Arizona State RG Wade Helton out ‘a few weeks’ with lower leg injury

Arizona State will be without starting right guard Wade Helton for “a few weeks” due to a lower leg injury he suffered Saturday at Texas A&M, head coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters in London on Tuesday.

ASU’s upcoming schedule includes Kansas at Wembley Stadium on Saturday before a bye week, then hosting Baylor and Hawaii before locking back into Big 12 play for the rest of the year.

Helton, a junior, started both games so far for the Sun Devils but was mostly splitting the share of snaps with sophomore Rob Lapuaho, who has been in the mix for starting reps throughout the fall.

Expect Lapuaho to get the starting reps while Helton is out, with Dillingham taking notice of how maturely he played in the Sun Bowl.

“He’s got to step up. He’s got to play in a mature fashion, which he did in the Duke game,” Dillingham said. “He started a game and (has been) very involved in a game in college football the last two weeks. … So I think he’s just got to step up and be ready for his number to be called, and it’s being called.”

After Helton did not return to Saturday’s action following his second-quarter exit, Lapuaho finished the game at 82 right guard snaps on the year compared to the starter’s 49.

Lapuaho has been graded slightly higher through two games by PFF, albeit with a pressure and hurry allowed while Helton has none on 18 fewer opportunities.

Helton played four snaps at center in the first quarter on Saturday when starter Tana Alo-Tupuola had an injury scare, but Alo-Tupuola was back on the field after missing the end of one drive.

Makua Pule likely moves into the rotational interior offensive line role where he can fill reps at guard or center, having been the center with the 2s throughout camp.

Pule’s only 16 snaps of the year so far came at center in the opener after the starters were done for the day. He played 130 snaps at guard last year.

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