(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
It was almost time to hit the panic button.
After the first quarter of play, Arizona State went three-and-out twice and had a 17-play drive disappointingly end with a 22-yard field goal. Redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici was shaky at best, going 3-for-8 in the first frame, and ASU’s receivers struggled to get open.
New Mexico held onto the ball, using its spread, shotgun variation of the triple-option, and retained the ball for 11:34 in the first quarter.
It seemed as if the doubts and ghosts of the first two weeks of play were starting to come around even stronger.
But then, something clicked, and whatever it was, ASU’s offense looked like something trending toward its preseason expectations as well as something more positive to build on for ASU head coach Todd Graham.
The Sun Devils took over at their own 20-yard line after a missed field goal attempt from New Mexico’s Jason Sanders, and Bercovici led ASU 80 yards down the field in one minutes, 59 seconds, capping the drive with a 14-yard touchdown from redshirt junior wide receiver Tim White.
ASU’s defense stopped the Lobos’ offense to open the second half and embarked on a five-play, 66-yard touchdown drive in which Bercovici found sophomore running back Demario Richard on a 33-yard screen pass to put ASU up 17-0.
What may have been the biggest change from the stagnant first quarter for ASU’s offense was Bercovici’s willingness to keep the ball on read-option plays. In the third quarter alone, Bercovici kept the ball four times, gaining 21 yards and a touchdown, and that willingness to keep the ball is something that hasn’t been seen quite as much with Bercovici at the helm.
“I’ve been telling (Bercovici) all year, ‘Use your feet, brother. Please,’” Richard said.
Despite an injury to redshirt senior wide receiver Devin Lucien in the second quarter and a “banged up” senior wide receiver D.J. Foster, according to Graham, ASU went to work on the hapless New Mexico defense.
“That’s really what our offense is,” Bercovici. “It’s just basically taking what they give us. If they’re going to let me run, then I’m going to do that.”
After starting the game 6-for-13, Bercovici completed 15 of his next 16 passes, spreading the ball to seven different receivers, but the quarterback understood the importance of utilizing his legs to make plays as well.
“It’s exciting when you can make plays happen with your feet,” Bercovici said. “It opens up everything in our entire offense, so I know the guys were busting my head about some of my moves, but we’ll get better.”
With Bercovici having so much success with his legs, even redshirt Jordan Simone had to acknowledge the impact his quarterback was having on the ground.
“When Mike pulls the ball, it’s beautiful,” Simone said. “It’s poetry in motion.”
Lucien, White, Foster and Richard caught four pass each, and Richard in particular had a lucrative day catching out of the backfield. The sophomore went for 151 yards receiving, most by an ASU running back in program history, including a big-time 93-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put ASU up 31-10. That pass went down as the longest in Mike Bercovici’s career.
“He (Richard) wants to be great,” Graham said. “He runs with an attitude. He’s pretty physical.”
All this success came without the services of sophomore running back Kalen Ballage (mono), redshirt junior running back De’Chavon Hayes (leg) for the entire game and Lucien for a half (leg). Hayes was seen warming up a little bit, and Ballage was in attendance although not dressed. Graham hopes to have both back for the USC game. No comments were made about Lucien’s injury.
“We’ll get healthy,” Richard said. “And once we get healthy, this offense is really going to start rolling.”
Nonetheless, ASU has yet to be with its full arsenal of weapons this season, and with the emergence of White, it’d be easy to assume ASU does in fact have some explosive potential in there, but that does not come without some doubts that have been raised by spotty performances in the redzone.
The Sun Devils’ 17-play drive in the second quarter had them at the 1-yard line with four fresh downs to work with, but they only came away with a field goal after a mishandled snap from Bercovici and a handful of empty plays.
Another mental error occurred when White muffed a punt that landed New Mexico at the 22-yard line after ASU’s defense had forced a 3-and-out. The Lobos would be forced to settle for three points, but the sloppiness of special teams still was there.
ASU was more than able to get away with those types of errors and empty trips against New Mexico, but the opportunities to make up for those mistakes will be fewer and further between as the gauntlet of Pac-12 teams begins.
However, in ASU’s favor is the consistency and strength of which its defense played. Once again, for the better part of the game, ASU took away the Lobos’ options on the perimeter. While the defense gave up 295 total yards on offense, limiting the Lobos to 10 points is a small victory considering the injuries to sophomore safety Armand Perry and junior defensive tackle Ami Latu.
“The execution, it’s just been kind of sluggish,” Graham said. “Tonight, I thought we did some really, really good things, and I thought we gained some confidence.”
While Latu could likely return next weekend for ASU’s tilt with USC, Perry was seen in a walking boot and crutches again today, and his return seems more and more doubtful. In his place tonight was freshman Kareem Orr and sophomore James Johnson. Orr started but was replaced by Johnson early up until redshirt freshman Tyrone Owens gashed ASU up the middle for a 65-yard touchdown.
Orr finished with four tackles on the night.
As a unit, ASU broke up another triple-option offense and racked up seven tackles for loss. Salamo Fiso and Simone lead the way with 10 each, and redshirt junior linebacker Laiu Moeakiola tallied eight tackles of his own and did nicely to contain the pitches to the perimeter.
“Laiu has been the MVP for the last two weeks,” Graham said. “I mean, he’s been absolutely incredible.”
ASU has a week to get healthy and gear up for its game against USC, a more traditional, pro-style offense than what the Sun Devils have seen over the course of the preseason, but from what was shown tonight, there is more to build on and be positive about than what was illustrated in weeks one and two.
“Our mindset is already on Saturday, starting now,” Bercovici said.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
