(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Arizona State knew it had to stop Rashaad Penny. San Diego State’s senior running back just didn’t let them.
Behind a career-best 216 rushing yard, three touchdown performance from their star ball carrier, the Aztecs knocked off Arizona State 30-20 on Saturday night, handing the Sun Devils their first loss of the season.
“I just go out there and play football,” Penny told reporters after the game. “I just go out there and help my team win games. Whatever happens, happens. That’s my slogan. I get the plays because of the guys that were blocking for me. I’m so excited.”
It didn’t take long for Penny to take over the game. On his fifth carry, SDSU was backed up to their own 5-yard line. But, Penny took a handoff and exploded through a hole opened up by his often-dominate offensive line, slipping a couple arm tackles on his way to a 95-yard touchdown.
He only got better from there.
After ASU evened the score on a 9-play, 85-yard drive capped by a Kalen Ballage touchdown run, Penny struck again on the ensuing kickoff.
The 5-foot-11 back, who also served as the Aztecs return man, collected his sixth career kickoff return score, running 99-yards untouched to the end zone. The return made him the nation’s active leader in kickoff return touchdowns.
In the second half, he delivered the knockout blow.
From the ASU 33-yard-line, Penny ran a screen route and found himself in acres of space. After catching a short throw, he made ASU safety Dasmond Tautalatasi look silly on a missed open field tackle, accelerating 33 yards to the house. It was 3rd and 21, and SDSU’s lead stretched to 27-14.
“I thought that was a huge play,” Graham said.
“Defensively, we were battling, we were getting them in 3rd and (long). Situational football there; we got some guys that are inexperienced and just making really critical errors,” he added.
It were those critical errors that defined the Sun Devils loss.
There were the big plays surrendered to Penny defensively; the offense had a fumble, and failed on two fourth down tries. Receiver John Humphrey dropped a would-be touchdown early in the second half.
But, in Graham’s eyes, the “chaotic” play of the special teams was especially fatal.
“It was a disaster special teams wise, which had not been the case,” Graham said. “Obviously, we did a poor job preparing them. That was one of the biggest focuses this week, because of how important field position was.”
Punter Michael Sleep-Dalton was at the forefront of the special teams’ blunders. The Australian, who was forced to kick with his weaker left foot due to a right leg strain, shanked two punts, including a 12-yarder inside the final minute of the first half. The mistake handed the Aztecs a field goal heading into the locker room, and swelled their lead to 20-14.
“That was the first time I had ever seen him do that,” Graham said of his punter. “I had never seen him punt one like that in practice, or anytime.”
While Penny ran wild, ASU’s offensive line struggled to open up running lanes for a second consecutive week. Despite facing an SDSU defense that employs just a six man front in its 3-3-5 scheme, the Sun Devils gained only 44 yards on the ground, and allowed 5 sacks on Wilkins. The Sun Devils rushing game has produced a meager 123 yards through two games this season.
“Struggling offensively to get a rhythm,” Graham said. “We are supposed to be a run, play-action pass team, and we are not able to run the ball.”
“There are a lot of things we can clean up,” offensive coordinator Billy Napier said. “Execution wasn’t great at times, we struggled to protect at times. But it goes back to staying on schedule, and finding a way to run the ball offensively.”
Graham said running back Kalen Ballage picked up an injury during the game, compounding the position’s depth issues with Demario Richard being unavailable due to a leg problem.
As a consequence, the offense was left to try and force deep balls down the field.
“We had a couple (long throws) we got, and we had a couple that we just didn’t come down with,” quarterback Manny Wilkins said. “At the end of the day, that was a damn good football team…and they executed their game plan. They got a W in the column, we got an L.”
Wilkins completed 20 of his 33 passes for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also had a unforced fumble that set up an SDSU field goal in the third quarter.
On the other sideline, San Diego State’s young offensive line impressed. The front made life tough on the ASU run stoppers, wearing down the group with 43 rushing attempts, physically and mentality forcing the Sun Devils into mistakes. The Aztecs finished the game with 279 total rushing yards, and 352 as an offense.
“Missed assignments, just being undisciplined,” defensive lineman Tashon Smallwood said of his personal play. “Just little things. Not getting off the field on 3rd down, we didn’t do that well. All those things add up. Add up to a loss.”
Though the Sun Devils got into the backfield when SDSU tried to throw—ASU had 4 sacks on the night—it didn’t have much effect in stopping the Aztec offense. The two-time Mountain West Conference champions took control of line of scrimmage, and never gave their hosts a moment to breathe.
“They were a team that could make some plays,” defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. “They didn’t change much, that’s why they are good.”
Fixing its issues is the next order of business for a now reeling ASU side. In their two games against Group of 5 competition, the Sun Devils registered a negative point differential. It only gets harder from here.
“We’re just not doing a very good job executing,” Graham said. “We need to go to work, get better and find what our identity is.”
Identity. San Diego State has one. Arizona State doesn’t. It was the difference on Saturday night.
