A month-long sack drought has Arizona State’s pass rush searching for answers. Since the Sun Devils racked up a season-high five sacks in a 28-10 victory over Stanford on Oct. 8, no ASU defender has been able to corral an opposing quarterback.
The four-game stretch has coincided with three games of 30-plus points allowed. Sun Devil defensive linemen and defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez have harped on the belief that anyone on the field is a starter, but the losses of Travez Moore, Jermayne Lole, and recently Shannon Forman have come to be impactful on the production of the unit.
“People get hurt. I’m more confident than ever that when you put guys like Omarr (Norman-Lott), T.J. (Pesefea) in, I’m confident that they can go out and play as well,” said redshirt junior defensive lineman Michael Matus. “I think with our defense, if you set the foundation right and you coach your players and teach everybody the scheme, and everybody knows what they’re doing, it doesn’t matter who’s in.”
Matus’ preached the importance of the scheme while Arizona State continues to trudge on without key contributors.
“You have your playmakers, but at some point, it has to be X’s and O’s, and everybody has to know the foundation of it,” said Matus. “I think that’s really what we’ve been able to accomplish. We haven’t had our starting 11 all year, and we’ve been doing really good. Obviously, we’re not where we want to be, but people have filled in.”
ASU’s core of senior linebackers with Darien Butler, Merlin Robertson, and Kyle Soelle have each made an impact at different times throughout the year. The Sun Devil linebackers lead the nation in interceptions amongst the position group – a skill highlighted by Robertson’s game-sealing pick-six during Saturday’s 35-30 win over Washington.
“It’s great when we make plays,” Claiborne said, “but it’s always great when you make plays within the structure of the defense. I think coach (Antonio Pierce) has called some good calls, and I think the kids have played it right, executed, and that’s what happens when you do what the coach teaches and coaches.”
Both of the turnovers forced Saturday by the ASU defense created situations similar to that of Arizona State’s trip to BYU. On Robertson’s interception, the senior linebacker peaked back to see if any U.W. players were approaching. Earlier in the game, senior defensive end scooped up a fumble and was rumbling down the sideline when Matus recalled Robertson’s fumble against the Cougars.
“The first thing that donned on me was block the running back because of BYU,” said Matus. “So that was the first thing that I did. If you go back and watch that play, you will see me coming behind Tyler and pushing the running back into the o-lineman. I was like, ‘this is not going to turn into Provo again.’”
Claiborne continued to give credit for defensive success to defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce after the Sun Devils improved quickly following scores allowed on the opening two possessions of the game. The first two possessions yielded 7.9 yards per play for the Washington offense. The following ten possessions saw the Sun Devils limit the Huskies to 2.7 yards per play.
“I think when you look at how A.P. sets up the calls in the game when they execute and do what they’re supposed to do, they have success,” explained Claiborne of his unit’s positive play. Butler, who was named a Butkus Semifinalist as one of the nation’s best linebackers, was praised by the former Butkus winner himself for his dedication. “He’s put in the time. It’s great. He’s a great kid, and they’re all great kids, and it shows on the field.”
In preparation for taking on the seventh-ranked rushing offense in the country, Claiborne and graduate student defensive lineman D.J. Davidson each compared the Beaver run game to that of the Utah Utes.
“It’s very similar to what they did up in Utah,” Claiborne said of the Beavers offense, led by Jonathan Smith. Oregon State (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) averages 228.7 yards per game on the ground. For comparison, the proficient rushing attacks of Utah (18th) and Arizona State (19th) average 214.5 and 210.0 yards per game. “This is a huge test. We’ve got to get ourselves ready to go because not only are they very good at what they do, but we’re playing them at their house.”
Robertson’s pick-six was the score that truly cemented the contest’s outcome in Seattle, yet not something that Claiborne said his group should remain focused on as they prepare for a return trip to the Pacific Northwest.
“We are moving forward from the last game,” said Claiborne, firm in his commitment to moving past previous experiences. “Great play. We won, but now what are we going to do? What are we going to do this week? You never get comfortable in this game until the season is over and the bowl game is over. We are onto the next situation, and when that next situation comes, he will hopefully react like he’s supposed to, and he’s taught, and he’ll go out and make a play again.”
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Freshman punter Eddie Czaplicki admitted Tuesday that he went through an early-season kicking slump as he dealt with burnout from preseason workouts and classes getting underway. The candid punter singled out a two-game stretch of poor punting as something he was aware of and had fixed.
“I think over the last four or five games, yes, I have played up to my expectations,” explained Czaplicki. A two-game dip of average punt yardage in the 30s for UCLA and Stanford has been corrected, as Czaplicki has four straight games with a 50-plus yard punt and averages in the 40s or 50s. “I got into a little of a slump because I think of going through all of summer and how grueling the schedule is. It was very tough for me mentally. I really had to look myself in the mirror and re-focus. Since then, I’ve been on. I’ve been really playing up to my expectations.”
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