Aguano difference? An Arizona State starter showed up to practice late and was told to leave
One of the challenges for Arizona State interim coach Shaun Aguano right now is keeping everyone accountable. At 1-3 and without a permanent head coach, the season could go in the tank pretty quickly.
But Aguano told reporters earlier this week he thinks Arizona State has enough talent to compete with any team in the Pac-12. He doesn’t think a lack of talent has been the culprit for the start. He wants to see the group be more detail-oriented.
In a “practice what you preach” situation, Aguano apparently sent a starter home from practice on Wednesday when he showed up late.
One of ASU’s starters against Utah showed up a few minutes late to practice today and was told to leave. He then left.
We used to see players show up late without the same consequences. Another Aguano difference.
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) September 28, 2022
Accountability is tough to implement on the fly when it’s not readily present. But you’ll hear coaches harp all the time on the little details that show up in practice. Little things add up, and what you put on the practice field during the week is what you’ll put on the game field during the weekend.
The Sun Devils are one of the most penalized teams in the country this season. They have been flagged 30 times in four games, resulting in 294 yards of penalty yardage. Arizona State is bottom-30 in both categories. That’s certainly a factor in the 1-3 start to the season.
And ASU has a tough test in front of it this weekend. It battles No. 6 USC in Los Angeles on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT (ESPN). The Sun Devils will need to play a flawless game to have a chance.