Arizona State Sun Devil Football: Erickson Makes Right Call Benching Burfict

Arizona State Head Coach Dennis Erickson announced Tuesday night that sophomore linebacker Vontaze Burfict will not start for the Sun Devils against the Washington Huskies on Saturday.

The benching of the 6'3", 245 pound linebacker comes as a result of Burfict’s continued penalty and self-control problems.

Although a specific reason was not cited, it is believed Burfict was benched because of his numerous personal fouls and that his headbutt of Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz was the final straw.

ASU Head Coach Dennis Erickson told The State Press, “There are things that are non-football related and you just can’t have them. We had one of those in the game [against Oregon State] so, he’s not going to start and hopefully, he can learn to control himself.”

Burfict was a preseason All-American who leads the team in tackles. He is one of the most talented defensive players in the country, but penalties have plagued him throughout his brief career at Arizona State.

Vontaze Burfict already has 42 tackles and a forced fumble this year, but his conduct after the whistle blows has become tiresome and predictable.

Earlier in the week, Erickson said Burfict gets “baited” more than any other player he has ever coached. The problem is Burfict falls victim to the bait nearly every time. 

Opponents try to get to Burfict because they know he will react. Burfict needs this time off to learn that he needs to control his emotions.

Erickson has said the coaches are working with Burfict, but he has been saying that for a while now. At some point in time, action was required to teach Burfict a lesson. Burfict needed to be shown that just saying he knows he can’t commit personal fouls is not good enough. He needs to go on the field and show he can control himself.

Hopefully, benching Burfict is the solution because he is a very talented linebacker and I am sure Sun Devil fans would love to see him back in the middle of the defense, as long as the yellow flag remains in the official’s pocket while Burfict is on the field.

Erickson said they are working with Burfict and he will play in the upcoming game against Washington; however, it is unclear how much Burfict will play.

Senior Gerald Munns will start in place of Burfict on Saturday. Munns has 10 career starts and had 31 tackles last season.