The Arizona Republic

ASU runs mock game in USC prep

- Michelle Gardner

The Arizona State football team set foot in Sun Devil Stadium for the time this season on Saturday, going through a mock game day.

The team will have another mock game this Saturday.

Coach Herm Edwards thought it was important to give his newcomers a look at their home venue. He talked about the walkthroug­h during his usual Monday session with the media.

“It was good in a sense,” he said. “We have some new staff members, a lot of new young players. The procedure of going through what it is like on game day, the stretch, the pregame warmup, where we’re going to sit, stand on the sideline, communicat­ion from the box down to the field. It was critical for us to do that.”

“You hate to not have a dress rehearsal before the first game.”

The team ran off 80 plays. There were officials calling the game as if it were a live one.

Edwards said he was impressed with sophomore quarterbac­k Jayden Daniels and liked what he saw out of the new offense installed by new coordinato­r Zak Hill, who brought a high-tempo game with him from Boise State.

“The offense did some things that were kind of fun to watch, I’ll leave it at that. It was interestin­g to watch them. This offense is brand new and I think this Saturday, you saw signs of things to come hopefully. It was one of those deals where I smiled,” he said.

Edwards said Hill will call the came from the field, unlike last year where offensive coordinato­r Rob Likens did so from the coaches booth in the press box.

When it comes to defense, Marvin Lewis will be in the booth with co-coordinato­r Antonio Pierce on the field as signal-caller on that side of the ball.

When the Sun Devils go through a second mock game this Saturday the coach said he will be looking for more “efficiency,” being the second time around. He said he’ll streamline the number of players involved. Instead of having the 100 or so involved in the first one, he’ll narrow it down to the 70 or so that will be traveling to USC for the opener on Nov. 7 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“The thing when you’re the head coach. I win on either side of the mock game,” he quipped. “If the offense plays good then I’m an offensive coach. If the defense plays good, I’m a defensive coach.”

Tyler has no regrets

Special teams will be a strength of the Sun Devils this season, not only because punter Michael Turk returned but because they got a quality grad transfer in Logan Tyler who can punt, attempt long field goals and kick off.

The Sun Devils brought in Tyler thinking Turk was gone, but Turk got an unpreceden­ted reinstatem­ent of his eligibilit­y from the NCAA to return after not being selected in the draft.

Tyler, who came from Florida State, was informed of that but decided to come to ASU any way. Tyler doesn’t have any regrets.

“It was kind of shocking to hear that

but at the same time, there’s a reason behind it. For him, for our program, for me. Looking at it from a bigger picture that I was expecting something and that changed, it wasn’t the end of the world. There were no second thoughts. It was just take the challenge head on and do whatever I can to help this team win.”

Tyler said he already has learned a lot in working with Turk.

“One thing I noticed, I see his leg extension through the ball and just the an angle at which his leg swing comes up and allows up to come up and hit 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 second hang times, that’s something I picked immediatel­y. Just working with him and picking his brain and working together has been awesome.”

Defenders slowed in practice

The Sun Devils have avoided major injuries thus far but a couple of defensive standouts have yet to go full speed. True freshman Omar NormanLott and redshirt freshman Amiri Johnson have both been limited participan­ts.

Johnson, a rangy 6-foot-6, 280pounder, was expected to be a part of the regular rotation and is regarded as one of the team’s better pass rushers, so he was looking to have a major role.

“I think they’ll both figure in into our rotation as we get going, but both of those young guys have been coming back, healing from some injuries and we hope that they get an opportunit­y to begin preparatio­n as soon as the trainer and the doctor says they’re good to go,” co-defensive coordinato­r Marvin Lewis said. “They’ve had to do more from sideline, watching and so forth in the meetings until they’re physically ready to go out there and practice full-speed.”

 ?? ASU FOOTBALL MEDIA RELATIONS ?? ASU coach Herm Edwards said quarterbac­k Jayden Daniels, above, was sharp during Saturday’s mock game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
ASU FOOTBALL MEDIA RELATIONS ASU coach Herm Edwards said quarterbac­k Jayden Daniels, above, was sharp during Saturday’s mock game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
 ?? STEVE DYKES/AP ?? “The offense did some things that were kind of fun to watch,” ASU football coach Herm Edwards said of Saturday’s mock game.
STEVE DYKES/AP “The offense did some things that were kind of fun to watch,” ASU football coach Herm Edwards said of Saturday’s mock game.

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