There was a time this season when the ASU football team was 4-0 and had no worries.
The offense was rolling, the defense was doing just enough to get by and Zane Gonzalez was making every field goal.
Now, those days feel like a distant memory and this team is now limping into its bye week — time off which is desperately needed.
Bye weeks are valuable for any football team. It's a chance to take it easy for a week and relax.
Most teams look at bye week as a convenience, but ASU should view the bye as a necessity. The team is plagued with injuries and a week off will give the guys a great chance to heal.
The Sun Devils have been missing multiple defensive starters over the past few games, so when they come back there might be improvement.
The most important injury for the Sun Devils has been quarterback Manny Wilkins.
Wilkins has not played since he was taken out in the first quarter of the Washington State game. His upper-body injury is not supposed to last an extended time.
And that's just as well, because a healthy Wilkins has been the key for a successful ASU offense. With Wilkins in the game, the Sun Devils had a consistent offensive attack and were capable of scoring points at will.
Wilkins, a dynamic runner, can scramble out of the pocket. His speed can creates more space for the running backs.
Even though the offense has been able to move the ball with Dillon Sterling-Cole at quarterback, it has not been consistent. Furthermore, the Sun Devils have had to rely heavily on the Sparky formation and trick plays to pick up yards.
Those will work against weaker defenses like Washington State and Oregon, but not against teams like Utah and Washington, which are next up on the schedule.
When Wilkins was in, the team was much better, so having a bye — for the sake of Wilkins and the rest of the injured players — is critical for ASU.
But the bye also comes at a good time from a psychological standpoint.
The Sun Devils have lost three straight, so it will be refreshing for the team to get the bad taste out of their mouth during the off week.
Basically, the team can take a deep breath and regroup. Sometimes the best thing that can happen is to step back and reflect on the season.
If ASU can come back healthy and refocused, they might be able to to replicate the team that was so successful earlier in the year.
There was so much excitement surrounding the team earlier in the year. At one point, the team was even picked to play in the Rose Bowl after its hot start.
Although the rosy dreams have long been dashed, the Sun Devils can still use the bye week to refuel their season, because right now it's running out of gas.
Reach the reporter at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepressport on Twitter.
