After opening the season with wins over Ohio and Northern Illinois, Northwestern came into Saturday's game against ASU planning to make a statement against a ranked opponent.
But things don't always go according to plan.
The Wildcats, who entered the game with the nation's seventh best offense averaging 526 yards a game, struggled to get anything going against the Sun Devils, falling 52-21. They had 416 yards offense in the game.
"We knew we were coming into a very difficult place to play," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. "We knew we were playing an outstanding football team. It got away from us in the second quarter, and I'm disappointed in the fact that we didn't play better."
Things didn't look so bad for Northwestern early on. After forcing ASU to punt on its first two possessions, Northwestern got on the board first with a 7-yard pass from senior quarterback Brett Basanez to junior wide receiver Shaun Herbert with 7:23 left in the first quarter, capping an 8-play, 80-yard drive.
But any momentum Northwestern had quickly vanished as the Wildcats were unable to score on their next five possessions and unable to stop ASU, suddenly finding themselves in a 31-7 hole with 6:49 left in the first half.
Basanez completed 24 of 37 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the game, both to Herbert, who caught eight passes for 46 yards. Northwestern's other points came on a 12-yard touchdown reception by freshman wide receiver Rasheed Ward from backup quarterback C.J. Bacher at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Basanez said Northwestern's struggles on offense were inexcusable.
"We knew we were probably in for a shootout, but we didn't execute in the red zone when we needed too," Basanez said. "We had chances, but we kind of shot ourselves in the foot."
Northwestern had drives end twice when it failed to complete fourth-down conversions in ASU territory on consecutive possessions at the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. Early in the second quarter, it also lost a possession with a fumble.
After rushing for 214 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries last week against Northern Illinois, Northwestern freshman running back Tyrell Sutton was held to 108 yards on 15 carries against ASU.
The Wildcats only carried the ball 32 times, 15 times fewer than in its two previous games.
"They did a pretty good job taking the run away," Basanez said. "We've just got to do what works. The passing game was kind of clicking today, but that obviously wasn't working real well either. We need to find balance, but at the same time we need to take what they give us."
Walker said ASU's play didn't give his team much to take.
"We just weren't very good, and that is all I can say," Walker added. "We were out-coached and out-played. A better football team took it to us tonight."
Reach the reporter at jeremy.a.cluff@asu.edu.
