(Tempe, AZ) This has been a trying week for Arizona State starting over after the Herm Edwards era.
Shaun Aguano took the Devils into probably the toughest game on their schedule hosting Utah.
Utah came in 2-1 destroying SDSU last week 35-7 while ASU suffered one of their worst defeats in school history to Eastern Michigan.
A trick play from the ASU twenty nine yard line caught ASU’s secondary off guard and the Utes score first 7-0. It only took two plays for 53 yards to show off Utah’s big play offense.
The Devils offense still showed little success under Emory Jones and never got more than fifteen yards down and he was sacked twice because he never stepped up in the pocket.
Two possessions, two punts. How long do you stay with an ineffective quarterback if you’re Coach Aguano?
Utah struck again on a six yard reception by Dalton Kincaid on a fourteen play drive and extended their lead to 14-0 with a little over three minutes left first quarter.
The Sun Devils came out of the first quarter with -5 yards of total offense and only one first down.
At the start of the second quarter, ASU looked liked it had a drive started when Jones threw an interception and the ball went back to Utah at the Devil’s thirty one yard line.
The Utes had little difficulty moving the ball against the Sun Devil defense until they got to the ASU five yard line where the defense stiffened. Utah still came away with points off the turnover and led 17-0 off a Jordan Noyes twenty three yard field goal with 7:03 left in the first half.
A long fifty eight yard kickoff return by Daniel Ngata set the Sun Devils finally with good field possession. With that to spark the offense ASU got a thirty six yard field goal to get on the scoreboard and now trailed 17-3 at the 4:45 mark of the second quarter.
A long drive that chewed up almost the remainder of the quarter saw Utah ground pound the Devil’s defense ultimately resulted in another touchdown.
Arizona State in their hurry-up offense, managed a forty seven yard field goal as time expired to make the halftime score 24-6 Utah.
The Sun Devils learned what the country already knew, “you can’t run on the Utes.
The second half was a carbon copy of the beginning of the game for ASU, three and out after receiving the second half kickoff.
With a fortunate in and out of the hands of a Ute receiver that was picked off by Devil safety Timarcus Davis and the first break of the game for ASU.
The Sun Devils could do nothing with their fortune as they gave the ball back on downs to Utah.
Rising and company continued to rip big chunks of yardage and scored another touchdown from eleven yards out by Jaylen Dixon and the route continued 31-6.
Utah tacked on a field goal after a nine play drive Noyes successful from twenty eight yard kick, 34-6 with 10:49 left in the game.
The Devils finally put together a offensive drive now against Utah’s reserves playing defense but Jones gave that chance away by an interception at the goal line by Cole Bishop and out went the lights on that opportunity.
With a couple of minutes left, Arizona State had a scoring opportunity that resulted in their lone touchdown pass from Jones to Messiah Swinson from the eleven to make the score 34-13.
This Arizona State team has a lot of work to do and with USC next on the docket, things don’t appear to get any easier.
One place to start is the offensive line, even though Jones didn’t have a good game, the bigger issue was he had little protection and was sacked five times.
This will take time and be more of a process than an immediate turnaround.
Tonight’s attendance 39,876.
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