ASU Football: Practice observations and Herm Edwards quotes from Monday 8/22

With under two weeks until game one, ASU football is completing a “mock game week” leading up to a closed scrimmage Thursday. The week started early with practice Sunday, and the coaches are doing everything they can to simulate a real game week.

Then the storms came in Sunday, pushing Monday’s practice into the dome for the first time in fall camp.

Herm Edwards also made his weekly podium appearance, announcing injury updates and playing coy on a few more topics.

“It’s been pretty good, I mean, we’re starting to hone in on NAU obviously and I think everyone is about this time in college football,” Edwards said. “With that, reps are all of a sudden limited. The hardest thing to do is when you get to training camp, you get to spring ball, then you get to after training camp and you start saying this is the ones and the twos, you get some long lips a little bit. Guys are a little bit disappointed.”

“But the way we do it, I think it’s good and the fact that we continue to compete, we continue to evaluate guys. They know that things can happen, you’re a nick away from having to go into the game.

Injury updates

Defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera, tight end Bryce Pierre and offensive lineman Thomas La Boucher continued practicing after returning Sunday.

Defensive backs Jordan Clark and Timarcus Davis are still listed as “week-to-week” by Edwards, while left tackle Emmit Bohle is day-to-day.

Notes from team drills

The offense gained some momentum in the previous week or so, but Monday’s red zone segment was all defense. Emory Jones threw the ball away twice because of airtight coverage in the secondary and a steady pass rush. Running backs X Valladay and Daniyel Ngata both rushed for minimal gains.

There was also a false start with the first-team offense as the ASU coaches continue to pump crowd noise into practice during team drills.

Tyson worked with the second-team, but Jones also took extra reps with the backups, likely in an effort to get Jones as many looks as possible after joining the team late in the offseason.

Extra, extra!

• D.J. Taylor is seeing more snaps as the nickel back while Clark is injured. Taylor made a nice play in the end zone during team drills by gluing himself to Javen Jacobs and eliminating a throwing lane for Jones, who sailed the pass.

• Isaia Glass continues to work at left tackle with Bohle observing. With the season under two weeks away, the battle likely tilts in Glass’s favor based on availability.
• Joe Moore continues to rep at first-team defensive end, but Anthonie Cooper is challenging Travez Moore for the other starting spot. The last two practices, Cooper played with the ones while Travez Moore joined Dylan Hall on the second-team.
• The second cornerback spot on the base defense looks like it may still be up for grabs, as long as Timarcus Davis is sidelined. Ro Torrence is locking up one spot, while Ed Woods and Keon Markham rotate with the second cornerback position. One name that is rarely muttered is that of sophomore corner Isaiah Johnson, a former four-star corner who was ranked no. 9 nationally in his class by 247Sports. Johnson is one of the highest-rated recruits in the program, but is having a quiet fall.
• Edwards refused to name a starting kicker in Monday’s press conference. Carter Brown and Jay Feely primarily take the place kicking reps in practice.