ASU DC Brian Ward Breaks Down Rocco Becht Challenge
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TEMPE -- Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward spoke with the media in his weekly availability following Tuesday's practice - discussing topics ranging from the resilience of his unit, to Iowa State QB Rocco Becht.
To watch the full availability, view below.
Below is a partial transcript from Ward's exchange with media on Tuesday.
On Elijah O'Neal's Growth
"Yeah, he's just such a physical presence at the end. And he is, he is such a guy that he tries to do everything right. I mean, and when you coach him, it's like, sometimes he look at you like, he goes, Man, I let you down, like he's he's a guy that just never wants to let a coach down."
"Never wants to let his teammates down. He's an incredible human being, and he's having a great year. I mean, he's a he's so physical against the run. He's rushing the passer better than ever has. He's always affecting the pockets, so it's just great to see his progress and his development."
On Iowa State Offense
"Yeah, I mean, they just, they do such a good job. You know, their offensive coordinator is one of the young, you know, rising guys in the business, and he's, you know, they're just very diverse. They do a great job of self scouting themselves. They do a great job of trying to run the same plays out of different looks, to get one guy's eyes bad or get your misaligned, you know. And they just do a lot, and, you know, they give you a lot to prepare for. So, you know, a lot more than we have, you know. I mean, that we've seen from our offense."
On Defensive Stars Stepping Up Through Injuries, Adversity
"You know, it just comes down to guys loving the game of football, you know, I mean, and really it just boils down to, you know, those guys you know, feel responsibility to the guys around them. They know, you know, when they sit down, even though, you know, we do have a next man up mentality, they feel responsibility of their teammates."
"And, you know, I'm just telling you just, you know, those guys playing, you know, through being banged up and and doing those things and getting in the training room every day, it's just, it's just showing a genuine appreciation for everybody and everything that's going on in this program.
So those guys are great human beings. And listen, your habits are always a great predictor of your future success. And we talk about it all the time. We can look at guys habits and know who's going to just who's just going to kill it once they get out in the real world, and it's because the habits that they show here every day."
Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the 2025 football team is at a crossroads following a loss to Houston here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.