Mike Bercovici should buy Demario Richard In-N-Out after "Baby Beast Mode" racked up 255 all-purpose yards, and the most receiving yards for a running back in school history. Bercovici is becoming increasingly adept in the read-option. He rushed for 15 yards and a score in addition to throwing for three touchdowns and 317 yards while completing just under 60 percent of his passes. Seven different Sun Devils caught a pass Friday, with Devin Lucien and Tim White combining for 85 yards on eight receptions. However, Lucien left the game with an apparent leg injury and did not return.
The Sun Devils did a much better job containing the Lobos and their version of the triple option, limiting New Mexico's receiver in Dameon Gamblin to just four catches for 54 yards. ASU was only burned twice on Friday. The first big play came when Gamblin burned Solomon Means for a 36-yard gain that was saved from being a touchdown when Means laid out and clipped Gamlin's heel to trip him up, and the second was a 65-yard rushing touchdown up the middle by Tyrone Owens enabled by Christian Sam lunging into the C-gap prematurely.
Zane Gonzalez was perfect on the night, nailing two field goals and four extra points. Matt Haack averaged 45.7 yards on his six punts. Tim White sprung a 34-yard kick return, but fumbled and lost a bouncing punt that White tried to field over his shoulder. He returned two punts for a total of two yards. This should be rather alarming given that conference play begins next week, and if the Sun Devils can't pass the ball security test, it will be a long night against USC.
The most complete team win of the year in a very small sample size, coach Todd Graham is probably wise to assert that his team's best football is ahead of them. If health was factored into our rubric as its own category, the grade would likely be lower, as the number of significant injuries hampering the Sun Devils could be detrimental if key players on offense (Kalen Ballage and Gump Hayes) and defense (Armand Perry and Villami Latu) aren't activated to begin conference play.
Reach the sports editor at smodrich@asu.edu or follow @StefanJModrich on Twitter.
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