ASU Football: Dreary first half dooms Sun Devils in loss to WSU

(Photo via Brendan O’Keeffe/WCSN)

On a freezing, foggy day in Pullman, with Arizona State Football’s bowl game chances on the line, the Sun Devils went numb from the start against the Washington State Cougars.

ASU’s frigid day was put on display on its first drive of the game. WSU redshirt junior defensive lineman Brennan Jackson exploded off the edge and strip-sacked redshirt junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet from his blindside. Redshirt sophomore tight end Jalin Conyers recovered the ball at the one-yard line, and ASU was forced to punt and give the Cougars great starting field position on its second drive.

On the following possession, sophomore quarterback Cameron Ward delivered a pop pass touchdown to freshman wide receiver Leyton Smithson for a 13-0 WSU lead. It was only the start of a dominating first half which the Cougars would ride to a 28-18 win to become bowl eligible on the season.

Following the Smithson score, the Sun Devils’ defense would stay sluggish for the rest of the opening 30 minutes, as the Cougars put up 291 yards against ASU’s 61.

With redshirt fifth-year senior linebacker Kyle Soelle and redshirt sophomore cornerback Ro Torrence out due to injury and illness, respectively, WSU led a balanced attack that ASU couldn’t counter. Redshirt junior running back Nakia Wilson was the star with 99 yards on the ground and three touchdowns in the first half.

The lone bright spot for ASU’s defensive unit came on a fourth down goal line stop at the start of the second quarter, but the offense could not capitalize on the following drive.

Saturday afternoon was Bourguet’s worst performance since taking over the starting role, as he was 3-for-10 passing with 26 yards and an interception. The Cougars brought several blitzes on third down and played tight-lipped defense in coverage. The former walk-on’s day would be done after the interception midway through the second, as it was reported that Bourguet entered the medical tent soon after and did not return.

The Sun Devils’ first half was about as abysmal as one could imagine, going 0-for-6 on third down and moving the chains six times compared to the Cougars’ 15 first downs.

With redshirt junior former starter Emory Jones back behind the wheel, the Sun Devils could not get steered in the right direction until the end of the third quarter, as Jones found Conyers on a short crossing route and the redshirt sophomore rumbled the rest of the way for a 47-yard score.

Conyers’ touchdown – his fourth in his last three games – was the turning point for the Sun Devils, who owned the fourth quarter as the Cougars crumbled.

WSU would tally just 19 yards in the final frame, with its once bruising rushing game being silenced to 1.8 yards per carry.

Jones led two quick scoring drives within the last five minutes of the game, with senior running back Xazavian Valladay combining for 62 total yards and a touchdown across the two possessions. The Wyoming transfer shined on the day with 134 yards on 21 carries, and his one-yard score gave him his sixth-straight game with a touchdown.

Yet the encouraging finish was too little, too late. Earlier in the fourth, Jones led a 15-play, five-minute drive that ended in no points after sailing a pass over the head of redshirt sophomore wide receiver Elijhah Badger on fourth-and-7 from the 7-yard line.

With the Sun Devils crossing their fingers following Jones’ cross-body touchdown heave to Badger with 58 seconds left, sophomore kicker Eddie Czaplicki’s second onside kick attempt of the quarter was unsuccessful, icing the Cougars’ win despite their disappointing second half.

The loss now eliminates ASU from a possible bowl game, cementing a turbulent season that could still get bumpier with two games left on the schedule.