(Photo: Jannah Din/WCSN)
After a loss against unranked Notre Dame that pushed Arizona State to fall out of the rankings, the Sun Devils sought out revenge by obliterating the Colorado Buffaloes, 54-13. The Sun Devils’ victory improved their series record against the Buffs to 5-0.
It was over when:
ASU capped off their opening drive in the first quarter with a score. Within 2 minutes of the first quarter, Taylor Kelly completed a 69-yard touchdown pass to Jaelen Strong. The defense responded quickly, holding Colorado in their own territory. In other words, the Buffaloes didn’t stand much a chance from the get-go in this one.
Player of the Game:
Following his only scoreless game of the year, Marion Grice scored two touchdowns on 88 yards on the ground. Although he has potential to put up more rushing yards, he averaged 6.8 yards per carry, and with that it’s important that he goes into the Washington game on a high note.
Biggest Concern:
The defense still is giving up too many big plays. Although it was evident that tackling was emphasized during practice, allowing Colorado to convert on 4th down is unacceptable considering the type of night the Sun Devils were having defensively. The conversion set up one of the Buffs’ only touchdowns of the night.
Unsung Hero:
Due to the game’s high score, there are two unsung heroes deserving of praise: Chris Young and Zane Gonzales. Chris Young lead the team in tackles yet again, with 7 total tackles (a sack, and 2 tackles for a loss). Zane Gonzales was 3-3 on field goals for the night, including a career high of 41 yards. Expect this freshman kicker to have a game winning field goal at some point in his career.
Stat of the Game:
Three, AKA the number of interceptions ASU’s defense tallied. Lloyd Carrington, Demarious Randall, and Robert Nelson had a combined three interceptions for 72 yards. Their interceptions were a product of excellent coverage and being in the right place at the right time. It was apparent that all three defensive backs learned from the mistakes made against Notre Dame last week.
What’s Next?
Arizona State faces the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday. The Huskies are ranked third nationally in pass defense, but with running back Bishop Sankey averaging 146.4 yards per game it’ll be vital for Arizona State’s run defense to execute. Washington is coming off back-to-back losses against Stanford and Oregon, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Huskies bring their A-game.
