Spring wrap leftovers
April 20th, 2008, 3:02 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Arizona State linebacker Travis Goethel breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Brandon Smith during the Sun Devils’ intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)
The end of spring drills for Arizona State brought more notes and quotes than could be stuffed into my story that appeared in Sunday’s edition of the Tribune. Fortunately, there are no word-count limitations in cyberspace:
Perhaps the most inspiring part of the 17-17 tie in Saturday’s intrasquad game was the performance of sophomore defensive end Jamarr Robinson, whose end to spring 2008 directly contrasted a year ago.
In the ’07 spring game, Robinson, then a linebacker, suffered a knee injury that kept him out until October. On Saturday, Robinson had three of the game’s seven sacks, the best evidence yet that he has found a home in the DE rotation behind starters Dexter Davis and Luis Vasquez.
Jamarr Robinson
“This year has been a lot more fun,” the 6-foot-2, 233-pound Robinson said. “I’m blessed to be in the situation that they have presented me, and I’m just loving it.
“When (defensive coordinator Craig) Bray called me into his office, I thought I was in trouble. But he just said we could use more depth at end, and it was an opportunity for me to get on the field. I just went for it.”
During his career, ASU coach Dennis Erickson has often moved defensive players closer to the scrimmage line — switching safeties to linebacker and linebackers to the line — to take advantage of their speed. In Robinson and redshirt freshman James Brooks, the Sun Devils appear to have ends that can be especially quick off the edge.
“(Defensive line) coach (Grady) Stretz has been a great teacher, and I’ve learned a lot by watching Dexter and Luis,” Robinson said. “I’ve been able to rush and play freely. I have to gain a few pounds to stop the run better, but I’m excited (about the season). I think we’ll have one of the best defensive lines in the Pac-10.”
Running back Shaun DeWitty has rarely been able to show off his athleticism at ASU due to injuries, most notably a sore back that healed while he utilized a redshirt last season. On Saturday, the junior was the leading rusher, with 71 yards on 13 carries, including a 29-yard touchdown.
The biggest ASU running back at 6-feet-2 and 227 pounds, DeWitty’s lanky frame makes him more difficult to slow down and wrap up with an arm tackle. It also makes him susceptible to getting the ball knocked out — he lost a fumble on Saturday — if he is too upright while running.
“I’ve been working with the coaches on getting my pad level down,” DeWitty said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better at it during the spring. I’m still up at times. I’m a tall guy and have had back problems, so I got into some bad habits. It’s like anything you work at, really. It will get better over time.”
DeWitty’s best year at ASU was in 2006, when he ran for 121 yards in the spring game and — when he was not limited due to back stiffness — was used as a third-down back in the fall. With Keegan Herring, Dimitri Nance and Jarrell Woods also options in the backfield, DeWitty will likely be limited to a situational role this season.
However, DeWitty said that performing up to his capabilities is his biggest concern.
“I hope I’m ready to do that,” DeWitty said. “That’s my goal. If I keep working, I know I’ll be able to contribute.”
Jarrell Holman also redshirted in 2007, but it was not by his design. At ASU’s football media day last August, I approached Holman to ask about cornerback, where he was expected to compete for a starting job after transferring from Phoenix College. He disappointingly told me that, after just two practices, he had been moved to safety.
“It was very discouraging,” Holman said earlier this spring. “I sat up at nights, thinking about whether I made the right decision to come here. But I had to fight through it. I changed my perspective. I had some good talks with family members, and they told me to just work hard. I know I can play. It’s just a matter of having the right attitude.”
Holman learned the nuances of safety with the help of watching starters Troy Nolan and Josh Barrett and backups Jeremy Payton and Rodney Cox. The payoff was an impressive spring that culminated in seven tackles on Saturday.
In addition to being in the safety rotation behind first-stringers Nolan and Cox, Holman has gotten playing time at nickelback.
“I’m not playing tentative anymore,” Holman said. “My motto has become: ‘Hit them before they hit you.’ “
Lastly, here are the pertinent statistical details from the spring game:
SCORING SUMMARY
Maroon 17, White 17
Maroon — DeWitty 29 run (Z. Richards kick)
White — B. Smith 43 pass from Carpenter (Weber kick)
Maroon — FG Z. Richards 45
White — Nance 1 run (Weber kick)
Maroon — Kimbrough 31 pass from Sullivan (Z. Richards kick)
White — FG Weber 46
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: DeWitty 13 for 71, TD; Nance 13 for 44, TD; Herring 10 for 14; Woods 9 for 12; Carpenter 1 for minus-5; Stangel 1 for minus-10; Sullivan 2 for minus-14; Szakacsy 4 for minus-26
PASSING: Sullivan 13 of 28 for 115, TD, INT; Carpenter 7 of 21 for 88, TD, INT; Stangel 6 of 12 for 77; Szakacsy 2 of 2 for 19; Williams 0 of 1
RECEIVING: Williams 5 for 39; Kimbrough 3 for 47, TD; Nance 3 for 43; Driscoll 3 for 12; Taylor 2 for 26; Simpson 2 for 20; Simmons 2 for 18; Knapp 2 for 17; Evbuomwan 2 for 10; B. Smith 1 for 43, TD; Piva 1 for 9; DeWitty 1 for 8; Herring 1 for 7
MISSED FIELD GOALS: None
DEFENSIVE SUPERLATIVES: Bertrand (sack); Brooks (sack); Montt (sack); Munns (11 tackles, pass deflection); Nixon (interception); Parker (fumble recovery); Robinson (three sacks); Singfield (interception); Vasquez (sack)
