ASU Football: Sun Devils defeat Southern Utah 41-14 in season-opener

(Photo credit: Sun Devil Athletics)

While Arizona State Football’s 41-14 victory over Southern Utah on Thursday night may not have been a surprising outcome, the one-sided nature of the Sun Devils’ offense could perhaps be the most shocking event of the season-opening matchup.

It was highly speculated that ASU’s running backs would be the glue of the offense in 2021, given the limited experience of junior quarterback Jayden Daniels’ young pass-catchers. However, the extent of the Sun Devils’ dependability on running the ball was in some ways unforeseeable.

All six of ASU’s touchdowns came on the ground. The Sun Devils totaled 222 rushing yards with the dynamic duo of redshirt senior Rachaad White and sophomore DeaMonte Trayanum, who combined for four touchdowns.

“We knew we could run the football and we were able to do that,” ASU head coach Herm Edwards said. “Passing game still is not quite sharp yet.”

The powerful pair both scored in the first and second quarters. Trayanum scored his first touchdown 24 seconds into the game after an interception from senior defensive back DeAndre Pierce. White soon followed with a seven-yard rushing touchdown of his own.

The duo continued the scoring spree in the second quarter with another pair of touchdowns that gave the Sun Devils a 28-7 lead over the Thunderbirds.

Daniels left the game midway through the third quarter with a leg cramp, which may have also been a contributing factor to the favorability of the run game later on.

A standout player from ASU’s defense on Thursday was undoubtedly senior linebacker Darien Butler, who ended the night with five tackles and two interceptions.

“I’m happy for him, watching him mature from where he was to where he is right now, it’s satisfying to see,” Edwards said of Butler.

Despite an overwhelmingly dominant run game, there were several weaknesses in ASU’s game that were exposed Thursday – most notably penalties.

The Sun Devils racked up 13 penalties for 135 yards. Redshirt senior defensive end Tyler Johnson was ejected in the first half for targeting. The importance of Johnson’s presence in the absence of senior defensive lineman Jermayne Lole has increased, and in a game against a more quality opponent, the repercussions of his loss could have been detrimental.

“The Sun Devils actually played the Sun Devils tonight,” Edwards said. “It was bad football. It was sloppy football. It was embarrassing football, to be quite honest.”

The Thunderbirds struggled to generate any sort of consistent offensive presence on Thursday night though. Senior wide receiver Judd Cockett scored the only first half touchdown for Southern Utah. Freshman running back David Moore III also earned the Thunderbirds a 21-yard rushing touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Neither team had any passing touchdowns.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Justin Miller struggled to connect with his wide receivers as he completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 146 yards. Miller also threw three interceptions, a testament to the ability of the Sun Devils’ defense.

Although ASU’s victory was certainly not perfect, Edwards played an old cliche when looking back at the feat.

“Winning’s fun,” Edwards said. “No matter how it looks, it’s a win and that’s probably the most important thing.”