MIXED SIGNALS

The words “crybaby” and “whiner” come immediately to mind.

Rudy Carpenter suggests these and other names that critics might attach to him. He says: “People don’t understand . . . they never will.”

Not that the Arizona State quarterback seems unduly concerned. At midday earlier this week, he appears perfectly at ease in a T-shirt and sweat pants, hair fashionably ruffled.

The fact is, over the last few years he has attracted unpleasant headlines -- news of a messy transfer, a team squabble, hurt feelings -- the way most quarterbacks attract blitzing linebackers on third and long. Some have been his fault, others not.

Carpenter figures the subject is bound to arise with the Sun Devils facing UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Southern California is home, the place where troubles began.

“Yeah, it’s bothered me,” he says. “I’ve been misunderstood.”

If there has been a saving grace, it has been Carpenter’s ability to overshadow the occasional negative story with his play on the field. In less than three seasons at Arizona State, he has thrown for 59 touchdowns and more than 7,000 yards.

This fall, the junior has led the resurgent Sun Devils to a No. 9 ranking by playing smart football, complementing a solid ground game and tough defense with some of the most efficient passing in the nation. As Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh put it, he is “really playing at a high level. Very decisive.”

The assessment is ironic, given the quarterback’s history.

Only five years ago, Carpenter was a three-sport athlete at Newbury Park High and everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Then, before his senior year, he transferred to nearby Westlake. His father cited a dispute with the Newbury Park baseball coach. Whatever the reason, the switch triggered a school district investigation that found no wrongdoing but left a bitter taste.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to do things for yourself,” Carpenter says. “And I did.”

Westlake’s football team rolled to an undefeated season in 2003, winning a division title, and Carpenter ranked among the top recruits in the area. Off the field, the transfer might have contributed to his next problem.

Growing up in Southern California, he was a big UCLA fan, rooting for players such as Skip Hicks and Cade McNown. Carpenter committed to the Bruins, saying it was his dream to play there.

But months before his expected arrival in Westwood, a transcript snafu raised questions about whether he would be admitted. While administrators sorted it out, Carpenter decided not to wait around, switching to Arizona State.

UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell has used the word “unfortunate” in relation to the incident. That might be an understatement given the Bruins’ current quarterback woes.

Carpenter figures it worked out fine.

“In the end, I felt like I had the best chance to play at Arizona State,” he says. “I thought the depth chart was a little bit better for me.”

All of which led to an even bigger mess.

Last fall’s quarterback controversy in Tempe ranks as infamous folklore, making national news, spawning contradictory accounts. This much is certain: Carpenter, a sophomore, was battling upperclassman Sam Keller for the starting job in training camp. Former coach Dirk Koetter eventually selected Keller.

After that, according to one version, seniors on the team revolted, complaining that Keller had a reputation as a partyer.

In another version, the coach changed his mind because Carpenter, who had three years of eligibility remaining, might have transferred.

Either way, Koetter abruptly reversed his decision and Keller fled to Nebraska, leaving Carpenter with the job and -- through no real fault of his own -- another messy situation on his resume. It taught him something.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t care what people say about me because I know what kind of person I am,” he says.

The accumulated experience might also have made him a better football player.

“When you go through things like that, it makes you have a thick skin,” he says. “When you go up to Autzen Stadium [in Eugene, Ore.] and there are thousands of people screaming at you, you can just laugh.”

Life has settled down in Tempe this fall, the headlines focused on football, not infighting. The new coach, Dennis Erickson, has brought swagger to a team that tends to fall behind early before wearing its opponents down and winning late.

Arizona State hit a bump last week against third-ranked Oregon, outgaining the Ducks and winning the time-of-possession battle but ultimately falling short of a comeback. The defeat left the Sun Devils at 8-1 and let some air out of their dark-horse national championship hopes, but Erickson figures he has a quarterback who can help put the team back on track.

The coach says Carpenter has proven himself as a leader.

“The bottom line is getting prepared to play and he spends a lot of time doing that,” Erickson says. “The players see that. He’s a leader in that way . . . he doesn’t miss a beat in practice.”

Furthermore, Carpenter has spent this week reminding people that Arizona State is still in the top 10, still in the hunt for a Pacific 10 championship and a big-time bowl.

No, he’s not worried about the thumb injury that has nagged him. No, he’s not worried about the nine times he got sacked against the Ducks or struggling in the red zone or anything else that happened last week.

The key is bouncing back against UCLA and proving to the college football world that his surprising team belongs among the elite.

“It’s just one loss,” he says.

He has learned that lesson. He tries not to worry about the past.

david.wharton@latimes.com