ASU defense looking to return to form against strong UCLA rush

(Photo: Hailey Rogalski/WCSN)

Simply put, last Saturday’s 55-3 loss at then-No. 18 Utah was one to forget for Arizona State football, across the board.

Any prospect of the visitors building on their first conference win of the season became highly unlikely when redshirt junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet went down with an injury just three plays into the opening quarter, proving an ominous foreshadowing for how the rest of the afternoon would go. The Sun Devils (2-7, 1-5 Pac-12) were virtually non-existent on offense and managed an atrocious 83 yards from scrimmage, the fewest they’ve recorded in a single game since 1946. And yet, the outcome defense proved even more jarring.

The Utes (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12) scored at will all game long, rattling off 55 points and over 500 yards of offense against an ASU defense that has been one of the Pac-12’s best for the majority of the season. The Sun Devils put up no fight against a Utah offense without senior quarterback Cameron Rising, a shock considering what it has achieved so far this year.

Prior to last weekend’s beatdown, defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s unit conceded over 400 yards just once in 2023, impressive considering it competes in a Pac-12 that features many of the best offenses in the country. ASU has consistently held potent attacks — such as Colorado or No. 5 Washington — to uncharacteristically slow performances, in turn giving itself a chance to win most of its games despite a 2-7 overall record.

Perhaps this sustained success is to blame for the lackluster showing in Salt Lake City.

“I think when Utah came it was just, ‘We want to capitalize, we want to keep it going.’ Versus, ‘Alright, let’s calm down, let’s refocus,’” graduate defensive lineman Dashaun Mallory said following Wednesday’s practice. “So I mean, we just hit a train and we were just trying to keep it going as long as we could.”

It didn’t take long for Utah to get the run game going, either. At the end of the opening quarter, the Utes totaled 48 yards on the ground, and things quickly spiraled out of control from there, as Utah’s first-quarter rushing yardage more than tripled by halftime.

“Early on, we had some deficiencies in defending the run,” senior defensive back Jordan Clark said. “I think that kind of just trickled down. One group wasn’t able to fit it the way they wanted to, so now the [linebackers] are overcompensating, trying to help. And now [the secondary] is trying to overcompensate to help the [linebackers], so everybody just wasn’t doing their job, where ultimately, all we needed to do was fix one thing, everybody keeps doing their job, and we would’ve been fine.”

The most glaring weakness ASU’s defense displayed against Utah was an inability to stymie the run. A prolific collective rushing effort — spearheaded by sophomore running back Ja’Quinden Jackson’s 111 rushing yards — was met with little resistance, as the Sun Devils surrendered 352 yards on the ground, their most in a contest this season.

Running backs weren’t the only members of the backfield to cause problems, as Utah found great success using quarterbacks in the run game. Redshirt freshman Nate Johnson didn’t log a single passing attempt on Saturday, but quickly racked up 79 yards and a touchdown on two carries, thanks in large part to an explosive 54-yard touchdown call in the third quarter. Junior Bryson Barnes also got in on the fun, running the ball seven times for 56 yards.

All in all, there wasn’t much the Utes did on the ground that didn’t work on ASU’s defense last Saturday.

“All of us were embarrassed, you should be after something like that happens,” Clark said. “Super embarrassed, but ultimately, that’s just a gut check, we’re gonna see who we are this week. Guys are out here practicing hard. We want a different result, we want to play better football. And we’re going to on Saturday night.”

However, getting back on track will be easier said than done with a UCLA team led by head coach Chip Kelly on the horizon. Since Kelly took over the program in Westwood in 2018, the Bruins’ have become dangerous when they possess the football, and this is no different in 2023, especially in the run game. Through three-quarters of its 2023 slate, UCLA has accrued 1,841 rushing yards, the 11th-most in the country.

The Bruins’ ground attack is paced by junior running back Carson Steele, who has accrued 712 yards and six scores on 132 carries. While he isn’t the workhorse Steele has been this season, sophomore T.J. Harden has also seen his fair share of action in the run game, logging 97 touches, 496 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

For Ward, the elite rushing offense his group will face this weekend very much emulates that of Utah in the challenge it presents, giving ASU a second chance to find success against a tough foe.

“They’re very similar,” Ward said. “The only thing that is a little different, at least going in, was the quarterback running, which Utah really hadn’t shown going in… They’re very similar in terms of the run game, and it’s going to be a good challenge for us to show what we are this weekend.”

Preparing for Kelly’s unpredictable offensive scheme and how it will involve the run is a near-impossible task, but the Sun Devils will approach this weekend’s game just as they have every other one this season — simply worrying about their own improvement and growth. Doing this isn’t easy after a blowout loss on the road, but Ward’s unit refocusing and returning to form will be imperative if ASU is to pick up its first victory away from home this season.

“Like I said, our point of emphasis is making sure we pay attention to the deeper details,” Mallory said. “And number one is to not mess ourselves up. And I think we definitely take ownership and accountability for everyone in the room… So paying attention to ths week and understanding that it’s not necessarily about [UCLA], but it’s us.”