ASU Football: Strong second half propels the Sun Devils past Washington

(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)

At halftime, Arizona State trailed Washington 17-3. The Huskies had blown up for 341 yards of total offense, and the Sun Devils had punted on seven of its eight possessions.

But, as has been the theme all season (yet rarely executed), the Sun Devils leaned in on each other, forced four turnovers and scored 27 unanswered points to storm away with a 27-17 win, ending their three-game losing skid.

Between several three-and-outs and no semblance of any sort of rhythm, ASU also dealt with several injuries to its defense. Before the game, freshman field safety Kareem Orr was ruled out with a “minor issue,” redshirt junior spur linebacker Laiu Moeakiola left the game with a shoulder injury, and redshirt senior bandit safety Jordan Simone left the game with a right knee injury.

“I’m just extremely proud of our football team,” Graham said. “That was the most chaotic first quarter I think I’ve ever been in.”

Simone has been ruled out for the season, ending his career as a Sun Devil, according to ASU head coach Todd Graham.

With redshirt sophomore Marcus Ball in at spur and sophomore Chad Adams and redshirt sophomore James Johnson in at safety, the Sun Devils simplified its defense and began to find success defensively.

Washington’s freshman quarterback Jake Browning went 15-for-30 in the first half with a touchdown, but he also missed several open receivers who had gotten behind the ASU secondary. In the second half, those opportunities decreased dramatically.

“We had to simplify a little bit, and be a little bit more basic in what we were doing,” Graham said. “But we also got back to – we pressured. We brought the heat.”

With the Huskies’ offense stalled, ASU’s offense found its stride. The comeback got going on the Sun Devils’ first possession of the second half when sophomore running back Kalen Ballage capped a five-play, 60-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown scamper.

“I was just telling the offensive line, ‘Make a crease. Make a hole, and I’m going to try to hit it as hard as I can,’” Ballage said. “We came out of the second half, and we were very physical.”

With ASU down 17-10 and the Huskies closing in on the red zone at the end of the third quarter, Browning had an open receiver down the seam in the end zone. However, Johnson, who has seen minimal playing time all season, made an incredible diving effort to break up the pass.

The Huskies junior kicker Cameron Van Winkle missed a 45-yard field goal, and the Sun Devils responded with a seven-play, 71-yard drive ended by a touchdown catch from redshirt senior wide receiver Devin Lucien.

“This football team is composed of men of character,” Bercovici said. “We keep saying that over and over and over, win or loss.”

The Sun Devils never looked back after leveling the game at 17 and essentially dismantled the Huskies on all fronts. ASU racked up eight tackles for loss and put pressure on Browning for much of the game, but through three quarters, the Sun Devils hadn’t forced a turnover – a frustrating theme that has lingered throughout the season.

For the day though, that theme came to a halt. Interceptions from senior cornerback Kweishi Brown, sophomore linebacker Christian Sam and Marcus Ball helped seal the deal for the Sun Devils. Johnson also got in on the turnover-fest, forcing a fumble that was recovered by redshirt junior defensive end Edmond Boateng.

“Those turnovers were big, and it was fun,” Graham said. “(Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson) gets pretty excited about takeaways.”

Between a solid offensive effort and the defense finally seeing the fruits of its pressurized labor, the person was most proud of was redshirt senior Devilbacker Antonio Longino. Longino was limited to just four total reps in practice, according to Graham, but that didn’t stop him from making a big impact as he tallied seven solo tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.

“Just the way he inspired his teammates and the way he played – I was inspired,” Graham said. “It means something to him… This young man has accomplished a lot and sacrificed a lot.”

Redshirt freshman Ismael Murphy-Richardson started at Devilbacker initially, but Longino came into the game anyway and blew things up in the Washington backfield on a consistent basis.

“My team needed me to just pick them up on and off the field,” Longino said. “That’s what I came out there to do because nothing is promised.”

Now, the Sun Devils sit at 5-5 and one win away from bowl eligibility. Although that fight was expected to have ended many weeks ago heading into the season, the Sun Devils find themselves on an upward trend heading into the Territorial Cup, and the timing of the game could not have been any better.

“If you’re a Sun Devil football player, if you’re a Sun Devil fan, this is – for the alumni, for everybody who has played in this football helmet – this is the most important game of the entire year,” Bercovici said. “It’s the one game you circle when you get your schedule. The message is clear. We know what we need to do, and there’s not much that needs to be said.”

You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com

 

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