Redshirt junior defensive back Lloyd Carrington carries an interception for a touchdown against Notre Dame on Nov. 8, 2014. ASU defeated Notre Dame 55-31 at Sun Devil Stadium. (Photo by Andrew Ybanez)In fall camp and through the first few weeks of the season, ASU football's secondary was like a vending machine: lots of choices, but none of them quite what you want.
Coach Todd Graham each practice would make a selection — let's say "C3" — and that's who would take first-team reps at the second cornerback slot. Put another dollar in the machine and out comes redshirt freshman James Johnson. Stick him at bandit safety.
But once you use a vending machine for a while, there are favorites that emerge — options better than the rest. Four weeks into the season, they became clear: redshirt junior Jordan Simone will start at bandit safety and junior Kweishi Brown will start at the No. 2 corner position.
Two of the four players in the Sun Devil secondary were penciled in from the get-go: redshirt senior Damarious Randall at field safety and redshirt junior Lloyd Carrington at No. 1 corner. With the other spots in flux for the first three games, the defense struggled. Simone started Week 1, but Johnson started Week 2. Simone firmly planted himself in the starting role in Week 3. Brown didn't get his first start until Week 4 against UCLA.
"Coming in here, I knew I should have been the starter from day one," Brown said. "But I wasn't doing what Coach was asking me to. I was still learning (the system). It took me too long."
The 35-point drubbing the Bruins gave the Sun Devils has been pushed to the back of most people's minds, with how the team — specifically the defense — has played the last five games.
The players in the secondary insist it was never about starting. They all want to compete with each other and help each other improve. But there's a certain chemistry that has to be established for a unit to reach its full potential.
Video by Stefan Modrich | Assistant Sports Editor
With the same starters for six games now, the defense is on its way to reaching the level it wants to be.
"It took me a couple games, but look where we're at now," Brown said. "Us coming together (has been the key). The secondary is one of the toughest positions to play on defense, and if you can get everyone to buy in what Coach Graham is teaching us, the sky's the limit."
In the first three conference games, the Sun Devils gave up 313.67 passing yards per game. In their last three, the Sun Devils have allowed an average of 136 yards through the air.
So much attention has been paid to the improvements in the run defense — and rightfully so — the progress the secondary has made has, for the most part, gone overlooked. A reason could be the consistent play from ASU's safeties, Simone and Randall. The two lead the Sun Devils in tackles. Graham on Tuesday said Simone is playing "All-Pac-12 caliber."
If there's one man that won't overlook the secondary, it's Graham. He works closely with the cornerbacks. His key to the recent success has been the lack of critical errors. He said there hadn't been any the past "two or three" games, but ASU made three against Notre Dame.
"(There have been) dramatic improvements," Graham said. "Technique, fundamentals, confidence. We're fast, we're able to execute a lot of scheme."
Despite allowing the Fighting Irish to pass for 446 yards, ASU had a secondary player named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after the game: Lloyd Carrington. It was his best game as a Sun Devil, capped off by getting the last of the Sun Devils' four interceptions and returning it 58 yards for a touchdown.
Additional notes
— Junior defensive tackle Jaxon Hood wasn't at practice Tuesday. He missed the Notre Dame game for personal reasons the team hasn't disclosed. There isn't any update on his status.
— Jordan Simone and Laiu Moeakiola were in gold limited contact jerseys Tuesday. Graham said it didn't mean much and both are expected to play against Oregon State.
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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