Arizona State was staring down the barrel of a 1-5 start heading into its matchup with then No. 21 Washington last Saturday night in Tempe. The team’s brutal September slate was well chronicled, but its key pieces maintained the message that the group is close to where it wants to be.

The team was naturally extremely disappointed amid a four-game skid, yet morale was still high. The 45-38 upset victory served as a welcomed affirmation for a squad that, through its struggles, has been battling for each other, for an interim head coach, and for an embattled fan base that stormed the field to celebrate with the team when the clock hit triple zeroes. Heading into the bye week, Shaun Aguano’s first win could not have come at a better time.

“It was huge for the team, and it was just really great for coach Aguano to finally get that first dub as a head coach under his belt,” sophomore offensive lineman Isaia Glass said. “We still have to work this week, but we’ll get some much-needed rest during the bye. It was definitely nice to get that win.”

During the preseason, offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh and members of his unit emphasized depth as a particular strength of the position group. At the midway point of the season, that depth is now being tested more than it has all season. Right tackle Des Holmes missed Saturday’s game versus Washington. Left guard Ladarius Henderson left the ball game and didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury. At various times during the 2022 campaign, Isaia Glass has filled in at both tackle positions, exemplifying that depth as well as his own versatility.

“I think we have a lot of good guys in our room. A lot of smart guys,” Glass explained. “We’re all pass pro; we’re all run blocking. It really helps being so deep, and that’s because of the kind of guys we have in our room.”

Glass says the key to putting together a consistent game as an offensive line unit is simply realizing what the group is capable of. It may present itself as a patchwork quilt on paper, but the experience level in the room is undeniable. That aspect, along with an unwavering trust in one another, allows transitions to be made seamlessly. This transition was exemplified against Washington when redshirt sophomore guard Ben Bray was called upon to fill in for Henderson.

“When I heard that Ladarius (Henderson) was out for the game and Ben Bray was going in there, I was completely fine with that,” Glass remarked. “We all do the same things at practice; we’re running the same offense. There’s a lot of trust.”

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In all his years in college and his subsequent illustrious NFL career, Ryan Clark never returned an interception for a touchdown. His son, ASU redshirt junior defensive back Jordan Clark, can only hope to have half the professional career his father did, but he did achieve that feat that was elusive to his father when he plucked a deflected Michael Penix Jr. pass out of the air for a pick-six. Clark chuckled when asked if it’s something he will forever hold over his father’s head.

“My dad was an all-pro, pro bowler, 100 tackles every year, so that’s not really an argument I can win,” Clark remarked with a grin. “He just said that’s why we run to the ball; always keep your eyes on the quarterback. It was cool for sure.”

Winning can serve as a drug for a team that’s starved for consistent success like ASU has been this season. Players such as Clark, who are veterans at the college level, know that stringing together wins never comes from basking in the glory of the previous victory.

“I gave it a day, but really now I’m just getting ready for Stanford; I want to keep winning,” he exclaimed.

One of Arizona State’s best wins of the 2021 season came against its upcoming opponent. The Sun Devils downed Stanford 28-10 in Tempe last October. There are naturally a number of new faces on both sides of the ball for either squad, but Clark believes ASU can take some good from that win and use it when the team travels to Palo Alto following the bye week. Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee was also the signal caller when the Cardinal put up 10 points last year, a contest where he threw for 356 yards and a touchdown but was also picked off three times in that matchup.

“We can use some of that for sure,” Clark said, describing positive game film from last season’s win. “They have some guys now that they didn’t have then. I think No. 4 (wide receiver Michael Wilson) wasn’t healthy then, No. 81 (wide receiver Brycen Tremayne) broke his ankle right before that game, so really, we’ll just have to watch what they do with those guys.”

Truth be told, Wilson and Tremayne are two key offensive pieces for Stanford that Clark and his fellow defensive backs will have to look out for in that game. Wilson has racked up 352 yards receiving on 17 receptions this year, with Tremayne adding 178 yards on 14 catches of his own. In order to put a couple of forgettable performances behind them, Clark talked about the importance of being able to “self scout” when watching film to identify where he and the team can improve both individually and as a unit.

“I had the pick-six, whatever. I feel like I gave up a lot of catches, and that’s something that can’t happen,” Clark admitted. “Really, it’s about tightening up, making sure I play the right defense, play the right techniques so we can succeed as a unit.”

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Freshman kicker Carter Brown has arguably been Arizona State’s best player at any specific position during the first half. He’s 9-10 on field goals and is perfect on extra points. His only miss came from 47 yards out in the windy and rainy conditions at Oklahoma State last month. For the second time this year, he has earned the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the victory over Washington, highlighted by a 53-yarder in the first quarter. It was the sixth-longest field goal in program history and the longest by ASU true freshman.

“I definitely feel like it helps the offensive coordinator when it comes to calling plays in the red zone and all over the field,” he explained. “It helps knowing you have three points in your back pocket, but we’re always trying to score.”

Brown may have been a high schooler as recently as five months ago, but you wouldn’t know it by his demeanor on and off the field. The poise and maturity he continues to exhibit are not only crucial for a player at his position but also fit perfectly well for the accountable environment that Aguano is trying to instill.

“My teammates have a lot of trust in me,” Brown commented, “so that always feels good when you run out there, and everyone knows you got three points. I’m going to keep carrying on and staying locked in.”