The ASU football team put up attention-grabbing numbers against visiting Georgia on Saturday night.
Numbers the Sun Devil program had not seen since in six years.
Numbers no team would want to see.
The Sun Devils (2-2, 1-0 Pac-10) gained just four net yards on the ground in their 27-10 loss to the No. 3 Bulldogs (4-0).
It was the team’s lowest single-game rushing total since they ran for –2 yards against Cal in 2002.
“We’ve got to be able to run the football a little bit in order for us to have any chance to be successful,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “We couldn’t do it, and then we didn’t do it because we got in a situation where we tried to throw it to get back in the football game.”
After allowing just 18 rushing yards against South Carolina last week, UGA’s stingy defense was even better against the Sun Devils.
ASU was unable to find any consistent holes for juniors Dimitri Nance or Shaun DeWitty. The Bulldogs’ big defensive tackles clogged the middle, and their speedy defensive ends and linebackers quickly cut off any running plays to the outside.
Erickson did not place blame on any one part of the rushing attack but instead said the fault should be shared.
“It’s everybody,” he said. “Obviously, the offensive front’s got to block and you’ve got to break tackles, so it’s a combination of things. I don’t think there’s any real answer right now, but we’ve just got to find a way to [run the ball].”
ASU’s longest run of the night wasn’t really a run at all — junior receiver Kyle Williams caught a backwards pass for an 11-yard gain in the first quarter.
Nance carried the ball 10 times for just 12 yards for the Sun Devils, while DeWitty had zero yards on two carries.
ASU is still missing the presence of senior Keegan Herring, as the Sun Devils’ struggles continued against the Bulldogs.
Herring, who has missed three of four games this season because of a hamstring injury, provides the speedy complement to the pounding running styles of Nance and DeWitty.
“He’s our home run hitter, and we don’t have that right now,” Erickson said. “When he doesn’t play, it takes a little bit away from what we do as far as having the ability to break a run for a touchdown.”
Herring is expected to be back for the Sun Devils’ game at California on Oct. 4.
The offense’s inability to convert near the goal line, another recurring problem, surfaced again Saturday night.
After a personal foul penalty in the second quarter gave the Sun Devils new life inside the UGA 20-yard line, they could not punch the ball into the end zone.
Senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter hit senior wide receiver Michael Jones for a 7-yard gain on first down, but DeWitty rushed for two yards on second down and Nance ran for no gain on third down. That forced the Sun Devils to settle for the field goal again.
“When you drive down there, and you can’t score touchdowns … it deflates you,” Carpenter said. “That’s been our story all year.”
Erickson said he will put numerous positions up for grabs in practice during the Sun Devils’ bye week, including spots on the offensive line and at running back.
On the line, the Sun Devils will get redshirt freshman Matt Hustad back from a knee injury and junior Tom Njunge will continue to compete for playing time.
Freshman running back Ryan Bass may also get more looks, especially while Herring is still unable to practice.
“We’ve got to look at personnel,” Erickson said. “It’s going to be an interesting week for us. It’s a bye week, but it’s not a bye week.”
Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.
