The ASU football team’s Gerald Munns was rewarded for his strong performance against Stanford, as he was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

But the junior did not get to enjoy it very long.

The No. 15 Sun Devils will face the UNLV Rebels on Saturday without Munns at middle linebacker.

Coach Dennis Erickson said Munns is set to undergo surgery to place a pin in his pinky finger on Tuesday.

Erickson said Munns is expected to return for the team’s highly anticipated matchup with Georgia on Sept. 20.

Munns played against Stanford last week with a soft cast over his pinky finger, which he broke during practice the previous week.
However, it didn’t seem to hinder his play.

Munns had seven tackles, a pass deflection and an interception in ASU’s 41-17 win against visiting Stanford.

Munns’ interception came on Stanford’s first possession of the second half and led to an ASU touchdown that made the score 27-10, effectively sealing the win for the Sun Devils.

“The [interception] Munns got was really a turning point in the game,” Erickson said.

Munns was an integral part of a defense that held Stanford to 233 yards of total offense on Saturday.

With Munns out for the team’s next game against UNLV, junior Mike Nixon will likely slide from outside linebacker to the inside. Nixon will be flanked by juniors Ryan McFoy and Travis Goethel.

As a result, freshmen Shelly Lyons and Brandon Magee may also see a bump in their playing time next week.

Red-zone woes

While 41 points illustrated an effective offensive output against the Stanford, ASU was not satisfied with their red-zone offense early in the game.

On their first two possessions of the game, the Sun Devils moved the ball inside the Cardinal 10-yard line, but were only able to come up with field goals.

Senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter said missed assignments caused the miscues.

“If we want to win big games and close games, we have to score when we get down [near the goal line],” Carpenter said.

Erickson said he was especially disappointed because those missed points could prove more costly as the season wears on.

“It’s frustrating, because when you’re down in there you have to come away with points, and not [just] three points,” Erickson said.

“We are going to get in a game situation where we are going to need those touchdowns as opposed to field goals.”

The Sun Devils were able to score from close range in the second half on one-yard runs from running backs Keegan Herring (senior) and Dimitri Nance (junior).

ASU also scored on a touchdown in the fourth quarter on a two-yard pass from Carpenter to redshirt freshman tight end Dan Knapp.
Herring’s hammy day-to-day

Erickson said Herring remains day-to-day with a lingering hamstring injury.

Herring saw his first action of the season Saturday, but he limped off the field in the fourth quarter.

In other injury news, senior safety Angelo Fobbs-Valentino will not require surgery on his medial collateral ligament injury.

Erickson said that Fobbs-Valentino would likely miss three weeks and is expected to be back for the team’s road game against in-conference California on Oct. 4.

Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu.