A day after ASU coach Dennis Erickson announced redshirt junior Steven Threet as his starting quarterback, many wondered how second-stringer sophomore Brock Osweiler would react.
Matt Leinart he is not.
“Basically you have to go with what’s best for the team, and Coach feels like that is Steven right now, so I’m just going to come out each day and continue to get better,” Osweiler said “It’s whatever this team needs. As long as we are winning games, I am happy.”
On Tuesday, Osweiler came out in full support of Erickson’s decision, and perhaps for good reason.
Threet, the eventual winner of a quarterback battle in Michigan where he started eight games in 2008, has been the man before.
That showed Tuesday, as he handled the media like ducks at the park, everyone getting more sound bites than they could handle.
“I am excited,” Threet said. “It’s something that I have been working hard for. But it’s just an announcement. I have to go on the field and win games now.”
Playing in crowds of over one hundred thousand at the “Big House” in Michigan, Threet is no tenderfoot.
“I think it helps [me] because it is something that I have been through before,” Threet said. “And as far as game experience, I have played in front of a bunch of people, loud crowds and all of that, so the shock value is taken off. It doesn’t really have an effect anymore.”
Threet, who said he is bigger, stronger and better mechanically from his time at Michigan, said that despite not playing last year, knows how to get ready for a contest —home opener or not.
“It’s just like I would prepare for any other game,” Threet said. “A lot of film study, a lot of hard work trying to familiarize myself with the opponent and just be ready to go Saturday.”
Threet was up and down in his first practice as the official starter, though he has taken most of the repetitions with the first team the last couple of weeks.
Threet threw an interception as he rolled to his left, throwing across his body, late and into the hands of junior safety Clint Floyd. He came back, however, with a couple of nice throws down-field, including one in the seam to junior transfer Mike Willie with whom he’s connected with often in camp.
Willie could be one of Threet’s top targets Saturday.
“I think Mike does a great job of going to get the ball in the air, and he always works hard to get open and do whatever he can to,” Threet said.
Osweiler’s role
Osweiler has not been told if he will be redshirted this year or not, though given that Erickson said he would likely play on Saturday makes it a seemingly unlikely scenario. Osweiler knows one thing: he is staying at ASU.
“I am not going anywhere,” Osweiler said. “It is sunny here year-round and I love it”
Simmons cleared
Redshirt junior transfer offensive tackle Aderious Simmons, an imposing and athletic player who has been a standout in camp, has been cleared by the NCAA and is likely to start for ASU some time soon.
“He will play both right and left [tackle] in that game Saturday,” Erickson said. “But he is cleared which is the most important thing so he can focus on school and get ready to play so it is good news.”
Defensive adjustments
Junior defensive end Jamaar Jarrett is likely to play in a rotation at tackle given the injuries and ineligibilities at the position.
“He is very good, very quick athletically, and he is an extremely good guy for us inside,” Erickson said. “I have no question he can be a great player inside.”
In the Sun Devils 30-front, nickel defense package on Tuesday, ASU used three safeties, including junior Eddie Elder, redshirt sophomore Keelan Johnson and junior Clint Floyd. All three players give ASU a unique combination of athleticism, tackling ability and run support. Floyd’s play stood out Tuesday.
“[Floyd] is a great athlete,” Erickson said. “I knew he was a great athlete when I went to Crenshaw High School and he was starting point guard on that basketball team, and that is pretty good.”
Crenshaw High has long been one of the nation’s high school basketball powerhouses.
Freshman Junior Onleayi was the defensive end in ASU’s 30-front nickel defense.
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
