(Photo via Brendan O’Keeffe/WCSN)
In the middle of the second quarter, Washington junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. dropped back to pass and respond to an ASU touchdown mere moments ago. Penix Jr. ripped the ball out of his hands. The pass looked like an unstoppable force with its speed. However, that unstoppable force met an immovable object in the form of senior offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland’s helmet at the line of scrimmage.
The ball deflected high into the heavens, every passing second in the air building anticipation. Once the ball began to descend, redshirt junior defensive back Jordan Clark sprinted into action to get under the ball. Clark swooped in and began flying down the sideline toward the end zone for the 38-yard pick six.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God,'” Clark said when he saw the ball in the air. “I was just trying to make sure to secure the catch, and once I caught it, I knew nobody was going to catch me.”
After the interception, Clark ran the entire width of the end zone toward the Sun Devils’ sideline, where he was met with a mob of teammates all celebrating the monumental play that would lead ASU to its 45-38 upset over the No. 21 ranked Washington Huskies. The pick-six encapsulated what would become a stellar performance from the Sun Devils’ secondary.
“We just needed a little bit of momentum on defense,” Clark said. “I think [the pick-six] gave us some swagger, some of the energy that we lost back.”
Head coach Shaun Aguano said how he knew the team would need to score on all three facets of the game. When Aguano saw that Clark could get under the ball and take it back to the house, he knew the chances of securing his first collegiate win went up.
“It’s going to be hard to stop the University of Washington because they’re very talented,” Aguano said. “I thought if we could keep that buffer and keep fighting, we had a chance at the end.”
Saturday’s game marks the third straight week that the Sun Devils’ played against nationally-ranked opponents with star quarterbacks. Utah’s junior Cameron Rising and USC’s sophomore Caleb Williams had career nights under center against ASU to lead their respective programs to a win.
Penix Jr. entered Saturday’s matchup as the Pac-12 leader in passing yards with 364 yards per game, leading Washington to the best statistical offense in the conference, averaging over 500 yards per game. The offensive firepower was expected to be trouble against a struggling Sun Devils’ defense. However, ASU was able to lock in and establish a physical presence not to let Pennix Jr. get comfortable.
“The key word for the day was trust,” redshirt freshman defensive back Isaiah Johnson said. “Trust the guy beside you. Trust the guy behind you.”
The secondary made it a point of emphasis to not allow anything deep down the field. Instead, electing to allow the Huskies to abuse the flats for short-yard gains. Penix Jr. averaged 9.5 yards per completion against the Sun Devils, down from his 13-yard average entering the game. Opportunities down the field were rare as ASU defensive backs were playing soft coverage, not to let anything deep and halting Washington’s momentum.
“I have ‘nobody’s better than me’ mentality. I try to spread that all across the field like nobody’s better than us,” Johnson said. “We might give them a play, but nobody is better than us. I feel like that mentality today was the best support that we can have for this game.”
The Huskies had a late 4th-and-9 in Sun Devils’ territory and had sophomore wide receiver Rome Odunze at the first-line mark, but a quick reaction by Johnson forced an incomplete pass. After the play, Johnson started to blow kisses toward the fans before strutting off the field, showcasing his confidence.
Pennix Jr. only had two competitions that went 20+ yards, as the secondary stayed connected and swatted away any deep shots. The Sun Devils’ red zone defense made some impressive plays in man coverage. Redshirt sophomore Ro Terrence was on an island with redshirt freshman wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk but used his 6’3 frame to smack the ball into the turf.
The Huskies often tried to shift and motion their players to catch the Sun Devils off guard. However, Johnson and the rest of the secondary stayed prepared for every snap.
“[We] tried to just stand as one,” Johnson said. “Making big plays, big stops. I feel like we did way better on third downs this week. Making the adjustments, and it really just goes back to being one.”
The collective “bend, don’t break” mindset from the secondary allowed the team to buy in and get critical stops. Those stops came on all three levels as senior defensive back Khoury Bethley had a huge 4th-down tackle in Washington territory that would eventually lead to an ASU score.
“It’s just a ‘bet on us’ mentality,” Clark said. “Whenever we work, how we work, and the coaches put us in the right positions just about playing football. Guys like [Bethley]… They’re just equipped to make the plays, and coach put us in the right position, and all we’re doing is executing.”
The secondary demonstrated that they could play against one of the best offenses in the nation. From Clark to Johnson, they all credited the success to their mindset. Confidence in oneself, and with teammates, help build a bond between the team and thus provides results. However, confidence unchecked could sprout into arrogance, so the Sun Devils’ defensive back highlighted the words from the coaching staff to stay disciplined.
Aguano wants the team to play at this level consistently and knows that he has to be one to enforce it. The coach acknowledged that his “relentless” coaching style can be abrasive at some points, but he knows how imperative it is to institute that style at ASU to help rebuild the program. If the secondary’s performance against Washington indicates Aguano’s style personified on the field, it could be an encouraging indicator for the future.
“I’m going to be relentless on [the players] to be on time. I’m going to be relentless on us running on the field. I’m going to be relentless in the game, asking for you to do as much as you can,” Aguano said. “They know that I’m coming for them. They know I’ll never give up on them. They know our coaches will never give up on them. So, that relentlessness is now what you see in our kids because they’re relentlessly wanting to win.”
