During one play in ASU’s 55-0 win over Sacramento State last Thursday, redshirt senior linebacker Grandville Taylor surveyed the field and caught on to what the Hornets’ offense was going to do .
With 9:29 left in the third quarter, Hornets sophomore quarterback Garrett Safron dropped back after the snap and looked at sophomore wide receiver DeAndre Carter on the left sideline for nearly an entire second.
Taylor was just a couple yards away from Carter, lined up at Will linebacker and playing in his first drive of the game. Taylor jumped in front of the route and picked off the pass, carrying the interception for 67 yards before being tripped up two yards shy of a touchdown.
With help from game week preparation, he saw the entire play coming.
“I was just following what our coaches asked of us throughout the week,” Taylor said on Sunday. “They gave us a lot of pointers and a lot of tips of how Sac State was going to line up. I just followed that and it put me in the right place and just went from there.”
Taylor’s interception set up redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Eubank’s four-yard touchdown run.
The team awarded Taylor the honor of spiking Sparky’s pitchfork into the grass and leading the players’ cheer after game.
“He’s done a great job,” coach Todd Graham said. “Great heart, and these are kind of games that Grandville is going to be good at. … He’s one of the most respected guys out here with his work ethic and how tough he is. He exemplifies what we’re really about.”
Taylor said it was the cherry on top of his journey of walking on to the team and that he was glad he finally got to spike the pitchfork in his senior season. Now that his spot on the team is solidified with a scholarship, Taylor said he feels at home on the team and is prepared for anything as the Sun Devils’ backup Will linebacker.
“I’m very comfortable,” Taylor said. “Whenever my number gets called, I’m fully confident. Whenever (the team) needs me, I’m going to go out there and do what I need to do.”
Other notes:
- Senior linebacker Chris Young fully practiced on Sunday after leaving due to an apparent knee injury. Young wore a brace on his left knee in Sunday's practice.
- Freshman safety Marcus Ball was the only player who wore the green no-contact jersey. Ball has been observing teammates close by on the sidelines in a sling.
- The AP released its week two Top 25 poll on Sunday. ASU wasn’t ranked, but had the most receiving votes out of all unranked teams.
- Graham said freshman kicker Zane Gonzalez will handle all of the PAT attempts this season over redshirt junior Alex Garoutte. The team listed Garoutte as the PAT specialist on its fall depth chart but only had him in on kickoffs in Thursday’s game. Gonzalez was 7-of-7 in point-after attempts but went 2-for-4 in field goals in his first game of his career.
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion
