ASU Football: Irish Rewind
By Mike Slifer
Saturday, the ASU Football team outlasted Notre Dame 55-31. The box score makes it look like the Sun Devils dominated the Irish. They did, yet they didn’t.
This game was actually three different games. Or maybe it could be better described as a game of three different runs. After an ASU punt, Notre Dame marched down the field and kicked a field goal to go up 3-0. After that, ASU rattled off 34 straight points. Most of those points were the result of dominant play by the ASU defense. They created two back-to-back turnovers that gave Taylor Kelly and the ASU offense the ball with a short field. The offense cashed in. Then a pick-six by Damarious Randall pushed the lead to 24-3.
After another defensive stop, Taylor Kelly hit Cameron Smith for a 50 yard TD pass to make it 31-3. A field goal at the end of their last drive of the half gave ASU a 34-3 lead.
The Irish were done, right? Not so fast. That was just Act I.
Notre Dame actually started their run with 1:11 to go in that first half. They took one minute to go down the field and score a touchdown right before the half, cutting the margin to 34-10. That TD drive was allowed to happen mostly because of one big play where ASU safety Damarious Randall gambled, trying to intercept Notre Dame Everett Golson. He didn’t get to the ball and Notre Dame picked up 58 yards to set up their score.
After halftime, Notre Dame scored 21 straight points. They were methodical, but still had several big plays, mostly coming in 15-25 yard chunks. The ASU defense couldn’t get the same pressure on Golson. Some might argue that the ASU defense got a little conservative, some say that Notre Dame shored up their pass protection. Either way, the ASU momentum was stopped cold as the Sun Devil offense also sputtered. There is no doubt at all that the ASU offense got a little conservative in the third quarter. They rarely threw the ball, appearing to be content to just protect the ball.
It’s hard to fault the coaches and players for being a little more careful in that situation. However, it clearly did not work, as Notre Dame smelled the shift in aggression and got after the Sun Devils.
Which brings us to Act III.
Now only up by three points, the ASU offense finally got back to their game plan. They responded to the 28 point run by the Irish by taking the ball 75 yards for a touchdown with about 4 minutes left in the game, making the score 41-31, giving ASU some breathing room. What followed was a Notre Dame offense that became desperate and an ASU defense that was allowed to loosen up and get off their heels. The result, a pick-six interception by ASU cornerback Lloyd Carrington to push ASU’s lead to 48-31, essentially slamming the door shut on the Irish. The next series, with Notre Dame going for it on fourth down deep in their own territory, ASU recorded their 7th sack of the game. Taylor Kelly scored 4 plays later to give the final score of 55-21.
Again, a game of runs. 34 by ASU, 28 by Notre Dame, 21 by ASU. For ASU fans and players, it was a thrilling, roller-coaster victory. For the coaches, perhaps it wasn’t so thrilling. (but they’ll take it). Games like this are a mental challenge for players. Momentum swings that give players the “hunter” and “hunted” feeling in the same quarter are just not typical.
ASU has some work to do, both in scheme and technique. And they’ll have to address their mental approach as well. They’ll have to learn how to play with a big lead early against a quality team. Devils in Detail will explore that later on this week. In the meantime, it’s time to get back to the grind and prepare for the Beavers.