Defensive tackle Guy praised as ‘one of the best’

GRADING OUT

• Lawrence Guy packs plenty of athleticism into his 6-foot-5, 276-pound frame, is one of the top tacklers among Pac-10 defensive tackles and scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery in Arizona State’s 31-0 win over Washington State on Saturday.

It all adds up, coach Dennis Erickson said on Sunday, to “one of the best young players I’ve been around in a long time.”

Do not expect to hear from Guy, a true freshman, about his exploits — at least not after games. At the player’s request, ASU will keep Guy out of the postgame interview room.

“We’ll keep him out of there,” Erickson said. “We don’t want him to get too arrogant as a true freshman. But he is a really good football player.”

Guy’s 35 tackles rank seventh on the team, an impressive feat given his position and the fact that he has only six starts this season.

• ASU put up 31 points against Washington State, but could have had a lot more, Erickson said.

“There were four or five times during the game where we had a play-action pass called, and if we get it off, it’s a touchdown, or close to it,” Erickson said. “For whatever reason — we overthrow it, miss a protection or get flushed out of the pocket — we don’t get it. It’s frustrating to look at the things you call, and you have a plan there, and there’s a breakdown.”

• Shaun DeWitty will continue to start at running back, but ASU will likely go by committee, with Keegan Herring, Dimitri Nance and Ryan Bass behind him. Nance had a team-high 47 yards on the ground against Washington State.

“It’s a matter of competition,” Erickson said. “If you play good, you’ll play. If you don’t, you are not going to play. Eventually, we’d like to get that at every position.”

• Redshirt freshman Garth Gerhart, making his first start at left guard, “missed an assignment here and there,” Erickson said. However, the coach praised Gerhart’s physical play.

INJURY REPORT

• Tackle Shawn Lauvao wore a protective boot on his left ankle on Sunday, but ASU trainers believe that he will be able to practice this week.

• Safety Clint Floyd, who has missed four games due to a lacerated kidney, should be cleared to practice if no blood is found in his urine during a scan today.

• Defensive tackle David Smith, who missed Saturday’s game due to a nagging neck stinger, is scheduled to see a neurologist today, Erickson said.

NOTES

• After struggling to just force turnovers early in the season, the ASU defense is getting takeaways and turning them into scores. The Sun Devils have scored a defensive touchdown in three straight games.

“We’re getting them in bunches now,” Erickson said. “We’re starting to do things we anticipated doing early in the year defensively. We’re making plays and getting turnovers, which makes it a heck of a lot easier.”

A key, Erickson said, is the more frequent use of zone coverage, which enables linebackers and defensive backs to break on the ball more quickly.

• Linebacker Mike Nixon’s four interceptions tie him for the Pac-10 lead with three cornerbacks — Jairus Byrd of Oregon, Syd’Quan Thompson of California and Trevin Wade of Arizona.

• The 130 yards of total offense allowed by ASU on Saturday is the second-lowest figure the school has given up in conference play since the Sun Devils joined the Pac-10 in 1978. The lowest figure is 123 yards, given up against Oregon State in 1983.

LOOKING AHEAD

• The Sun Devils host UCLA on Nov. 28 at Sun Devil Stadium. Both teams are 4-6, which means that the loser will be eliminated from bowl consideration.

• ASU’s workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday will be geared toward getting young players more snaps, Erickson said. Preparation for the Bruins will commence on Thursday.