At halftime of their first game of the year, the Arizona State Sun Devils had built a substantial lead over the NAU Lumberjacks.
However, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham was far from ecstatic about his team's first 30 minutes of the year, with a handful of penalties that kept the first half from being a flawless performance.
Yes, veteran quarterback Sam Leavitt completed nearly 67 percent of his pass attempts for 131 yards, and the running back room earned 76 yards on the ground between Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown.
However, 48 yards lost to unnecessary penalties kept the Lumberjacks within reach of the Sun Devils' first-half point total. When the two teams went to their locker rooms at halftime, Arizona State held onto a 17-6 lead.
Penalties on Arizona State vs. NAU
- 1st quarter, 13:19 - 10-yard penalty, holding
- 1st quarter, 7:17 - 5-yard penalty, false start
- 1st quarter, 5:08 - 5-yard penalty, delay of game
- 1st quarter, 3:34 - 8-yard penalty, personal foul
- 2nd quarter, 12:46 - 10-yard penalty, holding
- 2nd quarter, 9:43 - 5-yard penalty, delay of game
- 2nd quarter, 3:47 - 5-yard penalty, false start
Throughout the half, Dillingham was visibly frustrated with the continued presence of penalty markers, especially as his team battled against a team that is a far cry from the programs that Arizona State just played in the College Football Playoffs.
As the first-half clock dwindled, Dillingham ran up and down the sideline, getting all of his players to their feet to support the defense that was truly ensuring that the Sun Devils could hold onto their double-digit lead before halftime.
The defense made a massive play to hold NAU to six points as the first 30 minutes ended, and while the first half had its moment of excitement for the No. 11 ASU Sun Devils, the penalties kept the team from being entirely pleased with their start to the season.