(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Arizona State football’s shaky special teams looked like a different unit in the first half against Oregon. That is, until it didn’t.
Opposite of recent weeks, ASU’s special teams came up with big plays early in the game. But for the third game in a row, the third phase gifted points to its opponents right before halftime, cutting ASU’s lead over the Ducks to just 17-14.
After the Sun Devils’ defense forced a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, Tyler Whiley broke through the Ducks’ punt protection to get a piece of Adam Stack’s kick.
The block set ASU up at Oregon’s 40-yard line, giving the Sun Devils a chance for early points. Quarterback Manny Wilkins completed all three of his passes on the drive, before keeping a read-option and running for an 8-yard touchdown to put ASU ahead early 7-0.
After the schools traded touchdowns to make the score 14-7, ASU’s special teams came through again. Following ASU’s second touchdown, freshman Brandon Ruiz executed a perfect surprise onside kick, allowing fellow first-year special teamer Evan Fields to pounce on the ball, stealing back-to-back possession for the Sun Devils.
Wilkins and running back Kalen Ballage each had big runs on the following drive, setting up a 29-yard field goal for Ruiz to stretch the ASU lead to 17-7.
The score stayed that way until the final minute of the half. ASU had forced Oregon into its fifth straight punt, and sixth of the game. But Sun Devil return man Ryan Newsome dropped the kick, allowing Oregon to recover at ASU’s 12-yard line.
Oregon’s senior running back Royce Freeman scored on the next snap, running around the edge of the defense for the touchdown, his 10th of the season, cutting the ASU halftime lead to 3 points.
Both defenses looked strong, especially in the second quarter. Prior to his touchdown, the Sun Devils kept Freeman, the nation’s third most productive back coming into the night, quiet for most of the first half. The senior tailback had just 48 yards on 8 carries before his run to the end zone.
ASU’s pass rush also got to Ducks’ quarterback Justin Herbert consistently, including sacks from linebackers J’Marcus Rhodes and Christian Sam that end two of the Ducks’ second half drives.
The Sun Devils offense did not have a single negative play in the first quarter, but were kept under wraps in the second. ASU looked to have crossed midfield with bomb from Wilkins to Harry late in the half, but the play was negated by an offensive pass interference call.
Wilkins and Harry connected for a 3-yard touchdown back in the first quarter, a score that capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive for ASU.
The Sun Devils out-gained Oregon 217 yards to 161, picked up five more first downs than the Ducks, and held the ball for better than 18 minutes.
ASU has won the only other game it had a halftime lead in this season, a week one win over New Mexico State. This is the first time in 2017 Oregon ended the first half trailing.
