Doug Haller

azcentral sports

Steak or tuna salad?

That's what at stake for Arizona State in Saturday's annual Spring Game, the last of 15 spring football practices. The winning team gets steak, the losers get chicken of the sea.

"We'll be eating steak," promised defensive coordinator Keith Patterson, coach of the Maroon squad.

Always tinkering, coach Todd Graham has altered the spring-game format, hoping to liven up an event that often loses its spark after the starters make an early exit. (Main objective: stay healthy.) Saturday's event at Sun Devil Stadium — televised by the Pac-12 Network — will start with the "W drill," an intense hard-hitting exercise that is worth three points.

From there, ASU will play 7-on-7, lining up at the 25-yard-line in an overtime situation. In addition to other drills, the Sun Devils will play two 15-minute, running-clock scrimmages. It won't be first-team versus second-team. Instead, Graham and his staff split the roster, dividing the talent equally.

Patterson and offensive line Chris Thomsen coach the Maroon; offensive coordinator Mike Norvell and safeties coach Chris Ball lead the Gold, "and then whoever wins, I'll be on that team," Graham said. (This assures him a T-bone, although last season Graham wasn't eating red meat.)

By the looks of things Thursday, ASU is taking this competition seriously. The Gold team practiced outside on the Kajikawa practice fields, while the Maroon worked inside the Verde Dickey Dome, allowing both squads to safeguard their secrets, shortcomings or both.

The Gold features standout running back D.J. Foster, backup quarterback Mike Bercovici and three first-team offensive linemen.

The Maroon features first-team quarterback Taylor Kelly, standout receiver Jaelen Strong and ASU's only returning defensive starters, safety Damarious Randall and linebacker Salamo Fiso.

Foster and Strong aren't expected to play much.

"There's been a lot of sneakiness around the office," Graham said. "Coach Thomsen and Coach Patterson have had some closed-door meetings. And they can run whatever they want. They can use their players (however they want). I want it to be entertaining for our fans. I want it to be exciting for players, but really, more than anything, it's about team-building. I want them to compete."

Storylines to watch:

• Kelly will go against his teacher, Norvell. A reporter tried to coax Kelly into saying he has carried the young offensive coordinator the past two seasons, but Kelly, ever the veteran, wouldn't bite. "You know, he's carried me, I've carried him," he said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to Saturday and going against him."

• Bercovici, Kelly's understudy the last two seasons, gets a chance to show his worth, going head-to-head against the golden boy.

"This will be my first chance, I feel, at a starting quarterback job," Bercovici said. "I got those butterflies already like it's game day. I'm telling you, I got that fire in my eye. I'm happy we're going to be in that visitors' locker room because I'm going to go out and beat that Maroon squad. I know it. I know it."

Told the Maroon team was talking a lot of noise inside the Dickey Dome, Foster seemed unfazed.

"That's what they do,'' Foster said. "They talk a lot. … We're just going to take care of business."

Gold receiver Ellis Jefferson sounded just as confident, but for a different reason.

"I don't like tuna fish," he said.

ASU football Spring Game

Pregame fun: Fan Fest, located outside Sun Devils Stadium, begins at 9 a.m. Parking is available in Parking Structure 5 located across the street from the Carson Center (next to the stadium) to the south. The stadium opens at 10:30. The spring game is scheduled to begin at 11.

Format:

• Iron-man competition: "W Drill," Maroon vs. Gold. Six reps each, winning team gets three points.

• 7-on-7: Overtime rules, starting at 25-yard line. Each team gets three plays to score. Two series for each squad. Winning team gets three points.

• OL/DL pass rush: Two stations. Maroon vs. Gold. Eight times each. Winning team gets three points.

• 11-on-11: Four runs from 9-yard line. Each teams gets one series. Winning team gets three points.

• Halftime: Hamster ball race/Easter egg hunt on field for fans. One of the eggs will contain a free trip to the ASU at Washington game in Seattle this fall.

• First-quarter scrimmage: 15-minutes, running clock.

• Second-quarter scrimmage: 15-minutes, running clock.

• Champions overtime quarter: 25-yard line, overtime rules.

• After the game, players will be available on the field for autographs.

ASU football TV special

Join Mark Curtis and Bruce Cooper on 12 News at 6:30 Friday night for a special edition of "Connecting Arizona" — ASU Focused on the Future. Among the highlights will be an azcentral sports roundtable discussion of the ASU football program and a look at ASU's Fan Fest on Saturday.