(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
The Herm Edwards era in Tempe got off to a hot start as the Sun Devils took down the UTSA Roadrunners 49-7.
After a whirlwind of questions about first-year ASU football coach Herm Edwards, or how the Sun Devil defense would react, Arizona State won in dominant fashion.
The new defense under first-year ASU defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales and his 3-3-5 scheme allowed 220 yards on the night while forcing three turnovers.
More importantly, they held the Roadrunners to just 7 points.
“Outstanding,” redshirt senior quarterback Manny Wilkins said of the defense. “I was very, very, very impressed with them.”
“It was lights out,” redshirt sophomore cornerback Chase Lucas said. “We did our job.”
Lucas was a shining example of the plays made defensively. He recorded his first career sack on a corner blitz in the second quarter.
“I knew the play,” he said. “I knew what we were running, so I took my shot and I made it.”
That was just one of nine sacks on the night for the Sun Devils to go along with three turnovers.
ASU Sophomore defensive lineman Shannon Forman intercepted UTSA junior quarterback Cordale Grundy’s pass and returned it for a touchdown on the Roadrunner’s first possession.
On the other side of the ball, the Sun Devils had a field day. The Sun Devils scorched the Roadrunner defense for 237 yards in the air and 266 yards on the ground. Redshirt senior quarterback Manny Wilkins finished 16-24 passing to go with 237 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Both junior wideout N’Keal Harry and sophomore Eno Benjamin eclipsed the century mark in yardage. Benjamin carried 16 times, tallying 131 yards and Harry racked up 140 yards receiving. Both finished with two touchdowns.
“I think we had zero sacks tonight,” Wilkins said. “I can’t recall the last time that happened here.”
He exited the game with the Sun Devils leading 42-0, the game well in hand.
Although the Sun Devils walked out with a convincing victory, Edwards said there is plenty more work to be done before next week’s showdown with No. 11 Michigan State.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement,” Edwards said. “But I liked our grit.”
The Sun Devils finished with 11 penalties, a rarity as they were the fourth least penalized team in the nation last season.
“I don’t like fouls,” Edwards said. “It bothers me.”
Despite the penalties, Arizona State won convincingly.
It was a far cry from the 2016 showdown against UTSA which saw the Devils come back from down 28-15. Harry was just breaking on the scene as a freshman with a one-handed touchdown grab and former ASU running back Kalen Ballage was using his late game heroics to secure an ASU victory.
Fast forward two years to a new era with a new coaching staff and the result was much different. This time around, Arizona state dominated from start to finish.
Up next, in what looks to be ASU’s toughest match-up of the season, the Sun Devils will be in the national spotlight as they welcome No. 11 Michigan State to Sun Devil Stadium on ESPN. The game is slated to start at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, September 8.
