With ASU riding a three-game losing streak and depleted by key injuries, Matt Miller's career night couldn't have come at a better time.
An unsung member of the receiving corps for much of his time at ASU, the fifth-year senior hauled in a career-high three touchdown receptions and posted a personal best 139 receiving yards on five catches, helping the Sun Devils to a 44-20 victory over Washington.
In the previous three games combined, Miller totaled only three receptions for 34 yards, but he said the coaching staff designed Saturday's game plan to involve him more in the offense.
"(Quarterbacks coach Mark Helfrich) told me before the game, 'you're going to have three touchdowns today,'" he said. "He told me on which plays, and sure enough, they were the exact same plays that he called."
Freshman quarterback Rudy Carpenter made his first career start for ASU in place of the injured Sam Keller and seemingly already had a good rapport with Miller. The two were in sync, continuously exploiting the Huskies' defense over the middle.
All three of Carpenter's touchdown passes went to Miller.
"I didn't know I was going to have that kind of connection with him before the game," Carpenter said. "It's just one of those things that kind of happened."
Miller ran past the Washington secondary every chance he got, becoming Carpenter's favorite deep threat.
Carpenter hit Miller on a well-timed 69-yard bomb that went for a touchdown in the second quarter and later a 33-yard strike to convert a third down. They connected again for 42 yards inside the Washington 10-yard line with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, but a penalty nullified the play.
"We had Matt on some deep routes in our game plan, so we were getting a lot of chances in practice to hook up," Carpenter said. "It just carried over into this game."
On the Sun Devils' first drive of the second quarter from their own 31-yard line, Carpenter found Miller across the middle, streaking toward the end zone ahead of the Washington secondary. The pass led Miller and fell right into his hands in stride for his second score in as many receptions during the first half.
"I've been waiting for a ball like that since I've been at ASU," Miler said. "I finally had the opportunity to go up under a ball and keep running afterward.
"There was no stopping me on that one."
Carpenter added that the completion settled his nerves.
"That was a very big play for us and especially my confidence," he said. "Matt made a great play."
Miller's third touchdown reception sealed the game for ASU.
With a slim 24-20 lead late in the fourth quarter, he brought in a 10-yard Carpenter pass on third down to make it a two-possession game with just over five minutes to play.
Miller's three touchdowns gave him five on the year. He had four for his career prior to this season.
"I've been waiting for a game like this for five years," Miller said. "This was my second-to-last home game, so I wanted to make the best of it."
Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.
