Hobbled Carpenter has trip to forget

LOS ANGELES - This isn't exactly how Rudy Carpenter imagined his final Los Angeles road trip. He walked, no, hobbled off the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum field Saturday, his ankle throbbing as he dodged verbal pejoratives from USC fans.

After a strong first half by Arizona State's defense, everything went downhill from there, including Carpenter's health. The pain from the left sprained ankle that almost prevented him from starting against USC became worse as the game progressed. He finally left midway through the third quarter because "I couldn't even walk that well."

Coach Dennis Erickson hinted all week that junior backup Danny Sullivan might start. Each day, however, Carpenter's ankle improved. He looked fairly mobile at the beginning of the game, completed 6 of 10 passes in the first quarter, but he later seemed to struggle planting his foot.

He finished 11 of 20 for 126 yards and one interception. Sullivan completed 4 of 17 for 28 yards and two interceptions.

Carpenter pestered Erickson all week, insisting he could start. His ankle hurt, he said, "but I tried to put it out of my mind. I tried to stay positive."

USC defensive tackle Fili Moala wasn't surprised to see Carpenter take the field.

"Rudy's a really competitive guy," he said. "He's a tough guy, really gung ho. I've known him for a while, so it's not surprising to see him out there hobbled on one ankle."

Carpenter and the Sun Devils will benefit from their upcoming bye week. They don't return to action until Oct. 25, when Oregon visits Sun Devil Stadium.

Carpenter's status is unknown, but with the extra time to heal, it's likely he'll start again. While Sullivan was put in a difficult situation against the Trojans, he didn't make a strong argument to keep himself in the lineup.

"It's hard to tell (how Sullivan did)," Erickson said. "He had some opportunities, had a couple of throws he should have made. It's not the easiest first start for anybody."

This game did not reflect how Carpenter wants his final season to play out. USC coach Pete Carroll said last week that he envisioned Carpenter playing in the NFL, but the senior knows he has more work to do to make a strong impression, to look like the quarterback he was his freshman year, when he replaced an injured Sam Keller and led the nation in pass efficiency.

He's ready to work. Now he needs his ankle to cooperate.