(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Behind a big night from quarterback Manny Wilkins and receiver N’Keal Harry, the Arizona State Sun Devils secured an upset win over No. 24 Oregon, 37-35.
It is ASU’s first win over a ranked opponent in almost two years, and snaps a 1-8 skid that dated back to last season.
A fourth-quarter 41-yard field goal from true freshman Brandon Ruiz was the deciding score, but it was the Wilkins-Harry connection that lifted ASU (2-2, 1-0) to its second win of 2017.
The junior quarterback finished the night with 347 yards, 1 passing touchdown–to Harry–and two scores on the ground.
Harry had 7 catches and a career-high 170 yards in addition to his touchdown grab.
After Oregon (3-1, 0-1) took its first lead of the night, 35-34, with 6:41 left in the game, the Sun Devils marched 57 yards in 11 plays to set up the winning field goal.
On the drive, Wilkins found wide out Jalen Harvey twice, including on a 3rd down, to get his team in field goal range.
ASU’s defense denied the Ducks on fourth down twice to seal the victory. With 2:25 left and Oregon near midfield, quarterback Justin Herbert was tackled a yard short of the sticks on a scramble run. Herbert then threw three straight incompletions on Oregon’s last drive, missing his target over the middle on a 4th and 10 to effectively end the game.
ASU outplayed Oregon for long stretches of the game, and out-gained the offensive powerhouse from Eugene 489 yards to 401. The Sun Devils also had more first downs, rushing yards, passing yards, and time of possession on Saturday night.
After building a 17-14 lead in the first half, ASU started the second half with consecutive touchdown drives to open up a three score advantage.
On the first play of the half, Wilkins roped a 63-yard bullet to Jalen Harvey, which led to a 2-yard touchdown run from the quarterback. On the team’s next drive, N’Keal Harry broke through the Oregon defense, shrugging off defenders on his way to a 47-yard catch-and-run completion. ASU running back Demario Richard scored a 7-yard touchdown three plays later, stretching ASU’s lead to 31-14.
But Oregon responded, quickly getting the two scores back later in the third. The Ducks drove 75 yards in just 7 plays midway through the quarter, finding the end zone on a 20-yard Herbert touchdown pass to Phoenix native Johnny Johnson. After a Sun Devils punt, Oregon needed just over a minute to go 62 yards, cutting the ASU lead to 31-28 with a 22-yard touchdown pass to tail back Tony Brooks-James.
Herbert finished the game 281 yards and 3 touchdowns, but only completed 19 of his 35 pass attempts.
The Duck’s All-American candidate tail back Royce Freeman was kept quiet by the ASU defense all night. The senior gained just 81 yards and only found the end zone once, after the Sun Devils muffed a punt deep in their own end late in the second quarter.
Other than that mistake, ASU’s special teams were key in the opening 30 minutes.
ASU’s first touchdown was set up by a blocked punt from junior Tyler Whiley, who broke through the Ducks’ offensive line to get a piece of the kick.
After Wilkins found Harry later in the first quarter to make it 14-7, coach Todd Graham elected to run a surprise onside kick. Ruiz executed the kick perfectly, allowing freshman Evan Fields to recover. That put ASU in position for Ruiz’s first field goal of the night, a 3 points that would prove to be key by the end of the night.
Ruiz finished the night 3 for 3 on field goal attempts, including two crucial successful kicks in the fourth quarter.
The win is ASU’s first in Pac-12 play since knocking off UCLA at home last October, and its first over Oregon since 2004.
