(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
Arizona State (5-4, 3-3 Pac-12) closed out its home slate with a Pac-12 matchup against the UCLA Bruins (2-7, 2-4 Pac-12) and a chance to secure bowl eligibility.
ASU came out of the gate quick, but its first drive stalled and sophomore kicker Brandon Ruiz kicked a 34-yard field goal to give the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead.
UCLA responded with a 75-yard drive capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run by Joshua Kelley to put the Bruins up 7-3.
The first quarter ended with the Sun Devils trailing 7-3 on senior day. The ASU offense produced 97 yards in the opening frame compared to UCLA’s 102.
ASU regained momentum at the start of the second quarter by stopping a 13 play, 65-yard drive on a fourth-and-one attempt inside its own 20-yard line.
The Sun Devils capitalized as N’Keal Harry gained 40 yards off a Wilkins pass attempt. Two plays later Wilkins ran in ASU’s first touchdown of the day with a 13-yard quarterback keeper. ASU took a 10-3 lead with 10:09 left in the second quarter.
UCLA converted its third down attempts at a high clip in the first half, finishing 5-7 on third down.
UCLA put together a drive that eventually stalled an ended with a 44-yard missed field goal attempt by junior kicker JJ Molson.
The following ASU possession, Wilkins threw an interception that was returned for a 31-yard touchdown by UCLA’s Darnay Holmes. The Bruins took a 14-10 lead.
Wilkins shook it off the following possession, leading ASU on a 10 play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown pass to Nick Ralston with 58 seconds left in the first half.
ASU took a 17-14 lead into halftime.
Wilkins had 148 yards, 77 of those to N’Keal Harry, and a touchdown. Eno Benjamin added 51 rushing yards of his own in the first half.
