Sometimes the answer is as simple as it seems.

The offensive line, though hampered by injures, has improved. The rushing attack has also made great strides from where it finished in 2008 — 113th among FBS teams.

And the defense for the ASU football team has been consistently unflappable.

But for the Sun Devils (4-7, 2-6 Pac-10), a lack of production at the quarterback position, caused by a combination of youth, inexperience and injuries, is the main reason ASU ranks ninth in the Pac-10 (91st nationally) in total offense.

Delving further, ASU as a team ranks 103rd (out of 120 FBS teams) in passing efficiency.

ASU has started three different quarterbacks — senior Danny Sullivan, freshman Brock Osweiler and sophomore Samson Szakacsy — during its current five-game losing streak, and coach Dennis Erickson said this is the first time in his career dealing with such uncertainty at the position.

“As I look back on my head-coaching career … I’ve always had one [quarterback] that played the whole year for the most part, or had two that when one when went down the other came in and played good,” Erickson said. “I haven’t been through anything like this, and you’re never too old to learn about dealing with it.”

Erickson said during his weekly press conference on Monday that he has not yet decided whether Sullivan or Szakacsy would start this week’s rivalry game against UA (6-4, 4-3), which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Sun Devil Stadium, adding that a decision would likely come Tuesday.

Szakacsy’s mistakes in his first career start against UCLA on Saturday were obvious. The quarterback threw a pick-six and also fumbled three times, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

Despite the blunders, though, Szakacsy made plays offensively that haven’t been duplicated at the position this season, Erickson said.

“Obviously, he gives us some mobility, and he gives us the ability to makes some plays down the football field,” the coach said. “There are some things he’s got to learn, but he does have some talent athletically.”

Senior wide receiver Kyle Williams has been the biggest benefactor of Szakacsy’s scrambling abilities. The pair has hooked up for three touchdowns in the past two games, all three on plays where Szakacsy sprinted out of the pocket and found the speedy receiver behind coverage.

“He is able to step up and make plays,” Williams said. “He’s been kind of running around frantic out there; he’s able to get out of the pocket and make plays and extend plays. I think his composure is the No. 1 thing I was impressed with.”

Williams said he has been particularly impressed by Szakacsy’s play given all the time he has spent on the sidelines as a backup.

“It’s tough, for a quarterback especially, to come in cold after two years having no game experience to perform the way he has,” Williams said. “Of course there was a couple of mistakes he made, … it’s just part of the game. He persevered nicely, and I think he’s going to be good.”

Sullivan is close to 100 percent, Erickson said, after being limited in practice because of a biceps injury the past two seasons.

Injury report

Senior center Thomas Altieri (knee) and redshirt freshman cornerback Deveron Carr (shoulder) will not play on Saturday.

Sophomore center Garth Gerhart has played well in place of Altieri the past few weeks, Erickson said.

Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu.