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UCLA football: Arizona State is coy about its quarterback for Saturday

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Injury brings intrigue.

UCLA is preparing to play Arizona State. But just whom the Bruins defense sees will be a game of three-quarterback-Monte by Sun Devils Coach Dennis Erickson this week.

Danny Sullivan was Arizona State’s starter until a right-biceps injury. Brock Osweiler stepped in two weeks ago, then hurt his shoulder last week. Samson Szakacsy, bothered by elbow tendinitis this season, rushed into the breach.

But UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel has an optimistic attitude.

“It does provide different challenges,’ Neuheisel said. ‘But I’m not sure that means Arizona State will make wholesale changes in offense.’

Still, Szakacsy’s mobility is an element that has hurt the Bruins in the past.

“If he is in, you better have the understanding of good containment with the pass rush, because he is nimble enough to make something happen,” Neuheisel said.

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Whether that will be an issue is to be seen. Arizona State Coach Erickson is expected to remain noncommittal through the week. He did say that Szakacsy, a sophomore, will get the most reps with the first team in practice the next two days.

In a 44-21 loss to Oregon, Szakacsy entered with the Sun Devils trailing, 31-7, and completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and rushed for another touchdown.

Szakacsy had thrown only one pass in his career prior to that game.

“We want to see how he does,” Erickson said. “He came out and played pretty well, but we have seen him with the first group before. We’ll let him run the first team the next two days and see where we’re at.”

As for his other quarterbacks, Erickson said Osweiler, a 6-foot-8 statue-like freshman, was available but that Sullivan was still bothered by his injury.

“He threw for the trainers, but he obviously wasn’t 100%,” Erickson said.

Sullivan has completed 154 of 284 passes for 1,771 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games this season. He has had nine passes intercepted.

-- Chris Foster

Twitter.com/cfosterlatimes

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