(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Chaos in sports is often viewed as a random confluence of events that produces a shocking result. It happens all the time in college football — particularly early in the season when highly touted teams are still defining their identity.
But chaos isn’t random. It’s inevitable, manufactured mayhem that is part of what captivates people about sports. The achievement of improbable feats is inherent in athletic competition.
ASU football created its own chaos on Saturday night in Tempe. A 13-7 upset over No. 5 Washington changes the course of the Sun Devils’ season and further blurs the national picture in college football.
It took the best defensive effort of the Todd Graham era for ASU to pull it off. The Sun Devils were in Jake Browning’s face all night, forcing a talented quarterback out of his comfort zone.
“He was shook,” defensive back J’Marcus Rhodes said.
The Huskies finished with just 230 total yards and went 3-of-14 on third down. An ASU defense that had been suspect all season was dynamic and consistent.
“We dominated,” defensive lineman Jojo Wicker said. “We just went into this game with the mindset of knowing we could win. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
The Sun Devils set the tone from the opening possession, forcing a three-and-out that set up an efficient, balanced offensive drive for Manny Wilkins and company. A 1-yard touchdown run by Kalen Ballage put ASU up 7-0 with 5:26 left in the first quarter.
Brandon Ruiz tacked on 52- and 25-yard field goals in the second quarter to give the Sun Devils a 13-0 lead at the halftime break, one they carried deep into the fourth quarter before Washington broke the seal.
Browning’s 1-yard touchdown run with 5:32 left was Washington’s lone score of the game. If it weren’t for two missed field goals, that play could’ve forced overtime.
Instead, the defining moment of ASU’s victory came on its final offensive drive of the game, where Wilkins found Ceejhay French-Love for a 30-yard gain on 4th down as Sun Devil Stadium erupted. A few kneels later, thousands of those raucous fans stormed the field to celebrate a monumental upset.
“That was probably the best atmosphere I’ve been associated with,” Graham said.
ASU’s offense was stagnant for the entire second half. Its defense, while dominant, started to revert to old habits down the stretch. None of that mattered when players, fans and coaches moshed from midfield to the north end zone.
The Sun Devils earned this upset. They earned the right to crowd surf, to carry fans and teammates on their shoulders and to show off their dance moves.
Graham said “it wasn’t no fluke” — and he’s right. ASU was fortunate that Washington’s kicker couldn’t find his aim, but a masterful defensive performance is what drove the Sun Devils to victory over one of the top teams in the country.
If ASU can capitalize on the chaos it created, this season could be headed in a different direction than anyone predicted. For now, though, Graham and company can revel in the elation that comes with changing the narrative.
