Going into the hostile environs of Georgia under what will likely be adverse conditions should be enough of an adventure.

Now the kicking game could be another.

ASU junior kicker Thomas Weber will miss at least four games after injuring his groin during practice last Thursday.

The All-American and 2007 Lou Groza award winner was held out of Saturday’s game against Louisiana-Monroe, and an MRI on Monday revealed a pulled groin injury that will likely force Weber to miss all of October and perhaps some of November.

“I’d be lying if I said that it’s not going to hurt us,” coach Dennis Erickson said on Tuesday. “It’s like any other injury on our team. Someone has to step up.”

It’s a situation Erickson said he hasn’t faced in his 27 years as both a college and pro head coach.

“To be honest with you, I’ve never lost a kicker during the season before,” the coach said.

Freshman walk-on kicker Bobby Wenzig replaced Weber on Saturday, making all five extra points and a 24-yard field goal.

Erickson revealed in a radio interview with KTAR 620 Tuesday morning that senior linebacker Mike Nixon would be in the running to replace Weber in kicking duties.

Erickson did not reveal the roles of Wenzig or Nixon for the upcoming Georgia game, though he did say he would get a “feel” this week.

“One of the other two guys will have to step up and kick,” Erickson said.

Nixon was a punter and made six field goals in his career at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix. Wenzig made 12 of 15 field goals at Westview High School in San Diego, including four makes from 47 yards or longer.

“It’s not like you’re three deep at the kicker [position],” Erickson said. “It’s just not how you operate. You don’t have three guys on scholarship.”

Sticking to the plan

Being a big underdog on the road to an SEC power would lead one to believe in the need for trickery — the flea-flicker, hook and ladder, double reverse, statue of liberty.

Either Erickson and senior center Thomas Altieri are playing possum with the media, or the Sun Devils are going to keep a common approach this Saturday.

“You have to keep it simple,” Erickson said. “Get hats on them. You can’t do a bunch of new stuff or anything like that.”

Playing a ULM team that used a “vodoo” defensive approach with unconventional looks has prepared ASU for some of the nuances UGA has shown on film, Altieri said.

“It makes us, preparation-wise, a lot more attentive to detail,” the center said. “It’s starting to click a little bit with the offensive guys; [we] are a lot more aware of what’s going on.”

Altieri said the offense is much more confident in the new shotgun-oriented playbook than it was last season, which included a 27-10 home loss to the Bulldogs.

“The schemes we have been using [are] setting us up for success,” Altieri said. “It’s a lot easier for us to execute.”

Altieri said the base defense that the offense faced during training camp, as in the ASU defense, is similar in approach to what UGA has shown.

“Guys will understand what the defense is trying to give us,” he said. “It’s fairly similar. They use an over-front or they will give us an under-front. It’s not something we haven’t seen.”

Altieri said there is an increased level of confidence in this week’s preparation.

“Coaches are excited about the game plan, and when the coaches are excited, that gets us excited,” Altieri said. “If they are getting excited, something good’s coming.”

Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu.