Injured redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly and redshirt junior quarterback Mike Bercovici watch from the sidelines at home game against UCLA on Sept. 25, 2014. The Sun Devils lost to the Bruins, 62-27. (Photo by Alexis Macklin)Following practice on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Mike Norvell revealed that redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly was fully available to play in last Saturday’s win over Stanford.
In the previous week of practice, coach Todd Graham had commented on Kelly’s progression through the rehabilitation process and assured that if Kelly told the coaches he was ready to go, then he could see game action Saturday night in Tempe.
Come game time, however, lack of meaningful practice reps combined with the success of redshirt junior quarterback Mike Bercovici kept Kelly off the field.
“(Kelly) has done a tremendous job getting himself back out and ready,” Norvell said. “He really looked better … in the pre-game watching him move around, he was unbelievable. He was going full speed and was available to play.”
"We are blessed to have two of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12 and in the country" -Graham. Said Kelly could have played if necessary
— State Press Sports (@statepresssport) October 19, 2014
Norvell cited Kelly’s general “do-everything” work ethic in his rehab, and definitively stated that Kelly had made further progress over the weekend and is ready to start this week against Washington.
Both quarterbacks were suited up fully for Tuesday’s practice and Kelly got back to work with the first-team offensive. Norvell said that both quarterbacks would continue to split reps in practice, but Kelly was able to get the majority of reps he usually runs.
Having two healthy quarterbacks isn’t the worst problem the Sun Devils can have moving forward. However, being able to implement both of them into a successful offensive scheme could prove to be more difficult.
“Taylor is our starting quarterback, and we are going to put together a tremendous plan and I know Berc will be ready to go just like he always is,” Norvell said. “When you are looking at having two guys that talented that both can make plays, you always have to see what situations arise, but I know both those guys will be ready to play.”
While Kelly’s mobility makes him more of a threat to run, Bercovici stands as a pocket passer that can hurt defenses with his arm. These varying styles of play pose challenges to Norvell and the Sun Devil offense if they plan to utilize both quarterbacks in future games.
Bercovici surpassed 1,300 yards passing this season in only three starts, all against ranked teams. Against Stanford, he bolstered his season totals to 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Kelly, on the other hand, is without an interception in 68 attempts, and collected six touchdowns in the three wins before being sidelined with a right-foot injury.
The quarterback of choice will face an aggressive Washington defense that has had high highs but low lows in its first six games under first-year coach Chris Petersen, formerly at Boise State.
One area where they’ve seen consistent success is in the front-seven; the Huskies average the most sacks in the Pac-12, 3.83 per game.
“The biggest thing we have to do is make sure we don’t give them those opportunities,” Norvell said. “We have to do a great job of owning the ball, of eliminating negative plays, and if we do that it is going to be a fun matchup.”
Reach the reporter at csafran@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ChrisSafran
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