Arizona State football players looking to end season, careers on a high note
Arizona State defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera is disappointed he hasn't gotten a chance to ring the Victory Bell, which is tradition when the team wins a game at Sun Devils Stadium.
The Sun Devils have won just three games and one of those was on the road. The last home win came on Oct. 8 against then-No. 21 Washington and fans rushed the field so there was no ceremonial bell ringing, although Silvera was running around looking for it, to no avail.
He will have one last chance as the Sun Devils (3-7, 2-5) face No. 25 Oregon State (7-3, 4-3) at 12:15 p.m. Saturday. The game will air on ESPN2.
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It will be the last time coming out of the Tillman tunnel for a host of seniors, including Silvera, who transferred in this year from the University of Miami.
"Ain't nobody ringing it for me, but me. We got to get that win. Then you all will see me yelling and screaming and ringing that bell," said the always jovial Silvera.
It's been a tough go for the Sun Devils, who are coming off a 28-18 loss at Washington State. That loss meant the end to any hope the team had of reaching a bowl game. Some would say they have nothing left to play for any more. However, those within the program say that isn't the case. For starters, this one will be Senior Day.
Then there's that matter of the Territorial Cup game against rival Arizona, one of the more improved teams in the Pac-12. ASU has won the rivalry game for five straight years, so none of the players on this roster knows what it is like to lose to the Wildcats.
And while ASU won't go to a bowl game, the Wildcats have the chance to do so for the first time since 2017.
Interim coach Shaun Aguano, who took the reins when Herm Edwards departed the program three weeks into the season, has praised his team's resiliency. That showed last week when the Sun Devils were manhandled in the opening half and trailed 28-0, only to end the game with 18 unanswered points.
Aguano thinks his team will be up for the next challenge.
"This senior group has been through a lot and for them to keep playing — and that's our motivation for and my theme of these next two weeks and to keep their motivation is these seniors. There's kids on this team that need to play for these seniors," he said. "This is their last time they walk through Tillman Tunnel and playing on this field and so there's motivation there. And then the motivation for the last week is a Territorial Cup. So our kids will come out and play because of that motivation, as you’ve seen in the past, they won't quit. They could have quit this last game when it was cold. But they're going to play and they're playing for something more than themselves, especially for the seniors. So we'll be ready to go."
Among those whose career will soon end is fifth-year senior linebacker Kyle Soelle, one of the team captains, who says the gravity of the next two games hasn't quite hit him.
"I wouldn't say it has hit yet," he said, of playing in the stadium and alongside brother Connor for the last time "I'll spend some time this week thinking about that moment. For now, it's focus on getting the W against Oregon State."
Defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson doesn't see any lack of motivation either.
“You got two games to play, one for the seniors, you play one for the state. And our seniors deserve that. They deserve to go out in those two games as winners, winning as your last home game and then winning one as a state," he said. "That's what I've talked about and that will be the message from my end as far as the defense is concerned. I said it to them yesterday. That's what you're playing for. Sometimes it's hard to get motivated when you're not seeing yourself going to a bowl, but realistically right now, you got a chance to do two things that's significant is one's for the seniors and then the other one is for the state. So we've got a lot to play for.”
Collective names director
The Sun Angel Collective has hired Brittani Willett as its executive director.
Willett joins the Sun Angel Collective from the Arizona Coyotes Hockey Club where she most recently served as the director of corporate activation. Prior to that role, she was the executive director of the Arizona Coyotes Foundation. She will oversee all aspects of the Collective including operations, donor and business development, sponsor activation and athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements.
Willett starts immediately in her role and will be at ASU's game against Oregon State to meet supporters.
Odds and ends
— Injured offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson was at practice but did not participate. Center Ben Scott, among the players banged up on Saturday, was on the practice field donning a green non-contact jersey. Also returning was Soelle, who missed the last game with an upper body injury, and defensive backs Ro Torrence and Isaiah Johnson, who were out with illness. Wide receiver Giovanni Sanders, who left the game with an apparent leg or ankle injury, was not at practice.
— Fullback Case Hatch confirmed he plans to declare for the NFL draft, even though he has a year of eligibility left due to the COVID-19 exemption given all athletes. Hatch toyed with the idea last year. He's an older college football player having gone on a Morman mission right out of Perry High School.
— Scouts from the Bears and 49ers were in attendance.
— Athletic director Ray Anderson and Deputy Athletic Director Jean Boyd watched part of practice.
Reach the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602 444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football players looking to end season, careers on a high note
