(Courtesy Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
After forcing seven turnovers and scoring ten touchdowns in a 70-7 win over Arizona last week in Tucson, 50 degree weather and steady rainfall did not seem to favor Arizona State Football in hopes of repeating a similar performance on Saturday night heading into its game against Oregon State.
On top of that, an unexpected development arose just moments away from kickoff when senior tight end Curtis Hodges, freshman wideout Johnny Wilson and junior linebacker Darien Butler would not be available due to COVID-19 protocols. Senior wide receiver Frank Darby would also not be available due to a family matter, per The Athletic’s Doug Haller.
So how would sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels do without three of his top wideouts and a defense without one of its top linebackers?
As a matter of fact, the Sun Devils didn’t seem to need them much at all.
Behind 514 total yards of offense, ASU concluded the regular season with a 46-33 win over Oregon State, finalizing the team’s record at 2-2. Head coach Herm Edwards announced after the game that the Sun Devils will not be playing a bowl game, ending the year having played just four games.
The last two contests have been offensive outbursts for ASU, scoring a total of 116 points and accumulating 1,000 yards of total offense.
“We had some guys out and we had to make some adjustments,” offensive coordinator Zak Hill said. “The guys stepped up. The offensive line and running backs handled the line of scrimmage and they did a good job of that.”
After the Sun Devils went three and out on their opening drive and the Beavers responded with a touchdown of their own, ASU scored touchdowns on their next four drives to bust open a wide lead.
A two-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Chip Trayanum, a seven-yard touchdown run by Daniels, a 63-yard touchdown catch to sophomore wide receiver Geordon Porter, and a four-yard touchdown run by junior running back Rachaad White pulled ASU out to a 26-7 lead in the second quarter which it would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
With the weather and limited aerial weapons playing a major factor in the game script, the story of the offense Saturday night was once again dominance on the ground.
Daniels did most of his damage on the run, rushing for 83 yards and two touchdowns on six attempts, including a 53-yard touchdown run with a stiff arm at the end for good measure in the third.
He was also efficient through the air, completing eight of 15 pass attempts for 139 yards and a touchdown.
“Going forward, we’re just going to build off these last two games that we were able to play,” Daniels said. “Going into next offseason, we’re going to be working extra hard and [I’ll be] working to get on time with the receivers and we’ll come back in 2021 for a good season.”
Throughout the shortened four game season, the rushing duo of White and Trayanum was extremely steady, and it’s an aspect of the offense that will be expected to be featured again next season.
White rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts (12.2 avg), including a 55-yard touchdown run, while Trayanum rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts (4.8 avg).
“We did not anticipate that they would put up the numbers that they would put up,” Edwards said. “That’s a credit to the offensive line. It’s a credit to their ability to run as well and really play together.
“They don’t have egos. They all believe in themselves and they all pull for each other.”
White finished the year with 420 rushing yards and five touchdowns on just 42 attempts (10.0 avg) while Trayanum concluded with 290 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 49 attempts (5.9 avg).
“We feel like we have the best [running back room] in the Pac-12 and in the nation,” White said. “Our coaches make us work every day. We come out with a chip and we want to prove something every time. We just want whatever helps the team win.”
Without Butler on defense, senior safety Evan Fields led the way with nine solo tackles while graduate student safety DeAndre Pierce had seven solo tackles and an interception.
Edwards said at the beginning of this week that a bowl game would be a possibility, but with multiple players out due to COVID protocols and potential injury risks, signs didn’t seem to point toward that direction.
Edwards would confirm that he would not have his team play in a bowl game immediately after the win over the Beavers.
“It’s tough but when we make decisions, we make them thinking of the student-athletes that are involved in this,” Edwards said. “We just felt like what this team has gone through and our student-athletes have gone through, we’ll settle it off like this.
“We didn’t accomplish what we had liked to this year. The key going into this game for us was we didn’t want to have a losing season. We got to 2-2 and we feel like at this point, we are going to give our athletes a rest.”
Arizona State players will receive some much needed rest during the holidays before returning to campus on January 11. While the season didn’t live up to expectations due to the COVID-19 outbreak and a rocky first two games on the schedule, Edwards is proud of the team for handling the adversity and finishing strong.
“I’m happy and proud of the players for all they have had to go through this season as well as our coaching staff,” Edwards said. “This has been the hardest for me in my whole life as an athlete playing football and as a coach. This has been very tough…It’s a credit to the young people for their resolve and ability to do something that is difficult.”
