(Photo: Ryan Petcove/WCSN)
With eleven minutes remaining, UCF trailed 23-7. They drove into Arizona State territory, but stalled, setting up a pivotal fourth down. Fifth-year quarterback Alonza Barnett III fumbled the snap and recovered it, but multiple Arizona State defenders swarmed him, ending in a nine-yard loss.
Barnett got the ball back five minutes later, after ASU extended its lead to 26-7. Again, UCF marched upfield, but faced another pivotal fourth down. This time, Barnett held onto the snap, but was hit as he threw, and the ball died short of his intended receiver, along with UCF’s chances of victory.
By the end of the game, Barnett was surely used to the pressure the Sun Devils brought. He was sacked three times, as ASU’s (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) defense recorded three or more sacks for the second straight game in a 26-13 win over UCF (5-5, 3-4) Saturday evening at the Acrisure Bounce House.
“Through these past couple weeks, we learned to create a brotherhood and a bond,” fourth-year defensive lineman Jalen Thompson said. “With the guys in the back end that we got, it allows us to be able to play freely and make the plays that we need to.”
A week ago against Colorado, third-year defensive lineman Albert Smith III led the Sun Devils’ pass rush, sacking quarterback Isaac Wilson three times. Against UCF, the attack was more versatile, with three different players picking up sacks.
After opening the season with two sacks in six games, Thompson sacked Barnett once, making it the fourth straight game he’s sacked the opposing quarterback.
“He’s a superstar,” Dillingham said. “For so many games he was creating pressures and not getting sacks.
“That’s winning football. But nobody really sees that unless you’re a football nerd.”
ASU opened Big 12 play with a win over Kansas in London, but struggled to play winning football afterward, giving up 50-plus points to both Baylor and Texas Tech.
“We had a three-week span where it was like ‘what is going on?’” Dillingham said. “We started to get more sound, more consistent, more on the same page. You can see what can happen when we can be on the same page.
“Kudos to the (defensive coordinator Brian) Ward and the defensive staff. Kudos to the players.”
This newly bonded defensive group has held its opponents to under 14 points in back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2017, under former head coach Todd Graham.
“We had a whole bunch of new guys, and we weren’t completely confident with one another doing their job,” Dillingham said. “We’re not doing that anymore. We’re playing team defense. We’re communicating, and because of that we’re playing faster. We’re punching at the ball. We’re getting takeaway opportunities.
“For our guys to battle through it all and play the time of game they played today, I couldn’t be more proud.”
UCF struggled to find any offensive success whatsoever. They only had three run plays for more than ten yards and finished with 54 total rushing yards, their second-lowest tally of the season.
Through the first three quarters, the Sun Devils limited Barnett to 140 passing yards. He threw for 117 in the fourth quarter. Though, most of it came after the game was sealed.
With two games left in the regular season, ASU’s defense has found its form, but the final two matchups will prove whether this recent run is a fluke.
Next week, the Sun Devils host Oklahoma State, the Big 12’s top-ranked scoring offense, averaging an astonishing 43.9 points through nine games. To end the season, ASU travels for a Territorial Cup matchup against Arizona, led by quarterback Noah Fifita, the conference’s second-leading passer.
However, the Sun Devils will not be shy of confidence, as they’ve proven they can bounce back from poor performances.
“That locker room is a happy locker room because guys are putting in the work and they’re seeing the results of the work,” Dillingham said. “Everybody wants a shortcut. Everybody wants an easy answer. If you just work harder, usually problems are solved.”
