Sun Devil Sophomore #8 – D.J. Foster
(photo- Steve Kelly for DieHardDevil.com)

Tempe, AZ – At the end of the 2013 season, we caught a glimpse of what to expect next year from D.J. Foster.

With running back Marion Grice on the sidelines with a season ending leg injury suffered against UCLA, Foster took over with no drop off in production. The only doubt was whether or not he could handle the workload and take the pounding between the tackles for an entire game.

Those doubts were quickly erased.

In the final three games, Foster averaged 17 carries per game (5.4 yards per carry) and 3.7 receptions per game (10.4 yards per catch). By comparison, through the first 11 games of the season, Grice averaged 17.4 carries per game (5.2 yards per carry) and 4.5 receptions (8.8 yards per catch). The numbers show that Foster is ready for the main spotlight.

As a freshman in 2012, Foster had 102 carries for 493 yards and 38 receptions for 533 yards, for a total of 1,026 yards that included 6 touchdowns. Those are solid numbers for a true freshman getting his first taste of college football.

Following his first season, Foster hit the weight room harder than ever to get stronger and faster. He also gained 10 pounds to handle the brutal hits of a full football season.

However, through the first 11 games of 2013 with Grice getting most of the carries, Foster had only 156 rushing yards. His production came from playing the slot receiver position, catching 50 passes for 524 yards and 3 touchdowns. Surprisingly, he didn’t have his first rushing TD until the 10^th game of the season against Oregon State.

After Grice got injured, Foster got more touches. With more opportunities, came more production.

In his first appearance as the starting running back against Arizona, he had 23 carries for 124 yards and 2 catches for 26 yards. He also scored 2 TD’s.

In the Pac-12 Championship game against Stanford, he was limited to 8 carries for 62 yards, 4 catches for 80 yards and 2 big TD’s before leaving the game with a knee injury at the start of the second half.

In the Holiday Bowl against Texas Tech, Foster did his part with 20 carries for 132 yards, 5 catches for 23 yards and one TD.

D.J. finished this season with 93 carries for 501 yards and 63 receptions for 653 yards for a total of 1,154 all-purpose yards. He also found the end zone 10 times.

Here are D.J. Foster’s and Marion Grice’s total figures for the games they played as the Sun Devils primary running back in 2014. We have also provided the projected figures for each had they been ASU’s primary running back over all 14 games. As you can see, D.J. Foster projects to have even greater production than Grice.

Foster vs Grice

At minimum, D.J. Foster proved over three games that doubting him as ASU’s primary ball carrier would be a big mistake. If he can remain healthy and continue his maturation as a football player, fans should be excited to watch their “hometown hero” next year.

Looking Ahead at ASU’s Ground Game

Although he does not officially hold a RB spot, TE De’Marieya Nelson (6’3″ 230LB) has proven to be a dependable physical option for ASU in designed plays. Additionally, Deantre Lewis should be available next year. Now add in three talented running backs from ASU’s new recruiting class (De’Chavon Hayes, Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage), and Sun Devil fans can be excited about ASU’s ground game going into 2014.

Taylor Kelly hands off to D.J. Foster in the Holiday Bowl (photo- Steve Kelly for DieHardDevil.com)