With junior offensive tackle Dan Knapp still slowed by a sprained medial collateral ligament, the offensive line changes that ASU football coach Dennis Erickson made earlier in the week appear to be what the front will look like Saturday against Oregon State.
Redshirt freshman Evan Finkenberg will shift from right guard to left tackle for Knapp while redshirt sophomore Andrew Sampson will move to the right guard position.
Junior Aderious Simmons has replaced junior Brice Schwab at starting right tackle. Erickson was pleased with both Sampson and Simmons’ performance in practice this week.
“Yesterday they looked good, when I looked at tape this morning,” Erickson said. “It is hard for me to tell (today) until I go in and look at tape tonight.”
Barring a late change, both will be making their first career starts at ASU.
“It is both of their first starts, so it will be interesting,” Erickson said. “They are both solid guys and they are smart and they understand what is going on.”
Adams at full strength
Sophomore defensive tackle Corey Adams came to ASU as a highly touted recruit out of Saguaro High School in Scottsdale.
However, a series of injuries has kept Adams from reaching his potential. A back injury ended his season early last year and a knee injury held back his start to the 2010 season.
“Now he has confidence in his health and he is letting it go,” Erickson said. “In (the Oregon) game and how he has practiced the last few days, he’s pretty close to being 100 percent. He is starting to show up like we thought he would. It is really a good deal for us.”
Now he’s back to full strength and Erickson expects to see the potential come out on the field.
Beavers’ star injured One of the star Rodgers’ brother’s status for Saturday’s game is still up in the air.
All-American senior wide receiver James Rodgers suffered a concussion in last Saturday’s loss to Boise State. Rodgers sat out of practice on Tuesday, but OSU coach Mike Riley expects him to clear all of his medical tests and play against ASU.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Beavers aren’t as lucky. Outside linebacker Dwight Roberson, OSU’s leading tackler, is out with a knee injury.
Oregon State celebration
OSU will honor the 2000 Fiesta Bowl team at halftime of Saturday’s game.
Ironically, Erickson was the coach of the 2000 Beavers’ team that routed Notre Dame 41-9 in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.
ASU defensive coordinator Craig Bray was the defensive coordinator of that team and ASU offensive line coach Gregg Smith held the same position that year with OSU. ASU special teams and tight ends coach Jamie Christian was a graduate assistant with the Beavers in 2000.
The Fiesta Bowl champions featured current NFL players like Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, Baltimore wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Green Bay linebacker Nick Barnett and Buffalo defensive tackle Dwan Edwards.
With members of the team returning on Saturday, OSU is expecting one of the biggest crowds in Reser Stadium history.
“It is going to be noisy and there are going to be a lot of people there,” Erickson said. “It is a hard place to play. They are very loud and into football. It is probably not unlike playing at Wisconsin.”
A big difference will be the stadium capacity. Camp Randall Stadium in Madison seats 80,321, while Reser Stadium only holds 45,674.
Reach the reporter at andrew.gruman@asu.edu
