They say adversity can bring a team together.
Well, adversity is what Arizona State has faced this year in 10 key injuries to its projected starters. One wouldn’t know it from the Sun Devils’ record, though.
The surprising Sun Devils are 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in Pacific-10 Conference play. But injuries have made their lineup inconsistent this season.
The first blow of the season came before Arizona State had even taken the field. Injury-plagued senior Ryan Kealy was expected to sit out the Sun Devils’ first three games while recovering from off-season ACL surgery. Kealy did return for two brief outings against Utah State and UCLA, but re-injured his knee against the Bruins.
Kealy’s sixth knee injury in his five years at Arizona State was the final straw. Kealy ended his career with the Sun Devils fourth on the career yardage list at Arizona State.
Redshirt freshman Jeff Krohn had been filling in for Kealy nicely, completing 36 passes for 869 yards in seven games. Krohn has since been limited by mononucleosis and a mid-season concussion.
Third string senior Griffin Goodman has filled in but has been inconsistent in two starts, throwing for 394 yards against California but only 32 against Washington.
Added to the mix is the loss of running back J.R. Peroulis, who quit the team this summer, citing lack of playing time.
The tailback position, which looked to be Arizona State’s deepest, has also been decimated by injuries. The first came in a preseason scrimmage when senior Delvon Flowers suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-August.
Since then, junior Davaren Hightower and true freshman Mike Williams have earned and lost the starting tailback spot. Junior Tom Pace will take the field against Oregon on Saturday, although head coach Bruce Snyder said that Hightower and Williams “will continue to be involved in the mix.”
In addition to major season-ending injuries, the Sun Devils have also been hampered by nagging injuries to key role players. Arizona State’s defensive line and secondary have taken heavy tolls this season. Free safety Alfred Williams and strong safety Willie Daniel were out with leg injuries but are expected to play sparingly against the Ducks.
Redshirt freshman Chad Howell now fills in for injured Terrell Suggs at the defensive end position. Another redshirt freshman, Regis Crawford, takes over at center and snapping duties for junior Scott Peters.
“We’re beat up a little bit,” Snyder said. “What happens with lack of depth is that kids have to play every snap, not only in games but in practice, and our offensive line is five guys plus two, and that’s it. And that kind of problem is creeping up on us, and we’re on thin ice, and we’re scared a bit about that.”
Arizona State’s demise this season is reminiscent of Oregon’s fall-apart two seasons ago. After a 5-0 start, the Ducks lost four of their last seven games, in part because of the loss of stars Reuben Droughns and Peter Sirmon to injuries.
So far the Ducks have been relatively injury-free this season. They lost defensive tackle Walker Templeton for the season when he tore an Achilles tendon against Washington.
Besides Templeton’s setback, Oregon has only had to deal with nagging injuries to a few players.
Despite all the turmoil that has surrounded the Sun Devils this season, they are still in the hunt for a bowl game. Arizona State needs only one more win to become bowl-eligible. Beyond Oregon, the Sun Devils have cellar-dwellers Southern California and Stanford before a much-needed bye week.
“What gives me hope and strength is our team,” Snyder said. “I think we are just going to keep pounding it and we’ll get better.”