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Devil of a task Deacons must prep for two ASU fill-in quarterbacks
Posted: Wednesday December 22, 1999 11:32 AM
HONOLULU (AP) -- Another bad break for Arizona State quarterback Ryan Kealy spells opportunity for backups John Leonard and Griffin Goodman: Both will play against Wake Forest in the Aloha Bowl. Arizona State coaches weren't sure Tuesday which quarterback would start in the Christmas Day bowl game against the Demon Deacons but say both the sophomore Leonard and the junior Goodman will see action in the first half with the hot hand getting to stay in the game. Kealy will miss another bowl game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, suffered in the rivalry win over Arizona. Kealy also missed the 1997 Sun Bowl with a torn right ACL also suffered against the Wildcats. "I feel bad for Ryan. He's had nothing but buzzard luck," Sun Devils offensive coordinator Dan Cozzetto said. "We're so much more a different team when Ryan is in there. He's a take-charge guy, he makes plays, stands in there until the last second and dishes it out. He's our quarterback and we're going to have to go in there and win without him." Cozzetto expects Wake Forest to find out early whether the two Sun Devil backups can handle the pressure. "If I'm them, I'm thinking I'm going to find out how good these quarterbacks are and I'm going to blitz them, get after them good," Cozzetto said. Wake Forest defensive coordinator James Bell said the Demon Deacons won't alter their defensive style to put pressure on the two untested quarterbacks. "We're not a blitzing team. We blitz when we feel or deem it necessary," Bell said. "We're not going to come out and all-out blitz anybody, we never have." Wake Forest's multiple-front defense will adjust to either quarterback's style, Bell said. "We'd like to know who they are and what their strong points are," Bell said. "That's why we're a multiple front, so we can adapt, so we can adjust during the course of the game. It's an adjusting defense, and that's why we like it." Both Goodman and Leonard have been successful as backups this season. Griffin led the Sun Devils with a game-winning 49-yard touchdown pass to Devlon Flowers with 23 seconds left in a 28-27 win over UCLA. Leonard came on in relief of Kealy in the finale against Arizona and threw a touchdown pass that sealed the 42-27 victory. "John can really run, he can make things happen, so we can utilize him on play action, where we can move him out of the pocket. He can do that great," Cozzetto said. "Griff Goodman is a very consistent player, probably a little bit more accurate in throwing the football, but not as mobile as John." Regardless of who starts, Cozzetto said neither Leonard nor Goodman should feel pressure to fill Kealy's shoes. "We have plenty of people within the offensive structure to go to, to put points on the board," Cozzetto said. "It's not just going to be put on their shoulder that they have to win the game."
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