(Photo via Joey Plishka/WCSN)
Before Arizona State Football departed for Stillwater, Oklahoma, its upcoming bout had a striking similarity to previous seasons. The 2022 season marked the fourth consecutive year the Sun Devils’ first road game was against a top-25 opponent.
Unfortunately for ASU, the repetitive struggle in these games have been missed opportunities.
The same result occurred Saturday night, with the Sun Devils (1-1) falling to No.11 Oklahoma State 34-17. The majority of these missed opportunities stemmed from the Sun Devils committing penalties, a fault that plagued the team in 2021. ASU’s coaching staff and its players emphasized the issue by taking accountability for their actions.
Head coach Herm Edwards explained after the game to Devils Digest how the penalties “were competitive.” However, the 10 penalties still inflicted their will on the game.
“They were competitive penalties. There were a couple holdings right? I mean, I don’t know what to tell you,” Edwards said. “I mean, we didn’t have any false starts, none of that stuff. The crowd noise didn’t get to us. I thought the offense did a nice job with the crowd, actually. We didn’t flinch.
“… They had seven [and] we had 10. It’s just they played a lot of man [and] we played a lot of man. We got a couple pass interference calls. They got a couple of pass interference calls … that’s football.”
As costly as the penalties were, it was only a percentage of the Sun Devils’ missed chances. In ASU’s first drive of the game, the offense took over on its own 13-yard line but still managed to drive the ball to the red zone. Senior running back Xazavian Valladay was key, rushing for 54 yards. However, the unit sputtered and was forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal.
ASU’s defense nearly halted redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Sanders, who struggled to find his rhythm during the early parts of the game. OSU went three and out on the second drive and punted on its third. Yet, the Sun Devil offense failed to capitalize on their defense’s play.
The Cowboys’ fourth drive appeared to be their best one yet. Sanders led the offense down the field and just outside of the red zone. However, it wouldn’t end in points, but rather the hands of redshirt fifth-year linebacker Kyle Soelle, who picked off Sanders’ pass over the middle.
At first glance, it appeared that the interception could have given redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones and the offense the momentum it needed to score. But after just five plays, Edwards sent the punt team onto the field.
From there, the Sun Devils started to lose control. Valladay fumbled on ASU’s own 37-yard line, which turned into seven points for OSU. From there, the Cowboys would tack on 10 unanswered points, yielding a 17-3 halftime lead.
“You know it’s a hostile environment,” Soelle told Devils Digest. “I feel they were quiet early. Obviously when they start scoring [the] crowd gets back into it. We competed in all four quarters, and they got the best of us today.”
Additionally, OSU’s defense seemed to be able to navigate ASU’s blocking scheme. The Cowboys got pressure on Jones, which sped up his play style and changed how he played the game.
“I felt like [the pressure] definitely impacted the game,” Jones said to Devils Digest. “You know I had to speed up some of my reads to make sure I got through them. [I] feel like I gave up on a couple plays, and just threw it away instead of trying to make a play on my legs.”
Despite the deficit, the Sun Devils came out of the half with a jolt of energy. Jones found senior wide receiver Giovanni Sanders for a 73-yard completion. The reception set up two run plays, allowing Valladay to punch it in from one yard out. Following the touchdown, the Cowboys’ drive ended with their punt team on the field.
“We were gonna get the ball and we knew our mentality was to go score the ball,” said Jones, referring to the team’s mindset after halftime. “We came out and did that and moved the ball.”
The momentum was on ASU’s side, now trailing by just a touchdown. Trying to get inside the red zone, Jones took a deep shot to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Elijhah Badger. The pass was incomplete, but OSU senior safety Thomas Harper was whistled for defensive pass interference.
The penalty gave ASU prime real estate on OSU’s 34. The drive stalled on the 30 and brought up fourth and sixth. Edwards decided to play it conservatively, sending freshman kicker Carter Brown onto the field. The Brown’s kick was wide left through the strong wind and rain.
“What are you gonna do? Go for it,” Edwards said. “We figured we try to kick a field goal. I mean, we’re still in the game at that point. And so that’s what you got to do. [Brown] kicked four field goals last week. It was pretty good. And it was the weather, I get all that.”
Following the missed field goal, the Cowboys marched down the field but failed to find the end zone. Instead, the Sun Devil defense forced a field goal, keeping the game within reach. The following drive, ASU rallied on long gains to get to OSU’s side of the field. Eventually, Jones threaded the needle and found Badger for a touchdown. The touchdown separated the two teams by a field goal, the closest the Sun Devils had been since the half.
“It’s getting real comfortable. It’s going to get better,” Badger told Devils Digest about his relationship with Jones. “We’re going to work on it. This is just a little fallback. We’re going to be back tomorrow.”
From there, ASU would lose control.
However, the small deficit didn’t last for long. A Sun Devil holding penalty and multiple long passes from Sanders allowed the Cowboys to find the end zone, giving them a 27-17 lead. It took OSU just 54 seconds to score their third touchdown of the game.
In the following two drives, ASU couldn’t get a first down, resulting in back-to-back three and outs. During the same time, OSU scored 14 points, practically eliminating any hope Edwards’ squad had left.
“Obviously disappointing for us. Felt like we gave ourselves a chance, especially in the third quarter and in the first half as well,” Edwards said. “The defense did a pretty nice job of slowing them down some. In the third quarter, I thought the offense came out. So, we’ve talked about at halftime to get back into the game. And we’re able to do that. And then magically, we just blew two coverages. Just let the guys go. And give them some easy scores. And that’s tough.”
