(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Arizona State traveled to Colorado for a Pac-12 showdown with the No. 21 Colorado Buffaloes and fell to Colorado 28-21.
The game could have significant ramifications for the Sun Devil offense, which saw both quarterback Manny Wilkins and wide receiver N’Keal Harry leave the game due to injury.
In the first half, it was a battle between playmakers Eno Benjamin and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault as they accounted for all scoring. The game opened up with both teams trading one-yard touchdown runs.
On ASU’s opening drive, they converted a one-yard touchdown run by Benjamin, marking the first time Colorado allowed a touchdown on their opponents opening drive.
Colorado responded with a one-yard touchdown run of their own with 2:52 left in the first quarter, this one from sophomore wide receiver Shenault. It was his third rushing touchdown of the year.
The first quarter closed with those being the only touchdowns in a 7-7 tie.
Sophomore kicker Brandon Ruiz missed a 53-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter and Colorado sophomore kicker James Stefanou returned the favor with a missed field goal of his own, leaving the score tied at 7. Shortly after, sophomore inside linebacker Nate Landman was called for targeting and ejected from the contest.
That same drive, Benjamin added another one-yard touchdown run for his second rushing touchdown of the game. Colorado answered yet again, with another Shenault touchdown run to make it a 14-all affair.
ASU came out in the second half in the passing game as Manny Wilkins completed a deep strike to Frank Darby for a 40-yard touchdown. Darby had gone 10 consecutive quarters without a catch before catching two passes on the touchdown drive. Colorado responded with Shenault yet again, as Steven Montez found Shenault for a 30-yard touchdown reception to tie it all at 21.
The Buffaloes grabbed their first lead of the game as Shenault converted his fourth score of the day with another one-yard touchdown run to make it a 28-21 game.
Wilkins connected on his second deep throw of the day to Darby, this time with a 72-yard pass to set ASU up in scoring position. The Sun Devils elected to give it a try on fourth down and couldn’t convert, giving Colorado the ball back trailing 28-21.
ASU had one last possession, but with a sidelined Harry, they couldn’t get anything going offensively. Wilkins was also injured on a sack, neither saw time after they exited the field. From, there Colorado had its way with the ASU defense and ran out the clock.
