Arizona State QB Mike Bercovici glad to have Taylor Kelly back on the field

Monday, Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said he expects to have quarterback Taylor Kelly available to start Saturday night in Seattle as the 14th-ranked Sun Devils take on Washington.

Kelly has missed the last three games after suffering a broken bone in his right foot during a win over Colorado Sept. 13.

In his absence, junior Mike Bercovici has stepped into the starting lineup and has gone 2-1 with back-to-back wins over USC and Stanford following a loss to UCLA.

You might think that a player who has had the success Bercovici has had — 63 percent completions, 1,243 yards, nine TD passes in three starts — might be reluctant to accept a place back on the bench. But Bercovici isn’t wired that way, as he displayed Monday with Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

“Honestly, no there really isn’t,” Bercovici answered when asked about whether there is any part of him that feels he should be the starter. “(Kelly) is a competitor, I have known him since I stepped foot on campus here. I have the utmost respect for him, especially since he’s a senior and we value our seniors on our football team more than anything.

“I’m excited to see him back on the field, I really am. Because I know how much hard work he puts into this team and this university.”

Kelly had started 30 consecutive games for the Sun Devils before his injury, compiling a 21-9 record in the process.

“It’s almost hard for me to be playing and having him watch with that sour look on his face because it is his senior year,” Bercovici continued. “He loves me and he loves this football team and he was our biggest supporter when he wasn’t healthy. I’m excited to see him practice (Tuesday) and get back on that field because I enjoy watching him play.”

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