Ralston an unsung hero for ASU
Junior plays where he’s needed
Arizona State (6-4, 4-3) is two wins away from a Pac-12 South title in coach Herm Edwards’ first year. The Sun Devils travel to Oregon (6-4, 3-4) on Saturday, then round out the regular season in Tucson against state rival Arizona. Wins in those games would put the Sun Devils in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
While running back Eno Benjamin, quarterback Manny Wilkins and wide receiver N’Keal Harry have fueled the offense, one person has factored into the success without getting a headline or an individual accolade — redshirt-junior fullback Nick Ralston. In fact,
he has shied away from publicity, turning down interview requests.
The 6-foot, 220-pounder has no rushing yards and a modest four receptions for 18 yards. Still, he is an integral part of the offense as a primary blocker for a team averaging 439.9 yards per game. He does’t mind that role.
“He is an unselfish player,” running backs coach John Simon said. “He’s one of those guys every teams needs. He’ll do whatever we need him to do. He’s up there watching film every day, just like Eno, even though he’s not the one carrying the ball. It shows you the kind of team player he is and other guys see that.”
Ralston came to the Sun Devils with an impressive high school resume. He totaled 6,000 yards and nearly 100 touchdowns in three seasons at Argyle High School in Texas. He had 2,699 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior on a team that lost a double-overtime state championship game. His junior year was impressive, as well — 1,800 yards and 31 touchdowns for a 16-0 squad.
Ralston redshirted as a freshman at ASU in 2015 and saw time the next two seasons in a reserve role.
This season, ASU coaches decided to move him to linebacker because they appeared well-stocked at running back with the emergence of Benjamin, and the need seemed to be on defense where there were promising but inexperienced athletes. So Ralston focused on that job in the spring.
When the Sun Devils’ young linebackers, true freshmen Merlin Robertson and Darien Butler, started performing better than expected, Ralston was shifted back to offense. The move was made as the Sun Devils prepared for their conference opener at Washington.
He didn’t complain.
“I’m a football player,” he said, when asked which position he prefers. “I just want to play and I’ll go wherever they need me.”
Simon said the coaching staff contemplated the move before actually making it and he was happy to have Ralston back under his wing.
“We brought him back from the dark side,” Simon laughed. “I couldn’t wait to have him back.”
The past week in ASU’s 31-28 win over UCLA, Ralston finally got in the scoring column, catching a 5-yard touchdown pass from Wilkins that put the Sun Devils ahead 17-14 with 58 seconds left in the first half. It was a lead they would not surrender.
Ralston wears No. 22 and the reception came on his 22nd birthday. It was a moment he won’t forget.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was great to have my number called and I don’t think (UCLA) expected it. We won the game and that’s the important thing.”
Simon has coached a lot of good running backs and said Ralston could be successful in that role too. However, he thinks Ralston could make it to the next level as a fullback.
“He has that potential not just because he has the physical skills but he has the right mentality and he works at it,” Simon said. “What makes a player as much as the physical part is what they’re doing off the field when no one is watching. He gets that.”
Wilson gets first team reps
Robertson was ejected from Saturday’s game early in the third quarter after a targeting call, and he will have to sit out the first half this week against Oregon. Jay Jay Wilson was getting work with the first team in Tuesday’s practice in place of Robertson.
Wilson has played in just three games.
Benjamin rises in the ranks
The 182-yard rushing effort by Benjamin moved him into third in the nation in rushing yardage with 1,295. He trails only Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin (1,548) and Darrell Henderson of Memphis (1,446).
Benjamin’s 129.5 yards per game rank fourth in that category.
He is within striking distance of the school’s all-time single-season yardage mark of 1,565 by Woody Green in 1972. Benjamin has seven games of 100 or more yards and he has had 120 or more in six of those.
Injured players practice
The Sun Devils had several injuries Saturday, the significant ones being shoulder issues for senior safeties Jalen Harvey and Demonte King. Both took part in light practice on Tuesday but were wearing green non-contact jerseys.
Harvey’s injury was an aggravation of a stinger that knocked him out of the USC game two weeks ago, and he had been held out of contact drills after that game as well.