(Tempe, AZ) Arizona State came into the game with still something to prove. While they beat a good Michigan State team in East Lansing, they inexplicably lost to a Colorado team at home that the rest of the conference is rolling.
This is a pivotal game midway through the season, not only because the PAC-12 North has the power teams this year, but the Devils need to show what type of team they are.
Washington St. struck first on an Anthony Gordon to Travell Harris for a thirty five yard touchdown taking only five plays to go sixty six yards.
ASU got a good runback to the forty five yard line by Ricky Pearsall on the ensuing kickoff, but the offense went stagnant and the Devils were forced to punt.
Washington State moved the ball with ease as they went inside and out on the edge confusing the Devil defense.
ASU forced the Cougars into a thirty three yard field goal, a pyrrhic victory but still trailed 10-0 with a little over five minutes to go in the first quarter.
The Devils got into WSU territory off a fortunate tip pass and catch by Kyle Williams, but two consecutive sacks of Daniels once again forced ASU to punt.
The Cougars only punted once in the opening quarter out gaining ASU 118 -23 in yards and two successful scoring drives.
Head Coach Mike Leach has his air raid attack in full swing so far this season, but only a 3-2 record to show for it.
Arizona State got on the board at the 11:50 mark of the second quarter with a nice forty yard flag pattern from Jayden Daniels to Brandon Aiyuk. That drive only took eight plays covering seventy three yards and put the Devils back in the game.
Sheriff Leach called for the air assault again as Gordon passed to Desmond Patmond for twenty nine yard put the ball just inside the ASU thirty yard line. Gordon took a shot into the end zone but the pass was tipped away, but Gordon got hit late to keep the drive alive. The Cougars scored two plays later on a two yard pass to Patmond.
Washington State kept striking quickly as they only took seven plays to go eighty seven yards. The Sherriff had ASU’s defense back on their heels for most of the first half.
Lightning struck quickly as on the second play of the possession, Daniels on a play action eighty six yard pass hit Aiyuk and ASU was right back in the contest.
ASU’s defense stops late in the second quarter kept the team in the game, unlike the first quarter.
Sparky scored on the final play of the half finals to tie the score at 17-17 off a thirty one yard Christian Zendejas field goal.
Out of the locker room, ASU took the second half kickoff and methodically marched down the field. A straight up the middle dive play with textbook blocking sprung Eno Benjamin for a thirty two yard scamper to the house, and the first lead of the game for the Sun Devils 24-17.
One issue with the ASU defense this season so far is the lack of a pass rush. Colorado and today, Washington State had way too much time to throw the ball. It’s unrealistic to rely on your secondary to cover a receiver for more than four seconds.
The Cougars tied the game back up at 24-24 with 5:35 left in the third quarter on an inside slant route to Easop Winston. That drive was the longest of the game covering ninety one yards, still taking less than five minutes off the clock.
After another anemic drive, Devil punter Michael Turk pinned the Cougars back at their own eight. A couple of plays later, a pass interference penalty on cornerback Jack Jones combined with a twenty two yard run by Max Borghi, put WSU in business at the Sun Devil 22 yard line.
The Cougars scored on a two yard run by Borghi to go back on top 31-24 as the third quarter came to an end.
The Devils needed to put something together to have consecutive scores and make Washington State chase the scoreboard.
On ASU’s first drive on the final quarter, they did what they needed to do by scoring the tying touchdown on Daniels pass to Aiyuk for thirty three yards. The score was 31-31 with 11:19 to go in the game.
Gordon and company retook the field and started to move the ball through the air without a Devil pass rush. The secondary withstood the attack and forced the Cougars to punt.
With 7:53 to go, here was the opportunity the Sun Devils had been waiting for. The opportunity however began at their own three yard line. The drive went south quickly with a motion penalty that forced them to punt the ball back to the Cougars.
Turk’s punt only covered twenty nine yards and WSU had the ball on the Devils thirty six yard line.
Back and forth with gains and penalties, the Cougars attempted a thirty one yard field goal which missed, but Coach Leach called a timeout prior to the kick. The second attempt was right down the middle and WSU was back on top 34-31 with 2:30 left in the game.
With the game on the line, Freshman quarterback Daniels had a fourth and two with under fifty seconds to go. Benjamin got the first down with a huge five yard gain to keep the Devils hopes alive.
The glass slipper didn’t break as Daniels with no open receivers jackknifed into the end zone on a seventeen yard keeper for a 38-34 lead and thirty seconds left.
A frantic offensive possession by the Cougars needing a touchdown was turned away by the only successful pass rush of day to end any hopes of a WSU miracle.
Final Score, ASU 38 – Washington State 34.
This game had all the offense that was expected with 1,030 total yards and 829 total passing yards. This was truly a shootout “Old West” style.
ASU had a balanced attack with thirty two rushes and thirty six passes, but it was the passing that kept the Devils in the game. Big plays against the Cougar secondary almost always led to scores.
Photo courtesy of House of Sparky
This game was reminiscent of the Colorado game inasmuch as it resembled the track meet of September 21st in which ASU lost 34-31.
Some questions were answered in today’s game, but others still lingered.
The Sun Devils still are looking for a consistent pass rush. The offensive line still needs to improve on opening holes for Benjamin and the other running backs.
What we did get answered, was Daniels can play through adversity and guide his offense down the field when it counts. Another answer is Brandon Aiyuk is the real deal on the edge and teams will have to be concerned in their preparation for the Sun Devils.
Up next is date with the Utes in Salt Lake City next Saturday on the PAC-12 Network. The week following ASU will be at the Rose Bowl for UCLA on October 26th.
Not till November 9th will ASU be back in the friendly confines of Sun Devil Stadium with rival USC.
