Devils in Detail
Fansided

ASU Football: Sun Devils’ first-half ground game effective

By Zach Pekale

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 22: Manny Wilkins #5 of the Arizona State Sun hands the ball off to Eno Benjamin #3 of the Arizona State Sun Devils against the Washington Huskies in the first quarter during their game at Husky Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 22: Manny Wilkins #5 of the Arizona State Sun hands the ball off to Eno Benjamin #3 of the Arizona State Sun Devils against the Washington Huskies in the first quarter during their game at Husky Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

A week after Eno Benjamin set the ASU football single-game rushing record, the Sun Devils continue to show a run-first offense against Colorado.

If there were any doubts about the offensive identity of Arizona State headed into its Week 6 matchup with No. 21 Colorado, coach Herm Edwards put those to rest in the first half Saturday.

Tied 14-14 at halftime, the Sun Devils compiled 119 rushing yards over the first 30 minutes, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

ASU opted for a run-heavy attack once again, running the ball 26 times compared to just eight passing attempts by quarterback Manny Wilkins. Leading the charge to no surprise was Benjamin, receiving 20 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns as he continues to shift into a workhorse role.

Following the Sun Devils’ win over Oregon State, Edwards addressed a concern regarding Benjamin’s durability when receiving a larger volume of carries. Through two quarters, the sophomore appears to be running with confidence, displaying the ability to break tackles and move his feet to work for extra yards despite his first time playing in elevation.

In the passing game, Wilkins has been effective in spreading out the Buffaloes secondary in limited attempts. He’s completed 75 percent of his passes though ASU only has 65 yards through the air.

Defensively, tackling has been a point of concern for Edwards’ team. CU has outgained ASU 222-183 with a number of yards coming after contact.

Junior Steven Montez leads the offense with 164 yards and a touchdown with four receivers hauling in at least two passes. Laviska Shenault Jr. leads all wideouts with eight catches for 51 yards and a score, doing most of his damage against cornerback Kobe Williams.

To limit Shenault Jr., ASU may have to assign Chase Lucas to him in the second half for a more physical presence.

Next. ASU Football: Pac-12 against the spread for Week 6. dark

While both teams have had success offensively, the first half performance of Benjamin opens the door to Edwards and offensive coordinator Rob Likens to get more creative with their play calls in the second half.

Home/ASU Football