Who will replace Eno Benjamin at running back for ASU?
It's been a while since the Arizona State football team had an open audition at running back. Eno Benjamin was entrenched at the position the last two years and before that ASU had Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage serving as a formidable tandem.
But the Sun Devils (7-5) head into their Dec. 31 date with Florida State (6-6) in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl looking to find someone to shoulder ball-carrying duties because Benjamin, as expected, announced his intention to declare for the NFL draft and sit out the bowl game in preparation.
Much of the coaching staff spent the two weeks between the end of the regular season and the start of bowl preparation on the recruiting trail. The exception was offensive line coach Dave Christensen, who stayed behind to work out a game plan. He is serving as co-offensive coordinator along with running backs coach Shaun Aguano until the recently named Zak Hill formally takes over.
"They have nine practices," Aguano said, of his running backs. "We put it back up to a competition and whoever wins the competition will start. We all knew Eno was going to be the guy, for the balance of the season. Now it gives the other guys a chance to compete against each other so let the best man win."
Benjamin tallied 1,083 yards and 10 touchdowns, giving him back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons which hadn't been done at ASU in 45 years. ASU's secondleading ground-gainer was freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, who managed 319 yards.
So the athletes now asked to contribute will be ones who are unproven in that capacity. The main options are senior Kyle Williams, who has been a starter at slot receiver, as well as freshmen A.J. Carter and Demetrious Flowers.
Williams had 34 yards on seven carries in spot duty out of the backfield but won't be expected to shoulder the load just because he is still needed in the slot, particularly with the absence of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who has also opted not to play for the same reason. Williams is looking forward to coming out of the backfield.
"I was a running quarterback in high school so I know what it's like to have the ball in my hands. A lot of it is muscle memory," he said. "I think it will be a lot of fun."
Carter netted 38 yards on 15 tries with the most carries he had in any game being three and he had five games in which he didn't get even one attempt so his chances were few. Aguano says the freshman is primed for the opportunity.
The 6-foot, 218 pounder had 11 offers coming out of Many High School in Louisiana and he had committed to LSU, then UCLA before eventually landing at ASU, which would be an indication he has potential if given the opportunity.
"It wasn't anything he did or didn't do we just felt like Eno was healthy and he was running the ball really well so we stuck with what was working," Aguano said. "These are chances kids look forward to and he is getting the opportunity now."
Carter, who has handled the majority of the first-team reps in recent practices, agrees.
"This is a chance I have been waiting for," Carter said. "Eno is a great running back and I have learned a lot from him so this is my time to show what I can do. I have faith in myself and I know my teammates have faith in me too."
Flowers, out of St. John Bosco in Southern California, has yet to play in a game and will be redshirted. He was slowed by holdover effects of a shoulder injury late in his high school career which has thwarted his progression.
"It's always nice to have a guy like Eno in there," Aguano said. "But this will be a chance for other guys to step up. They have seen limited action so I'm excited for those guys."
While ASU will be without Benjamin, its opponent is in an even worse position as FSU's junior running back Cam Akers, who rushed for 1,144 yards and 14 touchdowns, has also indicated he will skip the bowl to prepare for the draft. The school's only other scholarship running back - sophomore Khalan Laborn just had knee surgery - so he will be out as well.
The situation has been so dire, junior wide receiver D.J. Matthews has been getting reps in at running back, a position he's never played at FSU.
"We're missing our guy so it was nice of them to not have their guy play," Aguano joked. "So we're even."