Here is the news from Wednesday:
LB Cam Smith is out Saturday versus Arizona State and could be sidelined longer, though Clay Helton said there's a chance he could be back next week. Smith had his knee drained and received both PRP and Monovisc injections. Helton said it was the same knee -- his left -- that he originally injured in 2015.
Smith, who's also been battling a hamstring injury, played in the first two series last week before sitting out the rest of the game. He did not play versus Colorado. Makes you wonder if his knee, an injury we weren't made aware of until today, has been the bigger issue all along. Smith mysteriously did not practice the week of the bye and then aggravated his hamstring the Wednesday before the Colorado game.
QB JT Daniels did not practice and remains in the same stage of the concussion protocol. Helton said Daniels will have to pass the protocol by Friday or else Jack Sears would be the starter. Daniels threw Tuesday but not today.
I asked Helton what he attributes Daniels' low completion percentage to -- he's at 57.1 percent, which is especially bad in this era. Helton pointed to good DB play and Daniels just being inaccurate at times. But he believes given his film study he'll become more comfortable in the system and thus complete more passes.
"A lot of it is just putting a true freshman out there and letting him grow," he said.
Still no talk of making things easier for Daniels. The biggest indicator of something being off with him is leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown having no receptions last week, despite a handful of targets. Helton intimated St. Brown was getting open but Daniels was under pressure and missing his spots.
Helton said backup QB Matt Fink (ribs) will likely be out 3-4 weeks.
DE Caleb Tremblay is dealing with tendinitis in his knee and will be out a few weeks. Helton said there's a chance he redshirts this season, since he's only appeared in three games.
TB Aca'Cedric Ware (shoulder) increased his workload.
***
I chatted with DE Christian Rector and asked what frustrated him most about the Utah game. Thought his response was interesting:
"Probably that we were on the field and had the lead and let it slip away. And missed tackles was a big thing, something we can control defensively. We can't really control what the offense does, but tackling, getting off the field, is something that we can work on and control."
He said part of the issue with the poor tackling was defensive players not driving their feet on contact, expecting Utah's quarterback and primary running back to go down easier.
The team had a tackling circuit in practice this week to address their issues, including plays in open space and knowing how to use the sideline to your benefit. Rector said ASU QB Manny Wilkins is less of a runner but a better passer, especially downfield, than Tyler Huntley.
Nickel back Ajene Harris said players weren't always on the same page at Utah and communication was lacking, which he attributed to being on the road. Seems to be a common thread in these games outside the Coliseum, but probably more so on offense this year.
Harris also discussed playing one day after his father passed. "That's something I just had to fight through and help my team out as much as possible. He would love to see me play. ...
“He would be mad probably if I would have sat out."
LB Cam Smith is out Saturday versus Arizona State and could be sidelined longer, though Clay Helton said there's a chance he could be back next week. Smith had his knee drained and received both PRP and Monovisc injections. Helton said it was the same knee -- his left -- that he originally injured in 2015.
Smith, who's also been battling a hamstring injury, played in the first two series last week before sitting out the rest of the game. He did not play versus Colorado. Makes you wonder if his knee, an injury we weren't made aware of until today, has been the bigger issue all along. Smith mysteriously did not practice the week of the bye and then aggravated his hamstring the Wednesday before the Colorado game.
QB JT Daniels did not practice and remains in the same stage of the concussion protocol. Helton said Daniels will have to pass the protocol by Friday or else Jack Sears would be the starter. Daniels threw Tuesday but not today.
I asked Helton what he attributes Daniels' low completion percentage to -- he's at 57.1 percent, which is especially bad in this era. Helton pointed to good DB play and Daniels just being inaccurate at times. But he believes given his film study he'll become more comfortable in the system and thus complete more passes.
"A lot of it is just putting a true freshman out there and letting him grow," he said.
Still no talk of making things easier for Daniels. The biggest indicator of something being off with him is leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown having no receptions last week, despite a handful of targets. Helton intimated St. Brown was getting open but Daniels was under pressure and missing his spots.
Helton said backup QB Matt Fink (ribs) will likely be out 3-4 weeks.
DE Caleb Tremblay is dealing with tendinitis in his knee and will be out a few weeks. Helton said there's a chance he redshirts this season, since he's only appeared in three games.
TB Aca'Cedric Ware (shoulder) increased his workload.
***
I chatted with DE Christian Rector and asked what frustrated him most about the Utah game. Thought his response was interesting:
"Probably that we were on the field and had the lead and let it slip away. And missed tackles was a big thing, something we can control defensively. We can't really control what the offense does, but tackling, getting off the field, is something that we can work on and control."
He said part of the issue with the poor tackling was defensive players not driving their feet on contact, expecting Utah's quarterback and primary running back to go down easier.
The team had a tackling circuit in practice this week to address their issues, including plays in open space and knowing how to use the sideline to your benefit. Rector said ASU QB Manny Wilkins is less of a runner but a better passer, especially downfield, than Tyler Huntley.
Nickel back Ajene Harris said players weren't always on the same page at Utah and communication was lacking, which he attributed to being on the road. Seems to be a common thread in these games outside the Coliseum, but probably more so on offense this year.
Harris also discussed playing one day after his father passed. "That's something I just had to fight through and help my team out as much as possible. He would love to see me play. ...
“He would be mad probably if I would have sat out."
