❚ ASU hoping to get more out of Eno Benjamin, rushing game.
One would think Arizona State junior running back Eno Benjamin has had the next game on the schedule circled for awhile. Last season, Benjamin ran for a school-record 312 yards against Oregon State.
That has everyone around the program hoping the running game will be more productive when the Sun Devils (5-4, 2-4) and Beavers (4-5, 3-3) square off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Reser Stadium. ASU has lost three straight games for the first time under head coach Herm Edwards, while Oregon State is coming off a 19-7 loss to Washington in which its defense scored its only touchdown.
Last season, Benjamin racked up 1,642 yards on 300 carries with nine games of 100 or more yards for an average of 126.32 per game. He ranked first in the Pac-12 and fifth in the nation in rushing. He was relentless, forcing 94 missed tackles – third-most in the FBS.
But the yardage has been harder to come by this season. He is at a modest 731 yards on 173 carries for 81.2 yards per game. That’s only good enough for sixth-best in the conference. His best game thus far was a 137-yard effort against Washington State on Oct. 12, which also happens to be the last time the Sun Devils won a game.
Benjamin has had just three games of more than 100 yards.
“We all want the same things and that’s to win games, regardless of how it gets done,” he said. “That’s what we want in the end. I’m not worried about what my game is looking like.”
The word patience has been tossed around a lot this season, with the Sun Devils boasting a roster laden with underclassmen at key positions, most notably quarterback and the offensive line. Those positions go hand-in-hand with success in the ground game.
Edwards says there is nothing wrong with Benjamin. It’s the combination of factors. With freshmen on the line in front of a freshman quarterback, Jayden Daniels, opponents are stacking the box with eight defenders, which also makes it tough in the trenches.
Last year, the Sun Devils had the luxury of a veteran offensive line, with Edwards bringing in a couple of key transfers including a grad transfer in Casey Tucker. That’s an area Edwards says he will address the same way this offseason. But right now the line includes true freshmen at right guard and left tackle in Dohnovan West and LaDarius Henderson.
“We don’t have that same experience,” Edwards said. “You’ve got two younger players playing. That puts a burden on everything. That’s part of the process and you know it. Those are the guys we’re playing. Eno knew that coming in. I told him it’s going to be hard, man. I said it’s no one’s fault but that’s where we’re at as a team because that’s where we’re trying to build.”
Besides having extra defenders in the box and an inexperienced line, game situations have mandated the Sun Devils turn to the passing game.
So no, Benjamin isn’t focused on his numbers.
“It has been a learning experience,”
Benjamin said. “I have learned a lot more than just running the football. I’ve learned more so about how to become a great leader and stay positive and embrace our strengths.”
The one area in which Benjamin knows he can do better is ball security. He has fumbled four times, although the Sun Devils only lost two of those. He had just one all of last season and ASU did not lose that one.
“A couple of those the other guys did a great job and it was helmet right on the ball,” he said. “But I still have to do a better job. That’s on me.”
Likens also said Benjamin is “fiercely competitive” so any outward sign of frustration has nothing to do with his teammates.
“He wants to win more than anything,” Likens said. “Anything you see out of him is not of a selfish nature. He just wants to win so bad and he thinks he can be the guy to make a difference. He wants to be that guy his team can depend on.”
Daniels expected to return
Barring a setback, freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels is expected to be back in the starting lineup this week.
Daniels missed last week’s game against USC after sustaining a knee injury in the previous game against UCLA. Joey Yellen, another true freshman, got the start and threw for 292 yards and four touchdowns.
Yellen did not practice Tuesday after he sprained a shoulder during the USC game. Ethan Long, ASU’s other true freshman quarterback, took some reps on Tuesday.
ASU finalizes series with Florida
ASU has finalized a series with the University of Florida. This will be the first time the two schools have met on the football field. The games will be played on Sept. 16, 2028, at Sun Devil Stadium and Sept. 6 or 13, 2031, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.