News updates are sent daily. You can unsubscribe at any time.
ASU notebook: Carpenter likely to start Saturday
Digg|
Save|
License|
Print|
E-mail|
HEELS OVER HEAD: ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter gets rolled over during Saturday’s loss to Oregon.
Darryl Webb, Tribune
Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter is expected to make his 39th consecutive start on Saturday against Oregon State despite reports of a lingering foot injury.
Carpenter was mum on the topic of his injury Monday.
“All that matters is that we’re making too many mistakes, whether it’s in practice or whether it’s in games,” Carpenter said. “When you do that, you can’t score points.”
Carpenter is coming off his worst game of the season in terms of completion percentage. He completed only 17 of his 33 passes — all of which were short throws that did not exceed 15 yards — in a 54-20 loss to Oregon on Saturday.
Carpenter said a repeat of that performance cannot occur.
“That’s what comes with the position and what comes with the territory,” he said. “It’s part of my job to take responsibility and be the leader I’m supposed to be.”
ASU’s ground attack is ranked ninth in the Pac-10, averaging a meager 87 yards per game. That hasn’t helped Carpenter’s cause, as teams have been content to sit in two-deep coverages to take away the passing game.
After starting 2-0 this season, the Sun Devils are in the midst of a five-game losing streak and are eighth in the conference standings.
The losing streak is just one game short of the all-time worst for the Sun Devils, when they lost six consecutive games in 1929.
“You just deal with it one game at a time. We know what we’ve got to get done,” coach Dennis Erickson said.
Erickson said Monday he does not plan to remove the redshirt status of any freshmen who haven’t played this season, nor does he plan to go young in an effort to give reps to players who will figure more prominently next season and beyond.
“We’re going to play whoever we need to play to win games,” he said. “We’re not going to try and get ready for next year.
“Next year is Saturday.”
Please add your comments, but follow these guidelines to keep this a safe, credible place for discussing the news: