After dominating the Bruins on the ground in the first half, ASU football stepped away from the running game as Sun Devils lose at UCLA 44-37.
In what looked like a shootout for most them game, UCLA grabbed late momentum and denied ASU bowl eligibility in a 44-37 win.
ASU was rewarded a week ago against Colorado for sticking to the run, eventually stymieing the Buffaloes on the ground in the fourth quarter.
That same mentality seemed to be showing itself again against UCLA.
At halftime, the Sun Devils had ran the ball 39 times to the tune of 203 yards as Wilkins only threw the ball 13 times in that stretch.
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And their method seemed to be working. ASU had a one-point halftime lead, they had over nine minutes more time of possession then their counterpart and ASU’s last score of the half – a 16-yard Wilkins touchdown run – ended a drive that saw 10 rushes and zero passes.
In the third quarter, however, things changed.
The Devils ran the ball just twelve times while having Wilkins sling it 10. Wilkins had a great quarter, though, throwing for 152 yards, but ASU had broken its rhythm.
UCLA went on to outscore them 10-3 in the fourth quarter on their way to a 7-point win.
The Sun Devils could not have asked for a better start. In their second drive of the game, ASU ran the three times with Demario Richard and capped off a 50-yard drive in the endzone as Manny Wilkins found N’Keal Harry from 7 yards out.
On their next possession, the Devils stuck with their ground game as they rushed the ball on their first nine plays, racking up 47 yards. Richard found the endzone two plays later as the Sun Devils took a 14-0 lead.
Richard, who finished with 21 carries for 125 yards, seemed like he couldn’t be stopped – barreling through the Bruins’ front-seven early on.
But, after Wilkins threw a pick-six on the Devils next possession — UCLA’s offense — lead by their star-studded quarterback Josh Rosen — started to find its groove.
The Bruins came into Saturday’s matchup with ASU as a one-dimensional offense. UCLA’s rushing attack was being outgained through the air by an average of 205.1 yards per game.
Saturday saw a more balanced UCLA, a healthy Rosen and a breakout game from running back Bolu Olorunfunmi.
Big runs set up big passes. And trailing by one heading into the third quarter, two straight Rosen passes over 10 yards set up a 21-yard touchdown run from Jambo Soso.
Olorunfunmi, who ended the game with 79 yards on the ground and through the air, saw action in all offensive facets. Later in the third, he caught a 56-yard, over-the-shoulder touchdown from Rosen – and later capped it off with a 2-yard run.
ASU has had trouble stopping plenty of running backs this season. Rashaad Penny and Ronald Jones both went for 216 yards against the Devils and Stanford’s Bryce Love tallied up 301 against ASU.
That one-man wrecking crew wasn’t apparent Saturday, but instead a group effort – ignited by ASU’s missed tackles and the treat of Rosen — of 192 rushing yards doomed Arizona State.
A Rosen to Jordan Lasley connection in the endzone in the first play of the fourth quarter proved to be enough.
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And with two games remaining, ASU still sits one elusive win shy of a bowl game. They will get their next opportunity next week at Oregon State.