ASU Football: Inability to capitalize, lack of adjustment costs Sun Devils

In a battle of 3-3-5 defenses, San Diego State edged Arizona State 28-21 to hand the ASU football program its first loss under Herm Edwards.

With momentum in its favor and the Associated Press poll’s No. 23 ranking in hand, Herm Edwards’ train went over its first set of rickety tracks on Saturday night.

Leading the Aztecs 14-7 late in the first half, ASU faced fourth-and-1 from the SDSU 11 yard line. A conversion extends the drive and presumably gives the Sun Devils a two-possession lead.

Instead, quarterback Manny Wilkins was sacked for a loss of four yards with 1:41 remaining until halftime. The turnover on downs was a catalyst for SDSU, culminating in a swift 11-play, 85-yard march downfield to tie the game.

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Through the first 30 minutes, the game went back and forth, appearing as though the Sun Devils were in command. But when teams took the field to begin the second half, ASU was a shell of the team that had taken the college football world by storm the past two weeks.

San Diego State clamped down defensively, allowing 13 yards in the third quarter while head coach Rocky Long’s offense opted for a run-heavy approach that would use much of the clock.

Out of the half, SDSU only threw the ball six times compared to 37 rushing attempts and controlled the ball for more than 21 minutes. After starter Juwan Washington exited with 27 carries and 138 yards due to injury, backup Chase Jasmin did not miss a beat, racking up 112 yards on 19 carries in relief.

Similar to its Week 2 victory over Michigan State, Arizona State struggled to run the ball once again. However, Saturday’s game didn’t feature an in-game offensive adjustment capable of rebooting a stagnant unit.

Sophomore Eno Benjamin was effective as a receiver out of the backfield with seven catches for 44 yards but only mustered 21 yards on the ground, placing a lot of offensive responsibility on Wilkins.

While Wilkins’ success on downfield passes was evident, they were scarcely called. The playcalling on Saturday was more conservative, reminiscient of a first half against MSU that featured a lot of throws to the outside as well as checkdowns.

The redshirt senior had seven completions of at least 16 yards, three of which went for more than 20. He nearly recorded another but sophomore Frank Darby had a 48-yard reception dislodged from his hands as a result of a targeting call against defensive back Trenton Thompson.

Next. ASU Football: Aztecs dominated the Sun Devils in the trenches. dark

Despite being largely outplayed in the second half, the Sun Devils nearly found a way to tie the game before ultimately falling short.

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