Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaelen Strong reacts after dropping a pass in a game against the University of Arizona, Friday, Nov. 28, 2014 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The Wildcats defeated the Sun Devils 42-35. (Photo by Ben Moffat)The ASU offense shined early and late in Tucson, but in the end, it was points that were left off the board that ultimately sank the Sun Devils in their pursuit of the South. In a game that would only be decided by seven points, 42-35, missed field goals and missed opportunities closed the book on the Sun Devil’s regular season.
ASU was left to lament on a missed opportunity early as they were unable to cash in a 1st and goal from the UA 3-yard-line. Four times the ASU offense would rush, and four times the Wildcat defensive front would push the Sun Devils backwards, ultimately denying them the end zone and taking over on downs. ASU would catch a break, forcing a sack-fumble recovered by redshirt junior defensive lineman Demetrius Cherry for a touchdown.
The defensive units scored first for each team, forcing sack-fumbles, first on redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly, and then on UA redshirt freshman quarterback Anu Solomon. From that point onward the two competitors would trade touchdown for touchdown, matching each other’s offensive efficiency to produce a 21-21 tie at half.
When asked about the points left on the field during the first half, ASU coach Todd Graham admitted that it "killed (them)", only forcing the Sun Devil offense to exhaust more effort in order to amend the early mistakes.
"We got after the quarterback, we did a lot of great things," Graham said. "At the end of the day we had our chances and didn't get it done ... But what killed us is getting the ball on the one-inch line and not scoring, that was really bad."
The Wildcats came out for the second half like a boxer fresh removed from a riveting ring-corner pep talk. Starting on his own 25-yard-line, Solomon would march UA 75 yards in 9 plays (four of which were first downs) to take the lead, 28-21. ASU would look to respond, as they did in the first half, driving down the field in 8 plays to set up a field goal attempt for sophomore kicker Zane Gonzalez.
As the kick hooked wide, the pendulum had swung nearly entirely in the favor of the home team. A 72-yard touchdown run by Wildcat freshman running back Nick Wilson on UA's ensuing play would seal the momentum shift.
Gonzalez’s miss began a spiral downwards for the Sun Devils’ offense. Kelly would be sacked twice on the Sun Devils next drive, leading to a punt from sophomore Matt Haack. It wasn’t until the next drive that redshirt sophomore quarterback Mike Bercovici would trot out to the huddle, effectively ending the day for starting quarterback Taylor Kelly.
"Mike and I made a change with Taylor and we just felt we needed a spark," Graham said. "We were trying anything ... I just knew we had to do something to try to generate some offense."
Bercovici’s first drive ended with another Matt Haack punt, but the Sun Devil defense would stiffen, giving ASU a chance to complete a miracle; they closed the margin to just seven following a Mike Bercovici touchdown pass to redshirt senior tight end De'Marieya Nelson.
The heroics of Bercovici, however, would be too little too late and the Wildcat defense would halt the Sun Devils one last time to seal the victory, 42-35.
"(I) hate to say that we beat ourselves but we really did,” Graham said. “Turning the football over killed us; turning it over twice and then we get the ball on the one-inch line and can’t score, and that really hurt."
In a season full of haunting hindsight and lingering “what if’s”, the final game for the 2014 Sun Devils would follow a similar narrative. Ultimately, the points left off the board for ASU would come back to haunt them, and the pivotal absences of redshirt junior defensive back Jordan Simone and redshirt sophomore linebacker Laiu Moeakiola to injuries would seal the Sun Devils unfortunate fate.
Reach the reporter at csafran@asu.edu and follow him on Twitter @ChrisSafran
