ASU Football: Colorado vs ASU Instant Recap

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

First Half

The Devils opened conference play against the Buffaloes and immediately received two punches from the Colorado offense.

Running back Alex Fontenot punched it in from a yard away after quarterback Steven Montez led a ten play, 75 yard drive in just five minutes. Star wideout Laviska Shenault only touched the ball once that drive, but it was for a 23-yard completion.

Colorado marched down the field for its second drive on 11 plays and 70 yards, capped off by a 29-yard touchdown to Tony Brown with 1:18 left in the first quarter. 

ASU answered back in the second quarter as Daniels found Brandon Aiyuk for a 53-yard touchdown, speeding away from the Buffs’ defense with 13:09 in the quarter.

The ensuing kickoff gave ASU great field position as Case Hatch forced a fumble and the Devils took over at Colorado’s 44.

ASU would turn that turnover into six as Daniels led the offense to a seven play drive in just 2:22, capitalized by a one-yard touchdown by Eno Benjamin and tying the score at 14.

Montez would not let the deadlock last for any longer. He would lead a six play, 61 yard drive in 1:47, finding Brown again from 31 yards out as the Buffs retook the lead 21-14.

The back-and-forth rhythm of the half continued as Daniels drove ASU to the goal line, capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by Benjamin, his second of the game with 5:23 to go in the half.

The Buffaloes took the lead back to end the half, as kicker James Stefanou converted from 25 to put them ahead 24-21 with under a minute left. 

For the half, Colorado outgained ASU 269 yards to 254. Daniels completed 13-21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. Benjamin recorded eight carries for 29 yards and scored two touchdowns. Aiyuk led the ASU receiving corps with 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. 

Second Half

After trading punts for the first time all game between ASU and Colorado, the Devils salvaged a 23-yard field goal by Cristian Zendejas with 3:42 left in the third, who had previously missed from 48 in the first.

But for Colorado, the Tony Brown show continued. Even without Shenault due to an injury for the rest of the game, Brown snagged his third touchdown of the game on a 20-yard back shoulder throw from Montez.

Daniels didn’t waste much time on his next drive. He took the Devils on five plays for 65 yards in 2:13, dropping a perfect pass into the hands of Frank Darby for a 39-yard touchdown and evening up the score at 31.

Colorado’s next drive resulted in a punt, giving ASU the chance to take the lead, but as ASU drove inside CU’s 30, Daniels threw a pick to Buffs’ safety Derrion Rakestraw over the middle. That would be Daniels first interception of the season. 

With under six minutes to go in the fourth, the Buffaloes went on an 11-play, 57 yard drive that took up 4:47. The Devils defense held on 3rd-and-6 from the ASU 27, leading to a 44-yard field goal by Stefanou.

The Devils would take over with 2:03 left on their own 25 with a chance to either tie the game or take the lead but Daniels’s magic ran out. He got sacked on 3rd-and-10 to back them up six yards. Deciding not to punt on 4th-and-16, the Devils went for it and Daniels’s pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over to the Buffs and sealing a 34-31 victory for Colorado.

For the night, Daniels completed 24-of-39 for 345 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Benjamin finished with 20 carries for 83 yards, and two touchdowns. Aiyuk led the way for ASU receivers with nine receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. The offense racked up 453 yards of total offense but it wasn’t enough.

The ASU defense recorded only three tackles for a loss, no sacks, no interceptions, and one forced fumble. Khaylan Kearse-Thomas and Cam Phillips both racked up nine solo tackles each.

For the Devils, they fall to 3-1 on the season and will travel to Berkeley next Friday for a showdown with the California Golden Bears. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m from California Memorial Stadium.

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