(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
Arizona State played host to the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday night in a Pac-12 showdown.
The first quarter was a defensive battle. Both teams took some time to find their footing in this one as they traded three-and-outs to start things off.
ASU found their offense via the deep ball as Manny Wilkins connected with Brandon Aiyuk for a 51-yard completion to put ASU inside Stanford’s 20-yard line.
The drive stalled after that play and Sun Devil kicker Brandon Ruiz knocked in a 34-yard field goal attempt to give ASU a 3-0 lead with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.
Stanford ended the first quarter with just 39 yards of offense compared to ASU’s 79 and ASU ended the frame with a 3-0 lead.
ASU kick-started its offense with another nice play early in the second quarter as N’Keal Harry took a screen 14 yards, a nice sign for Sun Devil fans to see after his exit due to injury in the loss against Colorado.
That momentum was short-lived, as Wilkins fumbled the ball on a scramble just plays later. It was ASU’s third turnover on the season; the Sun Devils previously led the FBS with just two turnovers on the year. The team had 710 consecutive rushing attempts without a turnover prior to the Wilkins fumble.
Arizona State’s defense picked up their offense as they made a stand with Stanford inside the red zone. Junior kicker Jet Toner made a 21-yard field goal attempt to make it a 3-3 tie with 3:40 left in the first half.
Sophomore running back Eno Benjamin made noise the following drive with a 29-yard reception to put ASU at Stanford’s 31-yard line. The following play, the Sun Devils tried a trick play that featured Harry throwing a pass that was intercepted, giving ASU two turnovers in the half.
The turnover seemed to give Stanford momentum as they drove 76 yards. However, the ASU defense held their own, allowing Stanford a field goal just before halftime. Toner made a 23–yard field goal as time in the first half expired to give Stanford a 6-3 lead headed into halftime.
