ASU Football: Sun Devils hang on in wild-weather season opener

(Photo via Brendan O’Keefe/WCSN)

Arizona State Football head coach Kenny Dillingham fervently preached his “Activate the Valley” campaign all throughout the Sun Devils’ offseason. It was a rallying cry for the Phoenix metro area to get behind the program he was set to rebuild.

But on Thursday night in ASU’s season opener against Southern Utah, the motto took on new meaning, and not in any circumstance the first-year head man imagined.

Just before halftime, a stream of dust and wind quickly consumed the newly-named Mountain America Stadium. Visibility became hazy, light poles started swaying and trash blew on the field.

“It’s a haboob right?” redshirt senior nickelback Jordan Clark said. “I’ve been out here for like 30 years so I’ve been in a couple.”

Shortly after the sudden spectacle, freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Troy Omeire to give ASU a 21-7 lead. The score capped off an impressive first half for the true freshman signal caller, who also celebrated his 20th birthday Thursday, completing 12-of-16 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Pouring rain and incessant lightning strikes during the break would result in a near three-hour delay before play would resume. Despite a sluggish and sloppy second half, the Sun Devils hung on for a 24-21 win over the Thunderbirds, earning their first win of the season in wild but resilient fashion.

“Another thing I did like was those are the games you panic,” Dillingham said. “Holy cow, it’s 24-21, you’re on your own 15 (yard line). You’ve had 97 penalties in the second half because you’ve lost control. You’ve lost your focus completely opposite of the first half. And you go down and you operate a four minute drill to win the football game.

“… There was a positive there you can say at the end of the game – they got it done. And that’s all that football is about. Doesn’t matter who you play, it matters if you get it done.”

ASU began the Dillingham era attacking on a flawless first drive. Rashada was a perfect 3-for-3 passing, including a 33-yard cross-field strike to Melquan Stovall while taking a big hit. Junior running back Cam Skattebo then found a hole up the middle for a 6-yard touchdown, and ASU ignited a fully packed Inferno student section with the first score of the game.

The Thunderbirds’ offense finally answered on an 11-play, 62-yard touchdown drive that crossed over into the 2nd quarter. Southern Utah received some help from a 15-yard targeting penalty on redshirt sophomore defensive end Clayton Smith, who was ejected for the rest of the game. The Thunderbirds ended the downfield march with a 1-yard plunge from junior running back Targhee Lambson.

But beyond the one bruising Southern Utah drive, the first half was commanded by the Sun Devils and Rashada, who not only flashed the arm talent but the composure that Dillingham and his teammates had praised him for during the offseason quarterback competition.

“He’s very calm and mature,” said Dillingham, who was asked if he saw typical freshman quarterback play. “Do you see [a] freshman [when he was] a little quick on some throws? You know, the game just gets faster and you get a little excited. On some third downs a little bit, but not mentally. Not from body language, not from a leadership (perspective). None of those freshman characteristics showed up, which is awesome to see.”

Rashada’s skill level was on full display on a 4th-and-8 play from midfield in the second quarter. The former four-star high school recruit rolled out, set his feet and launched a 47-yard touchdown bomb to redshirt junior wide receiver Xavier Guillory for a 14-7 Sun Devil lead. Dillingham quoted former NFL head coach Bruce Arians, calling it a “no risk it, no biscuit” play while also saying ASU wasn’t going to play scared.

But the weather delay halted all sense of momentum and rhythm for the Sun Devils. Skattebo said Southern Utah was the squad more ready to play following the break, as the Thunderbirds scored 14 second half points compared to the Sun Devils’ three. ASU also struggled with nine penalties totaling 100 yards, with eight of the nine coming in the second half.

The members of the new United Athletic Conference soon gave ASU a scare with less than eight minutes to play. After another stalled drive, senior Josh Carlson’s punt was blocked and junior safety George Ramirez returned it 47 yards untouched to bring Southern Utah within three points.

But Rashada, a sleeping giant for the final 30 minutes with 62 total yards, woke up to lead a five-minute, 10-play drive that salted away the win.

Clark spoke, unprompted, about Rashada’s poise under pressure while suggesting the media should focus more on how he finished the game.

“That’s [Rashada’s] first college start,” Clark said. “He works his ass off and he won his first football game under insane circumstances. … So I think that he deserves credit for finishing the football game how he did, staying poised under those circumstances.”

Adversity is nothing new for Rashada, who experienced an NIL deal fallout with Florida before taking on a quarterback battle at ASU. With these past obstacles, he didn’t take his struggles Thursday too seriously.

“Honestly, you know, I’ve been through bigger things in my life,” Rashada said. “So I guess football is something that I have fun with and enjoy. So really, pressure is a blessing.”

Rashada’s offensive counterparts also shined in their respective Sun Devil debuts. Skattebo rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Guillory caught five passes for 73 yards and a score to lead the pass-catchers.

The veteran Clark pulled his weight on the defensive end with five tackles and a team-leading two pass breakups.

Amid the careless second half play and the Sun Devils’ lead slowly slipping through their fingers, it was Clark who was the outspoken leader. Not only did he activate the couple of hundred fans who loyally stayed for the six-hour contest, but he activated his teammates too.

“I thought the best moment was when Jordan Clark was running off the field in the fourth quarter,” Dillingham said. “And he just said, ‘We got y’all.’ That’s leadership, so that’s what I was pleased about.”