On the football field, they have little in common.
Demario Richard stands 5-foot-10, weighs 219 pounds and jokes that he could squat the Golden Gate Bridge. A junior from California, Richard prefers to run through a defender, to crush his soul, to take his manhood.
Kalen Ballage stands 6-2, weighs 227 pounds and runs with both power and grace. Put Ballage, a junior from Colorado, in the open field and he prefers to show off his sprinter’s speed. Put him near the goal line, however, and he’s just fine running over someone.
Together, the Arizona State duo forms one of the Pac-12’s top backfields, a thunder-and-lightning combination that might erase, or at least ease, the inexperience the Sun Devils have elsewhere, providing hope as they prepare to kick off coach Todd Graham's fifth season.