(East Lansing, MI) Squeaking by the Spartans last year in Tempe 16-13 on a game winning twenty eight yard field goal from Brandon Ruiz as time expired, this year’s ASU traveled east to Big Ten Country to face the #18 Michigan State on the return game.
So far this season, the Devils have been difficult figure out, a blow out win as expected over an overmatched Kent State team 30-7 and an unusually difficult win over Sacramento State from the Big Sky Conference looking ahead to today’s matchup. Their shaky 2-0 record preparing not only for their first road game of the young season, but against a raked opponent would be the topic of the day.
Most of the football pundits across the country, had ASU more than a two touchdown underdog (-15.5) and why not? It’s a very young team that’s still trying to find its identity. They’ve done nothing significant to date to make you feel otherwise.
As customary, the Big Ten Conference kicks off at noon EDT which is still breakfast time back in Arizona.
Photo Arizona State Athletics
Freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels has shown glimpses of greatness and normal first year starter mistakes. His arm is above average, his accuracy is spot on and his greatest gift is his ability to scramble and make something out of nothing.
How would Daniels react to the hostile crowd of 73,531, the largest crowd he’ll see this season? After all he’s never ventured outside of Sun Devil Stadium.
Photo/Michigan Starte Athletics
The Michigan State Spartans are a tough out at home in huge Spartan Stadium.
Head Coach Mark Dantonio was attempting to become the Spartans all time winningest coach trying to surpass Hall of Fame and legendary coach Duffy Daugherty both knotted at 109 wins.
Neither team could manage much offense in the opening quarter as the stingy Spartan defense locked down in the trenches. The Sun Devils also showed they could play tough defense.
Trying to establish a ball control on both sides, each offense would go six to eight plays before handing the ball over.
At the 8:09 mark and a first down, Spartan quarterback Brian Lewerke coughed it up after a four yard gain and ASU’s Tyler Whiley pounced on the loose ball.
Trying to take advantage of the miscue, Daniels completed a nine yard pass to Frank Darby to give the Devils a second and one near midfield. An incomplete pass on the next play let the opportunity slip away. Punter Michael Turk’s big leg had his fifty two yard punt go into the end zone for a touchback.
When on the road, it’s imperative to take advantage of turnovers from the home team.
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Just into the second quarter at 12:59, MSU completed a forty eight yard pass from Lewerke to Matt Seybert down to the Devil’s thirty nine yard line and would this ignite the Spartan offense?
An illegal motion penalty by Michigan State halted the drive at the ASU twenty nine. The forty seven yard field goal attempt by kicker Matt Coghlin missed and the Sun Devils escaped unscathed.
After an initial first down the Devils took possession, Daniels hit a pair of fifteen yard completions to Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Williams and a eighteen yard scamper by tailback Eno Benjamin to the MSU fourteen.
Daniel’s lost a yard and on second down at the fifteen yard line. The Sun Devils committed the cardinal sin with a personal foul that backed it up fifteen yards to the twenty five and out of the Red Zone.
Devil kicker Christian Zendejas put ASU on the board first with a forty one yard field goal and however slight, the pressure was thrown in Michigan State’s direction down at home 3-0 with 3:40 left till halftime.
Fortunately, Sparty recovered their own fumble on the ensuing kickoff and started their final drive of the half at the ASU twenty four.
With an important third down and five yards for a first down, Lewerke rifled a thirty six yard completion to wideout Darrell Stewart Jr. and MSU was in business are the Devil fourteen yard line with 2:03 left in the second quarter.
The drive stalled at the ASU eight yard line but Michigan State also committed their own penalty, a delay of game that backed it up to the thirteen. From there, Coghlin missed a chip shot thirty one yard field goal to send the home team into the locker room down 3-0.
The third quarter consisted of a combination of punts and turn over on downs.
ASU punter Turk booted a forty two yard kick on the first play of the final stanza and the Spartans began their drive at their own thirty yard line after an offensive holding penalty was called on ASU.
Sparty took 5:31 of the fourth quarter to march seventy yards in ten plays highlighted by Lewerke’s twenty nine yard pass to Julian Barnett into Devil territory at the thirty nine yard line.
With a second and five from the ASU nine, Elijah Collins put the home team up 7-3 and 8:39 left in the contest.
This was the first time the Sun Devils we’re behind in a game. Now the crowd was back into the game and became a factor.
How would the freshman Daniels react? This was his first real test of the young season.
Both teams exchanged punts, but MSU was forced to punt from their own seven yard line. Would field possession play a part down the stretch? Spartans punter Jake Hartbarger lifted a fifty five yard punt where Aiyuk fielded it at the seven and lost three yards back to the four yard line. Once again, the Spartans were whistled for an offensive holding got the Devils out of the shadow of their own goal line and put the ball on the twenty five.
Daniels and company had 3:34 left to regain the lead. ASU moved the ball ten yards for a first down at their own thirty five when Daniels hit Aiyuk in stride for a gain of forty yards down to the MSU twenty five and a first down stopping the clock briefly to move the chains.
Things were getting hectic as both teams wanted the victory. Head Coach Herm Edwards called a time out at the 1:23 mark followed by a Michigan State time out before another play was run.
Daniels scrambled for seven yards to the Spartan one yard line on a third and five play which followed Edwards second time out
Photo/Michigan State Athletics
Benjamin finished the drive from there and Sparky regained the lead 10-7 with fifty seconds left.
It was do or die time for the home Spartans as they began their final drive are their own thirty five yard line.
On a third and ten from the MSU thirty six, the Devils were whistled for a pass interference penalty that placed the ball just shy of midfield.
From there, Lewerke hit Stewart Jr. for twenty five yards to the Arizona State twenty four yard line.
The rest is something that will go down in Sun Devil folklore. Michigan State Coghlin hit a game tying field goal from forty two yards out.
The game was tied, but was it really? Edwards challenged the play saying MSU had twelve men on the field. His challenge was upheld and ball was moved five yards back. Coghlin couldn’t come through the second time as his attempt sailed wide and the game clock showed 0:00.
Arizona State escaped with a huge road victory and a 3-0 non conference record heading into PAC-12 play next Saturday at home against Colorado.
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The takeaway from this was the Devils did just enough to win and the defense looked by far the best this season with their physical play against a ranked Big Ten team. The Spartan missed field goals and penalties came back to haunt them in defeat.
Daniels passed the test of being ready and proficient on the road in a hostile environment. He went 15-26 for only 140 yards but big plays bailed him out more than once.
ASU lost almost every statistical category to the Spartans. Michigan State had 23 first downs to the Devil’s 14. Total yards was 404-216 MSU.
The rush happy Spartans only ran for 113 yards but aired it out for 291. The only stat ASU won and it was timely and huge was that Michigan State was whistled for 10 penalties totaling 91 yards, often times shooting themselves in the foot. No bigger penalty was the final one being called for too many players on the field.
The Devils are young, but determined. Edwards and his staff will mold and shape this team to make some noise in the PAC-12 South. Hang on, it’s going to be interesting.
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