Arizona State has quickly turned the page following its ugly loss at Stanford this past weekend. A second straight road game awaits the Sun Devils in the rocky mountains as they head to Boulder to take on the 1-6 Colorado Buffaloes. What was billed as a get-right game when the schedule came out has now been described by Shaun Aguano as a “win at all costs game.” Some key offensive and defensive players assessed the challenge ahead while reflecting on the disappointing loss to Stanford.
While redshirt sophomore wide receiver Elijhah Badger has rightfully taken the spotlight among the Arizona State pass catchers, graduate transfer Bryan Thompson has ascended the depth chart of late as well. Thompson’s collegiate career hasn’t gone according to plan. He transferred to ASU from Utah prior to the 2021 season and hasn’t truly blossomed into a consistent role until now. He says experience has helped him tremendously and that he should be at this point in his sixth year at the college level. With Badger attracting most of the attention in the secondary, Thompson has found himself in winnable situations more often than in the past.
“I love one-on-one coverage. I love things like that. I have the confidence in myself. If you line up in front of me, I don’t care who it is; I’m going to beat you,” he said with a smile. “ This is my sixth year in college; I kind of know the swing of things.”
The offense as a whole needs to take a look in the mirror after its abysmal performance in the final 44 minutes of the loss to Stanford. Changes may be coming at quarterback, but Thompson says the entire unit should evaluate and take accountability during the final five games of the season. A cohesive effort is needed in order for the unit to truly find its ceiling down the stretch.
“We only scored 14 points which is not good by any means. We’re always going to put our best foot forward, and that wasn’t it. We need to get better. Something’s gotta change.”
Shaun Aguano said on Monday that players on the team back each starting quarterback candidate. Thompson is ready to catch passes from whoever may be under center for Arizona State on Saturday afternoon in Colorado. Whether it’s Jones or Bourguet, his preparation for game day won’t change a bit. We may not know how truthful the team is being in its neutral stance, but Thompson is being sincere about his role regardless of the quarterback position.
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing changes,” Thompson said when asked about the elephant in the backfield. “At the end of the day, whoever is back there, I got a job to do, and that’s catch it and score. I love any situation we win. If the ball is in the air, I’ll catch it. I have confidence in both guys.”
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Wyoming transfer running back Xazavian Valladay has been arguably ASU’s best offensive player overall this season. He’s rushed 114 times for 678 yards and seven touchdowns, a season long pace of 1,155 yards and 12 scores. He’s not immune from criticism, however, and feels that he’s every bit as accountable as any position group on the team. Valladay emphasized the importance of each player knowing his job and executing at a high level.
“We just have to control what we can control, just working on getting better every day and taking things one day at a time,” he said. We need to limit the opportunities we give because of turnovers. We need to be able to stay on the field offensively.”
Unsurprisingly, Valladay’s take on the quarterback controversy is one of neutrality. He offered a vote of confidence to the offense with either at the helm, highlighting a familiarity with the two and a trust in the work the group has put in with both during the last three months as a reason to be optimistic going forward.
“Whether it’s Emory or Trent, those guys I have a lot of confidence in,” Valladay continued. “We know who those guys are. We come to work with them every single day.”
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Senior linebacker Merlin Robertson has flown under the radar for much of the season, both positively and negatively. He hasn’t racked up the impressive tackle numbers that fellow backer Kyle Soelle has, and he hasn’t been the true focal point of much of the negativity surrounding the ASU defense during the first half of the season. In his fifth season in maroon and gold, Robertson’s leadership has been tested during the tumultuous 2-5 start.
“There’s still more stuff we can do to improve. Everybody needs to dial in and execute their assignments,” Robertson explained. “It’s kind of tough, but as far as keeping guys together, it’s really no problem.”
Robertson and Soelle combined for 27 tackles on Saturday. They’ve been holding down the middle of the Arizona State defense for nearly half a decade. With the season heading into its final month, their days together are numbered, but their focus hasn’t changed when it comes to individual accolades.
“I’d rather take the dub, you feel me?” he responded to a question regarding the tackle totals. “I’d rather win than perform pretty good.”
Robertson hadn’t spoken to the media since the head coaching change over a month ago. His assessment of the way Aguano leads the program echoed a similar sentiment of gratitude expressed by his teammates and fellow captains.
“I love it, man; he brings a good energy. He really shows his appreciation to his players, and that means a lot,” Robertson said. “He shows everybody love. Nobody is bigger than the program with him; I love it. Even when he was the running backs coach, he was still showing everyone that love.”
Robertson’s calm and often concise demeanor shouldn’t be mistaken for apathy. He cares as much as anyone in that locker room, and the win-loss record won’t change how he feels about his brothers.
“Shit happens. I love this team, and we really love each other.”
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