It had been nearly four years since Zane Gonzalez's last game-winning field goal — when he was a junior at Deer Park High School, the sophomore kicker remembered. As No. 14 ASU's game against No. 17 Utah progressed, however, the chances of Gonzalez's first collegiate game-winner continued to increase.
ASU football's offense couldn't develop hardly any momentum for much of the game. Its defense played lights-out for the third consecutive game. Penalties marred the Sun Devils (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12), taking away some scoring chances and turning other would-be touchdowns into field goals.
But it turns out, those field goals were just setting the stage for Gonzalez to boot his first game-winning kick through the uprights, to boost ASU to a 19-16 overtime win over the Utes (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12).
The Utes rode junior running back Devontae Booker and sophomore kicker Andy Phillips all night. Booker ran for 146 yards on 37 carries, while junior quarterback Travis Wilson threw for only 20 more yards (57) than Booker had rushing attempts. The Sun Devils defense — one that feels more and more "Todd Graham" as each week goes by — made stops when it counted, though. Utah only pushed into the end zone once; Phillips made up for it, connecting on three field goals, including one from 50 yards.
When it came down to who could hit from 35 or 36 yards away on a hash, Gonzalez was the victor in a battle of two of the nation's best kickers — both sophomores.
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Yet, it wasn't so much the kick that worried ASU coach Todd Graham but the snap and hold.
"I was just worried about the snap, not (Gonzalez)," Graham said. "He has a personality that gives you a lot of confidence. He's the best I've been around."
As far as the other kicker? Gonzalez still has "tremendous" respect for his counterpart, Phillips.
"I just hope he doesn't be too hard on himself tonight," Gonzalez said, calling him a great kicker. That's a claim no one would have disputed entering Saturday's contest, and one no one should dispute even after.
Phillips was 17-of-20 on the season and hit 3-of-3 in regulation. Overtime was different, though. Utah drove seven yards in its only overtime period, setting Phillips up with a 35-yard attempt from the left hash.
Miss.
But, wait. Timeout, Utah. Before the kick. Phillips gets a second chance.
Miss.
The Sun Devils took over, only needing that elusive game-winning field goal.
And the rest was history.
Graham said the key to winning in overtime is running the ball. Both teams should have expected more offensive success, then. Seventy-six percent (184 yards) of Utah's offensive yards came on the ground. But the Utes were held to just seven in overtime, not even getting a first-down.
It was the defense, again, that won the game for the Sun Devils. ASU's secondary shut down Wilson, the Utah quarterback, and allowed just 57 yards through the air. It put pressure on Booker, the star running back, and he answered. But a one-dimensional attack that averaged 3.26 yards per play wasn't going to beat the new-and-improved Sun Devils.
Those same Sun Devils continue to hold their own fate in the mess that is the Pac-12 South. Four teams are within a game and a half of ASU, and USC is only a half-game back. But ASU's in the driver's seat, and "that's what we want," redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly said.
Additional notes
— More on the kicking game: Zane Gonzalez told me in an interview for this feature that the best kickers don't overcorrect, or really, correct at all. His key is just repeating the same steps and mechanics for each kick, trusting that when he misses, it's in the bad execution of a perfected motion. So, rather than overcorrect like Phillips did, Gonzalez does the same kick over and over again.
— Demario Richard continued to pace the ASU running game. Against Washington, Richard ran nine times for 54 yards. He more than doubled that effort Saturday against Utah, rushing 14 times for 116 yards. He's led the Sun Devils in rushing yards the last two games.
— Jaelen Strong didn't have a reception until around the nine-minute mark of the second quarter. Five Sun Devils had receptions before Strong did: Kody Kohl, Gary Chambers, D.J. Foster, Cam Smith and Deantre Lewis, in that order. Before Kelly finally found Strong for 32 yards, the two tried but failed to connect four times. Strong finished with five catches for 77 yards and ASU's lone touchdown reception.
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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