Jalin Conyers starts at QB for ASU football vs. UCLA, technically

Arizona State football tight end Jalin Conyers was technically QB1 for the Sun Devils against UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.

Conyers took the opening snap of the game, making him the fourth starting quarterback of the season for ASU. He handed the ball off to Melquan Stovall for 11 yards before quarterback Trenton Bourguet took the reigns.

ASU’s quarterback situation has fluctuated all year due to injuries with Jaden Rashada, Drew Pyne, Bourguet and now Conyers starting at the position. Bourguet exited last week’s 55-3 ASU loss to Utah after three plays after suffering a leg injury. Conyers was a quarterback in high school but had not thrown a pass in college football.

The unorthodox first snap worked for a first down, and head coach Kenny Dillingham was far from done using Conyers in a different role or giving UCLA different looks, such as stacking his offensive line toward the sideline with a receiver on the outside.

The redshirt junior took a second direct snap on ASU’s second possession and ran for a first down, gaining seven yards on third-and-3.

He rushed again on third-and-5 later in the drive but came up short, although ASU picked up a first down on a UCLA offsides penalty on a wacky fourth down play. The snap sailed over Bourguet, and running back Cam Skattebo chucked the ball over the middle to avoid a sack that was nearly picked off but fell incomplete. Had the play stood, the Sun Devils would have had two players line up at quarterback and a third attempt a pass within their first two series.

Dillingham pressed the Conyers button again on first down, but the tight end was flagged for delay of game. He then gained two yards on another draw but took a shot at the end of the play. The drive ended with a Bourguet interception.

Kenny Churchwell III snags his first INT of the season! 🙌

📺: Pac-12 Networks
📲: https://t.co/7jGs4RDfhq#GoBruins | @KennyChurch23 pic.twitter.com/HzskvuxhGB

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) November 12, 2023

With so many injuries throughout the roster, the Sun Devils tried to find new ways to gain an edge early.

The Sun Devils went into halftime up 3-0, and Conyers finished the opening 30 minutes with four rushes for 19 yards and one pass attempt on a screen late in the second quarter.

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