ASU’s Osweiler checking off his list

Brock Osweiler is not Santa Claus. But the Arizona State quarterback does share one thing in common with the man from the North Pole: he makes a list (after every game) and he checks it twice (sometimes more).

“I try to keep it to five (of things to work on) at most because you could critique every play, but I try to keep it at five or less. It was the full five after Illinois.

“One thing, for example was just keeping two hands on the ball when I am in the pocket. Sometimes I’ll start separating a hand when I’m getting ready to throw or when I’m getting ready to run and I need to keep it [on the ball] for ball security and that was one thing that I really stressed in practice.”

Osweiler did not have a single turnover against USC after losing a fumble and getting intercepted twice at Illinois.

Another item on his list: staying in the pocket.

“The thing that he did do is he stayed in the pocket way better than he did the week before,” said head coach Dennis Erickson. “There were guys that hit him after he got rid of the ball and he made some big plays by staying in there.”

“It is part of the position,” Osweiler said of getting hit. “To be real, I kind of enjoy it. When you can get a ball off and complete it and still get hit—to me there is no better feeling in football unless I guess throwing a touchdown pass.”

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