Redshirt junior Taylor Kelly prepares to throw the ball during the game against Wisconsin. Kelly was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, the third ASU player to be named a conference player of the week this season. (Photo by Diana Lustig)The Sun Devils have completed a trifecta of sorts.
ASU now has a player who has been named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after having players named Pac-12 Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week earlier in the season.
Redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly joined senior safety Alden Darby (Defensive Player of the Week) and freshman kicker Zane Gonzalez (Special Teams Player of the Week) as the ASU players to be named conference players of the week this season.
Kelly earned the honor after recording 275 passing yards and five passing touchdowns along with another 66 yards and two touchdowns on the ground against Washington State last Thursday.
ASU coach Todd Graham said Kelly is an essential key to the team’s goal of winning a championship.
“To win a championship, you have to have a quarterback,” Graham said. “I used to not say that. I used to say, ‘One person doesn’t matter that much.’ Yes they do. You have to have a quarterback, period. If you don’t have one, it’s going to be pretty tough to win a championship.”
Kelly has been putting up great numbers this year, ranking 13th in the country in passing yards (2,511) and seventh in total offense (353.3 yards per game). Much of that, according to Graham, comes from Kelly's high football IQ.
“He really is a great student of the game,” Graham said. “I think he has as good a grasp (of the offense) as even some of our coaches have. He has that kind of intelligence.”
Graham not concerned with rankings
For the first time this season, ASU finds itself ranked in the BCS rankings, but Graham said he isn’t phased.“I really don’t spend any time concerning myself with that,” Graham said. “I’m only concerned about one ranking, and that’s the one at the end of the season.”
The Sun Devils debut in the BCS at No. 22, while being ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25 and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
While the being ranked No. 22 is a good start, it’s far from where Graham wants the program to be.
“Our goal is to be the Pac-12 champions and to be Rose Bowl champions and to be a top-five team every year,” Graham said. “We’ve got a long way to go and lot of work to do to get there … but it doesn’t mean anything right now.”
Reach the reporter at ejsmith7@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EricSmith_SP
