Heading into the 2009 season, there are more questions surrounding the offense of the ASU football team than answers.
The Sun Devils will have a new face under center for the first time in almost four years, there isn’t a clear No. 1 option at running back and the offensive line has been heavily criticized for the past two seasons.
ASU will continue to transition to a spread offense that will utilize the shotgun formation and a quick-hitting passing attack.
The Sun Devil defense will hold opponents at bay in 2009, but ASU still needs to find some sort of offensive consistency in order to have a bounce-back season.
Quarterback
For the first time since 2005, Rudy Carpenter is not ASU’s starting quarterback.
That role now belongs to senior Danny Sullivan, who will be aiming to make the most out of his last season in Tempe after spending his entire college career as Carpenter’s backup.
Sullivan has played sparingly during his three previous seasons at ASU because Carpenter started 43 consecutive games from 2005-08, but he is also the only eligible player on the Sun Devils’ roster to have ever taken a collegiate snap.
Sullivan has completed 40 of his 87 passes during his career, with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
That experience, though minimal, gave Sullivan an edge heading into spring practice. ASU coach Dennis Erickson then confirmed following Saturday’s scrimmage that Sullivan will start when the Sun Devils open their regular season against Idaho State on Sept. 5.
“I’ve told myself since day one, since I got back in school in January: ‘You act like the starter, you’ll be the starter,’” Sullivan said.
“That’s what I’ve done, and my performance has shown out here.”
Sitting behind Sullivan will be sophomore Samson Szakacsy, who can make more plays with his legs than Sullivan but does not have the same arm strength.
Szakacsy has also struggled with injuries throughout his college career. He had elbow surgery while redshirting in 2007 and sat out Saturday’s scrimmage with elbow tendinitis.
While Szakacsy is higher on the depth chart right now, the future of the ASU football program could rest in the hands of true freshman Brock Osweiler.
Osweiler, who graduated high school early so he could get a jump start on his college career in spring ball, has a huge 6-foot-8 frame and great mobility for his size.
He was ASU’s leading passer in Saturday’s scrimmage, completing five of his 11 throws for 117 yards.
Sophomore Steven Threet is also on the roster, but he is ineligible to play this season after transferring from Michigan.
Running Back
ASU has an array of options in the backfield, but none of them have established themselves as the every-down back for a team that desperately needs to improve on the ground after ranking 113th in the nation in rushing yards last season (89 yards per game).
“If we were to start tomorrow, it would kind of be a [coin] flip right now,” Erickson said following Saturday’s scrimmage.
Seniors Dimitri Nance and Shaun DeWitty have each spent time in the starting lineup throughout their careers, but neither has been able to consistently hold onto the No. 1 job.
Nance gained 410 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns last year but had problems holding onto the football, while DeWitty rushed for 270 yards but never found the end zone.
Sophomore Ryan Bass could come into his own after showing flashes of promise in limited action during his freshman season, and redshirt freshman James Morrison will make his ASU debut after recovering from an injury.
Senior Jarrell Woods also returns after seeing limited action during his career, and true freshman Cameron Marshall could break into the rotation after performing well during fall camp.
“They’re going to be a lot better than people think,” Sullivan said. “We have so much depth at that position. Dimitri struggled last year, and he knows it, and he’s ready to prove himself. Ryan’s shifty, [and] he’s getting smarter at knowing what to do. [We also have] Shaun DeWitty, James Morrison — the list goes on and on.”
Wide Receiver
While there are uncertainties surrounding numerous positions on offense in 2009, wide receiver is not one of them. ASU still has one of the deepest receiving corps in the Pac-10.
Even with the departure of Michael Jones, the Sun Devils return plenty of talent at wide receiver in seniors Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams, junior Kerry Taylor and sophomore Gerell Robinson.
“It helps me a lot to know that in a situation that I really could throw the ball up and have [the receivers] go get it,” Sullivan said. “They’re going to make plays this year, and it’s really reassuring to know that.
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McGaha will try to bounce back this season after a disappointing 2008 that was greatly hampered by a toe injury. While he’s never been a touchdown machine — he only has five in his career — his ability to catch virtually any ball thrown his way makes him one of the best possession receivers in the conference.
Williams and Taylor are both speedsters with big-play ability who have the potential to emerge as the team’s No. 1 target this season. Williams was tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns last season, while Taylor tallied 501 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Robinson could become the breakout star of the offense this season, as the former high school quarterback and safety has had a monster fall camp. He had just three catches for 26 yards last season, but he racked up 116 receiving yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s scrimmage.
Tight End
A new face will also be in the starting spot at this position. Senior Jovon Williams is slated to be the No. 1 tight end for the first time in his career. He has four catches in his career, for 33 yards, and no touchdowns.
Senior Stanley Malamala, sophomore Dan Knapp and redshirt freshman Steven Figueroa will also be in the mix to see time at tight end.
Offensive Line
Many of ASU’s struggles the past two seasons have been blamed on an offensive line that gave up 55 sacks in 2007, 34 in 2008 and was a part of the Sun Devils’ lowly rushing attack last season.
But the Sun Devils are finally developing some depth along the line, and Erickson expects to see vast improvement from that unit this season.
“They’ve taken a lot of criticism,” Erickson said of the offensive line.
“I don’t think they deserve all the criticism that they get, because there’s other things involved. They’ve got a chip on their shoulder, too, because they can read [the press]. They understand what’s going on.”
Senior left tackle Shawn Lauvao will anchor the offensive line. He has made 21 consecutive starts for the Sun Devils since 2007.
Junior Jon Hargis also returns and will shift over to left guard after starting all 12 games at left tackle last season.
Sophomore Zach Schlink has recovered from a knee injury that forced him to miss the final three games of his freshman campaign and will start at right guard, while sophomore Garth Gerhart has been hampered by turf toe in fall camp but should start at center as long as he’s healthy.
Senior right tackle Tom Njunge rounds out the projected first line and started four games in 2008.
Senior center Thomas Altieri and sophomore guard Adam Tello also have starting experience, and sophomores Matt Hustad and Mike Marcisz and redshirt freshmen Andrew Sampson and Kyle Johnson also provide depth on the offensive line.
Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.
