There comes a point during preseason practice when teammates grow tired of competing against one another.
That time has come for the ASU football team.
The Sun Devils have been practicing since early August in preparation for the upcoming 2011 season. With the season opener just six days away, ASU is well underway with game preparation.
“It’s actually nice to finally play somebody else,” senior center Garth Gerhart said. “We’re tired of playing our own team. We’ve been doing that for 23, 24 practices in a row. So it’s good to see a different look out there. We just got to get ready for this game and take one game at a time.”
The team began its planning for UC Davis on Tuesday, and participated in a mock game last night at Sun Devil Stadium.
Gerhart anticipated that his team would work on specific, game-like situations that are bound to arise not only against the Aggies but also throughout the entire season.
“We’re going to do a lot of situation stuff like backed up, on the goal line, coming up, just different situations,” Gerhart said. “It’s going to be underneath the lights so we get used to what it’s going to be like at night. It’s good to get a feel for what it’s going to be like next Thursday.”
The Sun Devils have won eight consecutive home openers including four in a row under coach Dennis Erickson. Next Thursday’s opening game couldn’t come soon enough.
“We’re to the point where we’ve been in camp for over 20 days,” junior quarterback Brock Osweiler said. “The games are why you show up in January. Now it’s time to go have fun and put this hard work out there.”
Garoutte remains confident
With freshman Alex Garoutte set to take over the kicking duties this year, the Sun Devils hope the inconsistency at the placekicking position that plagued them throughout 2010 is a thing of the past.
The former Brophy Prep star enters 2011 with confidence after redshirting last season.
“I feel great,” Garoutte said. “The last few days haven’t been where I’d like them to be. I haven’t lost any confidence in myself. I still feel ready to go for the season.”
Garoutte has seen mixed results in recent days. He made two of five field goal attempts during last Saturday’s scrimmage. Through three practices this week, he’s split the uprights in 15 of 29 attempts.
Despite some early struggles, the freshman aims to treat every attempt as the same.
“Ideally every kick is the same whether it’s 55 yards or extra point,” Garoutte said. “Sometimes it’s hard to treat it like that. The reality is every kick should be the same. I guess it’s just staying focused and not letting anybody get to me, get in my head or anything like that.”
Gerhart honored to lead team
Since arriving to Tempe in the fall of 2007, Gerhart has tried to be a leader and a positive example to his fellow offensive linemen.
The senior center will now get the chance to lead the entire Sun Devil squad as a captain. Gerhart, along with senior linebacker Colin Parker and Osweiler were voted as captains by their teammates.
“My whole time being here I just like playing hard and doing the right things, just being a student of the game,” Gerhart said. “Lead by example, the offensive linemen respect me by the way I play on the field. I think that’s one of the best ways to be a leader is the way you carry yourself and the way you play on the field.”
After serving as a member of the scout team in 2007, Gerhart has evolved into one of the nation’s elite centers. He appeared in six games in 2008 before starting seven in 2009 and all-12 contests last season.
Now as a senior, he is thrilled to be elected as a team leader.
“It’s pretty cool,” Gerhart said. “It means you got a lot of respect from your teammates. It’s a good respect to have from your teammates, just got to keep being the leader of the team, and doing my thing.”
Backup quarterback battle presses on
It’s been a highly contested position battle from the start. Redshirt freshman Taylor Kelly and true freshman Mike Bercovici each have their eyes set on becoming Osweiler’s backup, yet neither of them has taken the lead.
“I’m waiting for someone to take the backup QB job,” Erickson said. “Nobody is stepping up to take it. That’s kind of disappointing.”
