Arizona State’s early-week practices offered a little of everything: turnovers, coaching-by-voice from the sideline, and an unsettled special teams battle that still hasn’t found its answer.
The loudest moment came Tuesday during a live-tackling 11-on-11 period, when freshman running back Cardae Mack coughed up the ball after being hit in the backfield for the first turnover of practice. One snap later, Mack bounced to the left side of the field, only to run into senior defensive back Ashton Stamps and lose the ball again. Stamps recovered both fumbles, and the second one shut down the first unit’s drive.
As Mack headed back to the sideline, senior offensive lineman and Pat Tillman Leadership Council member Jalen Klemm let him have it: "Take some pride in this ... . Hold on to the [damn] ball, man."
The reaction matched the frustration on the offensive sideline. Ball security has become a real issue in camp, with ASU putting the ball on the ground five times in Monday morning’s practice before adding two more Tuesday. But the response to Mack’s mistakes also showed something Kenny Dillingham has been pushing since he got to Tempe: a player-led standard that doesn’t wait for a coach to step in.
Kyson Brown was right there in the middle of it, too. The senior running back, who knows the pain of a turnover better than most after fumbling on his first-ever collegiate snap in 2023, spent time talking with Mack before both returned to the sideline.
A few minutes later, Klemm gathered the offense again and delivered the message plainly: "No balls on the ground the rest of today, man. Be intentional."
The offense answered. From there, ASU finished practice without another fumble and started stacking positive plays, including multiple touchdowns on tunnel screens and several long runs straight through the middle of the defense.
Special teams brought its own uncertainty. ASU is still looking for a starting punt returner, and Monday morning’s punting period featured several skill players taking turns under high punts from junior punter Nick McLarty. The goal was simple: fair catches, clean hands, no mistakes on balls dropping from the sky.
Then senior wide receiver Jalen Moss stepped in to return punts while junior punter Kanyon Floyd began his work. Floyd’s first kick was a rough one, a shank that barely traveled 25 yards.
That was a shaky start for a player who had shown well in other parts of camp, but the battle is still open. Floyd spent much of last season dealing with a quad injury, and his role was tied to ASU finishing No. 133 among 134 FBS teams in net punting, 10 spots behind the next-lowest Big 12 team.
For now, Floyd is still competing with McLarty, the 6-foot-7 Australian whose leg strength has continued to draw attention.