ASU Football: Benjamin leads Sun Devils in record-setting game

After back-to-back losses, ASU football returned to its winning ways, routing Oregon State by a score of 52-24.

On the first two drives of the game, Eno Benjamin ran for 80 yards and scored a touchdown to put the Sun Devils up 10-0.

He did not look back.

Benjamin broke ASU’s single-game rushing record with 312 yards. He also found the end zone three times on the ground and once on an eight-yard reception.

“It was a great feeling,” Benjamin said. “We had a game plan, we knew we were going to be able to run the ball on them.”

Since Herm Edwards was hired as ASU’s head coach, the team has instituted gap schemes into the offense. Benjamin said this, opposed to running zone blocking, helped him against the Beavers because it’s what he’s used to.

“Gap scheme runs are what I did in high school a lot. My team was tough and physical up front.”

Before his record-shattering performance, Benjamin ran for a combined 283 yards in his first four games, two of which he rushed for less than 30.

Arizona State’s previous single-game rushing record occurred in 1973 when Ben Malone rushed for 250 yards, which was also against Oregon State.

As a team, the Sun Devils combined for 396 yards on the ground between Benjamin, quarterback Manny Wilkins, Isaiah Floyd, Trelon Smith and N’Keal Harry.

Though the offense combined for 558 total yards, Manny Wilkins was held under 200 yards for the second week in a row. In spite of this, Wilkins threw three touchdowns, completing 14-of-25 passes.

While he finished the game with a passer rating of 150, Wilkins was inconsistent with the deep ball, and ASU head coach Herm Edwards attributes that with being under the weather.

“Manny was a little bit under the weather,” Edwards said. “I have to tip my hat to him. He had to get an IV at halftime, came back out.”

ASU played more disciplined than they had previously committing just one penalty on the entire night. The lone penalty was a delay of game call in the second half.

A week ago, N’Keal Harry accumulated his fewest receiving yards since October 2016. The Huskies kept Harry in check allowing just 20 receiving yards to the junior.

But against the Beavers, Harry caught five passes for 84 yards, one of which was a 41-yard touchdown reception. He also scored on a touchdown run at the goal-line.

While Harry hasn’t posted as many receiving yards as he did at this point last year, Edwards said he’s having a better season this year and is still being targeted.

“His stats are better than they were last year, just on touchdowns alone,” Edwards said. “We’re going to get him the ball.”

Five games into the season, Harry now has 35 receptions for 419 yards and six total touchdowns.

Although the ASU offense was stellar, scoring 52 points, the Sun Devils also had trouble stopping the run.

Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson ran for 254 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. Edwards said the team’s inability to stop Jefferson was due to the defense’s immaturity.

“(They) gotta grow up,” Edwards said. “Football’s about momentum. You can’t let one play become a bad series of plays.”

For the most part, Arizona State held the Beavers’ passing game in check. Quarterback Conor Blount threw for 143 yards and a touchdown.

After leading 31-17 at halftime, ASU further pulled away, outscoring the Beavers 21-7 in the second half. The game ended 52-24, and the Sun Devils averaged 7.6 yards per play, compared to OSU’s 5.3.

Following the win, the Sun Devils are now back to .500 in Pac-12 play at 1-1, and overall, they are 3-2.

ASU hits the road again next week when the Sun Devils travel to the Rocky Mountains for a game against Colorado.

In Week 5, the Buffaloes took care of business, defeating UCLA 38-16 at home. The UCLA win was their fourth of the season, and Colorado is the lone undefeated team remaining in the Pac-12.

So far, the Sun Devils are 0-2 on the road this season, and Edwards said the team needs to play better away from home.

“We haven’t been very good on the road,” Edwards said. “Now we’ve got to go on the road and play Colorado. I don’t think it’s stay focused, so much, it’s just win.”

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.