CAMP TONTOZONA - One of the key questions that the ASU football team needed answered during its eight-day stay at Camp Tontozona last week was determining which player would back up star junior quarterback Andrew Walter.
With each practice, the answer became more and more obvious as true freshman Sam Keller was able to separate himself from four possible candidates.
Keller put an exclamation point on his first-ever college training camp with an impressive performance during the final scrimmage on Saturday as he went 7-for-15 for 151 yards and three touchdown passes.
In the team's initial scrimmage during camp on Tuesday, Keller went 6-for-10 for 128 yards and two scores.
Keller said he was surprised that he was able to work his way up the depth chart so quickly.
"I never expected anything," Keller said. "My whole goal was just to come and learn and do the best I could. Honestly, it sounds cliché, but it really was what I wanted to do. I just wanted to learn the offense and see what happened from there."
Others who were in the running for backup quarterback included sophomore Chad Christensen, redshirt freshman Kellen Bradley and true freshman Mike Affleck.
Christensen started the first four games of last season and completed just 26 of the 60 passes he attempted before being permanently replaced by Walter. Entering practice this season, Christensen was listed as the backup until Keller overtook him.
"I didn't know the offense very well [at first]," Keller said. "Chad knows the offense. I think the whole reason they gave me reps at the number two spot is because Chad didn't need them.
"The only way I'd be successful is if they gave me the reps because I'd be lost without them. So I think when they put me in there to start learning, I started making some good throws and they gave me a shot. I fell into a good position and got kind of lucky."
Fast learners
Since the Sun Devils are entering the season with a veteran team for the first time in the three-year tenure of head coach Dirk Koetter, it wasn't a necessity for any true freshmen to jump in. Yet, Koetter said many youngsters have stepped up nonetheless.
"We didn't have to look for a lot of people, but we found some other people that we didn't know about," Koetter said. "We found out about our young guys."
One player who stood out at Saturday's scrimmage was freshman wide receiver Rudy Burgess, who caught a 49-yard touchdown pass with many of the yards coming after the reception.
"I would have picked Rudy for a sure-fire redshirt because he was not even a true wide receiver in high school," Koetter said. "He was more of an old-school wingback. He's made that adjustment really nice."
Koetter said the coaching staff is especially fired up about freshmen safeties Daniel Varvel and Josh Barrett. Freshmen cornerback Chad Green and offensive lineman Mike Pollack also impressed coaches during camp.
A special quarterterback
Sophomore quarterback Christensen may have been pushed down the depth chart behind Walter and Keller, but he still gets his fair share of playing time.
Christensen is both the holder during field goals and also the "person protector" on punts.
As a person protector, Christensen directs the blocking from the backfield and also gets to throw some blocks of his own.
"It's a tough position because you're the guy kind of like the quarterback is on offense," Christensen said. "You got to figure who everyone has to block, and you have to pick up the extra guy."
Playing on the punt team also makes Christensen an extra threat for a fake.
"In case we do fakes, if you have a quarterback in there, it makes the other team realize 'uh, lets be a little safer,'" Christensen said.
Reach the reporter at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.
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