyler Johnson, recording six tackles and a sack this year.
Now, redshirt freshman Anthonie Cooper is expected to take Moore’s place behind Johnson. Cooper formerly backed up Michael Matus at the left defensive end spot. While the numbers haven’t surfaced quite yet for the redshirt freshman, he was praised by defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce for playing mistake-free football.
“Cooper has been playing good for us,” Pierce said. “When Cooper has been in, he hasn’t really shown up on the stat sheet… it’s kinda tricky when you watch him play because you say, ‘hey, he isn’t really producing,’ but he’s doing everything right. And sometimes that’s more important.”
Despite the transition to the opposite side of the line, Cooper is embracing the change and executes what the coaching staff asks of him.
“It’s no pressure,” Cooper said. “I go to practice every day and do what I need to do; just because I’m focused on my reps in the game doesn’t change the way I go through my week. Same process, same mindset, same attitude, everything.”
Pierce noted that at one point this season, the Sun Devils boasted four-deep on the defensive line. With Moore and 3-technique Jermayne Lole out for the remainder of ASU’s schedule, that depth faces a significant test against much more formidable, athletic opponents. Cooper said he remains confident in his coach’s teachings and that every player Rodriguez oversees is well-equipped to take the field on game day if needed.
“Coach Rod definitely got me prepared,” Cooper said. “Even the guys behind me that don’t get as many reps are prepared to go in too. Coach Rod plays no favorites. Everybody’s the same; you’re going to get the same type of teaching.”
Colorado holds a 1-2 record heading into Saturday. The Buffaloes are a strong rushing team that won decisively against Northern Colorado and took a Top 10 nationally-ranked Texas A&M team down to the wire before losing at home to Minnesota last week. In the film room, both players and coaches alike have seen similarities between Colorado’s playmakers and the nature of opponents ASU has already faced this season.
“As far as stretch zone and stuff like that, they do a lot of the same movements,” Norman-Lott said.
Running back, Jarek Broussard received Pac-12 Player of the Year honors in 2019. This season, Broussard has rushed 32 times for 153 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Quarterback Brendan Lewis is off to a rocky start, completing 55.4% of his passes, but his prowess running the football matches well against an ASU team that has allowed a number of big rushing plays to quarterbacks the last two games.
“It’s going to be the same mentality,” Pierce said. “Cage rush, keeping guys inside, no need to run up the field because that [quarterback] is going to move. He’s not going to be there when you run up the field. So we got to be smarter in our pass rush lanes, and obviously, in the split-zone zone reads, we got to account for him.
“It’s triple-option football when you play teams with a running quarterback.”
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