Arizona State QB Manny Wilkins’ status unknown for visit to Oregon
Oct 24, 2016, 5:34 PM | Updated: Oct 25, 2016, 11:24 am
(AP Photo/Matt York)
TEMPE, Ariz. – It has become an almost weekly occurrence: Asking Arizona State head coach Todd Graham about the health of his quarterback, redshirt sophomore Manny Wilkins.
It was question No. 1 posed to Graham at Monday’s press conference.
“Obviously, he got banged up during the game. It will be a day-to-day, week-to-week deal,” he said.
Graham’s answer would seem to leave Wilkins’ status for Saturday’s game at Oregon very much up in the air.
If Wilkins is unable to play, then the Sun Devils would turn to true freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole.
In its history, ASU has started only four true freshmen at quarterback. They are John Walker (four starts in 1984), Bret Powers (one in 1990), Jake Plummer (six in 1993) and Brock Osweiler (one in 2009).
Sterling-Cole has appeared in two games this season, including the balance of ASU’s 37-32 loss to Washington State, when Wilkins exited with an apparent shoulder injury midway through the first quarter.
In his first extended action, Sterling-Cole went 7-of-16 for 86 yards, playing 11 of the Sun Devils’ 13 series.
“I thought he did a good job, a solid job. He got better as the game went on,” Graham said. “I was really proud of him and the effort that he gave.”
Three of Sterling-Cole’s completions came in the fourth quarter, including a 3rd-and-13, 22-yard pass to N’Keal Harry, another true freshman.
“Dillon made some fantastic throws. He really did, and I think that helped him once he got a few completions under his belt he got better,” Graham said.
Wilkins has missed one game already this season. At USC, he sustained a high ankle sprain, which sidelined him the following week against UCLA. It was in that game on Oct. 8 that Brady White suffered a season-ending foot injury, thus forcing Sterling-Cole onto the field.
ASU had planned to redshirt Sterling-Cole, the team’s fourth-string quarterback at season’s start.
“Obviously, all the reps and stuff that you had in spring ball and fall camp and all that, you don’t have that kind of foundation,” Graham said.
EXTRA POINTS
— Graham listed both redshirt senior linebacker Salamo Fiso (knee) and redshirt sophomore left guard Sam Jones (foot) as questionable to play against Oregon. Fiso was hurt early in the fourth quarter, while Jones missed the Washington State game.
The Sun Devils may also be without its starting center, junior A.J. McCollum, once again this week. He was absent from the team on Saturday because of a “personal matter,” according to Graham. “We’ll see how that progresses.”
— Redshirt senior receiver Tim White received high praise from Graham, calling him “one of the toughest players I’ve ever coached.” White got injured on the opening kickoff Saturday and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. He returned later in the half, and in the fourth quarter, he recorded ASU’s first punt return touchdown in five years, running the kick back 70 yards.
“That punt return was phenomenal, not just by Tim. It was absolutely an extraordinary effort by him, but also the blocking and the execution of our guys,” Graham said. “That was a pretty incredible play.”
— On the flip side, Graham was not so pleased with the coverage, or lack thereof, when it allowed WSU’s Robert Taylor to go 100 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff after Kalen Ballage had just scored to give ASU a 14-3 lead. Taylor’s return triggered a Washington State-run of 28 straight points.
“We should have had him pinned inside the 10-yard line. Just had a few people not taking care of their responsibility,” he said. “That play cost us. That was a tough play.”