(Tempe, AZ) The return of Rich Rodriguez to the State of Arizona. The former Arizona coach has played the Sun Devils six times and is 2-4 also while coaching at the first time at West Virginia.
ASU came in still in the hunt to defend their 2024 Big XII Title but they need help. A game of interest was TCU at BYU, Arizona at Cincinnati and Utah at Baylor.
First Quarter
West Virginia won the coin toss and elected to defer.
The sun Devils came out looking confused on offense as they went three and out on the opening possession.
The Moutaineers came out in their no huddle offense and immediately moved the ball with ease down the field and into the Arizona State red zone.
Rodriguez decided to roll the dice on a fourth and one from the Devils’ 14 yard line. They picked up the first down on a 3 yard run.
The Devils defense then held on the following three downs forcing a 29 yard field goal for the first score of the contest, West Virginia up 3-0.
Again, ASU’s offense gained 6 yards on three plays and punted again.
Early on, the Mountaineer offense had no problems moving the ball down the field and found themselves at the ASU 14 yard line. Another fourth down after the Devils defense stiffened needed 2 yards at the six yard line. Quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. rolled right but his pass was incomplete in the back of the end zone as the Sun Devis escaped any further damage.
ASU hasn’t scored more than three points in the first quarter since the NAU game,
Second Quarter
The Sun Devils went the entire first quarter without a first down. Now, Sims looked liked himsel from the last game and the offense picked up big chunks of yardage on a 96 yard drive. Sims hit tight end Chamon Metayer for a 6 yard touchdown and Arizona State had the lead 7-3.
The Sun Devils off their score, ratcheted up the defense a few notches and forced a three and out after West Virginia had they way moving the ball in the first quarter.
Derek Eusebio TD/Photo – Olivia English
Derek Eusebio caught Sims’ pass and jitterbugged into the end zone for the score. ASU set up for the extra point and Dillingham called a fake and tight end Cameron Harpole snuck behind the defense for a wide open two point concversion. Devis up 15-3.
Not deterred, UVW scored on a one play 75 yard drive pass completion for a touchdown and the Mountaineers were right back in the game 15-10.
Both team’s offense slowed down as a series of punts followed in the middle of the quarter.
With around four minutes left in the first half, Sims marched the team down the field on an eight play drive. On a wide open middle of the field, he found Raleek Brown on a pitch and catch and Brown did the rest for a 33 yard score. Arizona State up 22-10 headed into haftime.
Raleek Brown TD/Photo – Olivia English
Halftime
Arizona State again started slow on offense and defense, but got out of trouble on a turnover on downs as the Mountaineers threatened to score.
A three touchdown second quarter was a complete turnaround. Other than a blown coverage pass that scored a West Virgina touchdown, the defense held them in check.
The Devils racked up 247 yards of offense in the first half as Sims went 14-21 for 174 yards.
Third Quarter
Mountaineers went on offense first and wasted no time in another missed coverage on the far sidelines for 42 yard pass to Cam Vaughn. The Mountaineer offense had to convert a fourth and one inside the 5 yard line.
For the second time on the next set of downs, the Sun Devil defense was solid and now it was fourth and two from the 2 yard line. For the second time, ASU denied the Mountaineers not only a first down but a score. Sun Devils took over at their own one foot line with 9:11 left in the quarter.
Two penalties, a facemask and personal foul saw the Sun Devils at the West Virginia 45 yard line. They still had to convert a fourth and one at the Mountaineer 36 yard line. A strange play on fourth down was a run up the middle that was short of the line to gain and West Virginia’s defense came up big and gave their offense a short field to work with.
Another stop for the Devils’ defense on a fourth down, but it came with a big price as Rodney Bimage Jr. sustained a neck injury and was briefly knocked unconscious. He left the field however under his own power.
A poor punt that only traveled 22 yards and set up ASU with good field possession at their own 40 yard line.
Big play pass to Eusebio for 18 yards got the ball to the West Virginia 43 yard line. The quarter ended with the Devils at the UWV 26 yard line.
Cameron Harpole TD/Photo – Olivia English
Fourth Quarter
Jesus Gomez had his 46 yard field goal attempt blocked and the Mountaineers still had hope.
Using their momentum, Fox Jr. engineered a ten play drive using Curtis Jones on the final 1 yard line to tighten the game up 22-17 with 10:41 left in the game.
Arizona State needed to chew up some time on the clock but also needed to answer the Mountaineer score. Instead they were forced into a three and out and West Virginia was primed to take advantage.
Rodriguez used a Cyncir Bowers 90 yard pass Myleson a third and twenty seven to score the go ahead the touchdown. They went for two so ASU could only tie the game on a field goal. Myles “Ghost” Rowser stopped UVW Jones from converting the two points. West Virgina up 25-23with 6:31 left.
A crucial roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive. ASU had three timeouts at their disposal. After an incomplete pass and two short runs, Gomez made a 49 yard field goal to retake the lead 25-23 but 2:44 still left on the clock.
West Virgina without any timeouts but a defensive holding call on ASU gave the Mountaineers a first down at their own 38 yard line.
Devils forced a fourth and four and Keith Abney picked off Fox and sealed the game on Homecoming 25-23.
Wrap Up
The stats were as close as the score. West Virginia outgained the Sun Devils 421-330, the difference being the 90 yard touchdown reception with 6:37 left in the game.
Neither team ran the ball well, Arizona State led 123-68. Sims outgained his entire backfield 89-64.
Devils were 2-2 in the Red Zone which is an improvement from earlier in the season.
Sims hit four different receivers for 3 touchdowns. Eusebio had 6 grabs for 74 yards, but added 36 yards after catch.
Today’s sellout crowd was 54,101.
Next Saturday, the last conference road game in Boulder Colorado, kickoff time not yet announced.
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