The Arizona State Sun Devils have suffered horrific injuries; Other great player’s latest status has been revealed.
When dealt a poor hand in a game of poker, there are two possible outcomes. Playing the hand or folding are those two options. Even though the Arizona State Sun Devils were facing injuries and turnover issues, they might have wanted to give up, but in football, you can’t give up even if your hand gets worse as the game progresses.
Throughout the course of Arizona State’s home defeat to the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday night, a roster that was already severely thinned out got even thinner as the game went on. The shutout loss was not solely caused by injuries, as there were eight turnovers of the ball. With the Sun Devil reserves failing to right the ship, the team’s depth was put to the test during what felt like an endless night of misfortune.
It was evident this past Tuesday morning going into practice following the Sun Devils’ game against Oklahoma State last week that they were thin-lined at several positions. Emmit Bohle, the starting right tackle, left last Saturday’s game after learning that he would not be returning due to a lower leg injury. On the offensive line, Aaron Frost was ruled out despite dressing, adding insult to injury. Guard Cade Briggs did not practice or dress with left tackle Isaia Glass. Ben Coleman is not playing for the Sun Devils yet; his mid-season debut is anticipated at the latest, as he recovers from a workout injury sustained during the winter.
Tight end Jalin Conyers, like starting quarterback Jaden Rashada, did not practice all week and did not dress for the game on Saturday due to health issues. DeCarlos Brooks, the running back, was also ruled out and did not show up for practice. Lastly, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson did not dress as well and only participated in sporadic practices while recovering from an ACL injury he sustained last season.
Defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper did not wear game attire during his practice sessions. Shamari Simmons, a safety, did not practice on Wednesday due to an arm injury, but he did suit up and play on Saturday night.
Could it get any worse as the scene was set at Mountain America Stadium and a decimated roster attempted to recover from the previous week’s defeat? Indeed it did, and not just in terms of physical harm.
Trenton Bourguet, the quarterback for Arizona State, made his season debut on the opening drive. However, as Bourguet was hit on the throw, Carlton Johnson intercepted him. On the subsequent drive, Bourguet appeared to settle into a rhythm, hitting five out of five. Following a mishandled snap, Bourguet turned and threw an incomplete pass, failing to stand up after the pass. This was his sixth throw of the game. After being helped off the field and unable to bear weight on his left leg, Bourguet was eventually observed using crutches.
With Bourguet sidelined, Drew Pyne would make his Sun Devil debut a little sooner than anticipated, having recovered from a hamstring injury at Camp Tontozona just over a month earlier. The Notre Dame transfer stumbled in his first scrambling play after replacing Bourguet, a turnover that the Bulldogs were able to recover. Pyne’s difficult night did not end there, as on the third drive, he lost another fumble while being tackled and fumbled the ball. In the fifth drive, Pyne threw an interception for Carlton’s second touchdown of the game, making his night even worse. Cameron Lockridge picked off Pyne once more during the seventh drive. Pyne left the game with four turnovers following this drive, but it was said that he had another leg injury unrelated to the hamstring injury mentioned earlier.
Oklahoma transfers EDGE to defense. With a lower leg injury, Clayton Smith left the game and was helped off the field similarly to Bourguet, not applying much pressure to his left leg. Following the game, he was observed with a boot on his left leg.
In the third quarter, BYU transfer and fourth-string quarterback Jacob Conover entered the game and had two interceptions of his own. He was accompanied in the backfield by running back Tevin White, who fumbled his next carry after taking a heavy hit from Levelle Bailey, despite White having previously gained four yards on it. White also left the game after losing the fumble, adding another injury to his record for ASU that evening.
Conover would go on to complete the remainder of the game, but not without his own shortcomings. After a two-yard rush and an incomplete pass on the game’s tenth drive, Conover found Johnson for the game’s fourth interception. Johnson’s third of the game, and he made sure the crowd knew it by repeatedly taking off his helmet and approaching the Fresno supporters. Following that, on the twelfth drive, Conover was 3-5 before he hit Al’zillion Hamilton with the fifth-team interception. Johnson had more picks than any of the ASU receiving leaders tonight (3), as Arizona State ended with eight total turnovers.
Head coach Kenny Dillingham remarked, “I’ve never been involved in a game like that in my career.” “I really couldn’t figure out how that could be possible. However, we will fix it. I’ll take care of it. That ensures that I will get that resolved.
Amidst the chaos caused by the second-half turnover, some players sustained injuries and had to leave the game. After Max Iheanachor, the backup left tackle, left the game, Sean Na’a, a true freshman who was making his Sun Devil debut, took his place. Melquan Stovall, the backup for Conyers, and Bryce Pierre eventually left the game because Stovall took a while to stand up following a 31-yard reception.
Dillingham remarked, “I can’t worry about any of that.” “I can be concerned about the guys who will practice on Monday, play on Saturday, and then practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.” I can sit here and whine, “Oh, we’re down four out of six o-linemen,” but what good does that do? To a football team, that is a terrible message.
Dillingham stated during the press conference following the game that medical imaging may be necessary for Pierre, Stovall, and White in order to determine the underlying cause. When Dillingham announced that Jaden Rashada would miss four to six weeks due to aggravating a high school injury against Oklahoma State, it somewhat surprised everyone. While it was also found that Pyne had suffered another injury to his lower leg, imaging for Bourguet’s leg will likely be required. Not to mention that safety Chris Edmonds and offensive lineman Joey Ramos were once tackled during the game. When the Sun Devils host USC the following week, the battle cry will have to be the next man up.
This is the game of football. Jordan Clark, a defensive back, stated that there was a risk. “You know, there’s always a risk when you put on a helmet and fasten your pads,” I said. The team has an attitude of “next man up.” It is imperative that you participate in football. If someone’s mood isn’t that, we’ll address it internally and make the necessary corrections.
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