For the first seven games of its season, the ASU football team has relied heavily on its defense, while its sputtering offense cost them opportunities down the stretch.
In a do-or-die game Thursday night, however, the roles were reversed, but the results were the same.
The Sun Devils (4-4, 2-3 Pac-12) fell to the Oregon Ducks 61-55 in three overtimes, the longest game in program history. Redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici was intercepted with a chance to tie or win the game by sophomore cornerback Arrion Springs, but the mistakes began long before that defining play.
After ASU finally put points on the board late in the second quarter to cut its deficit to 10-7, ASU had momentum and held the Ducks to fourth-and-1 near midfield. The play that followed would set the theme for the rest of the night for the Sun Devils: Get close, then let it go.
With a chance at the ball in good field position, the ASU defense left redshirt sophomore wide receiver Darren Carrington wide open down the middle of the field for an easy Oregon touchdown that kept momentum on the visitor's bench.
"We haven't done that all year," Graham said. "Absolutely leave a guy completely uncovered on something we practice."
From three missed field goals by junior kicker Zane Gonzalez to blown coverage and missed gap assignments, the Sun Devil defense faltered in every phase it was successful in the beginning of the season.
"Ten penalties defensively," Graham said. "Very poorly prepared. We busted more coverages tonight than we had all year. Just a lot of undisciplined play."
Despite the poor defensive play, ASU offense racked up more yards and points than it had all season, giving the Sun Devils every opportunity to pull away and win the game. Each time, though, the Ducks would respond, putting more pressure on the offense to come through again.
The offense kept the Sun Devils in the game and gave them the lead with just a few minutes left, when ASU had the ball on the Oregon 48-yard line and over five minutes left trying to drive in for a clinching score.
Bercovici and the offense believed a Duck defender jumped offside on the play, prompting the veteran quarterback to loft a ball down the right sideline that was easily intercepted.
The Ducks made the most of that opportunity, driving down the field and connecting on a game-tying touchdown pass from Adams to redshirt junior Dwayne Stafford with just 12 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
Touchdown Oregon pic.twitter.com/WMhVlOwGw4
— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) October 30, 2015
"It’s really frustrating," redshirt senior safety Jordan Simone said. "Us, as a defense, we never want to give up anything like that — too many critical errors and things that we can control. I always say, ‘We have to do what we’re coached to do at the end of the day.’ Sometimes we didn’t."
In overtime, the defense continued its porousness, allowing Oregon to easily gain chunks of yards at will and take a six-point lead in the third overtime.
After a big play put the Sun Devils at the 3-yard line with four plays to cross the goal line, the game was put in the hands of Bercovici, instead of two running backs who combined for 262 rushing yards.
Bercovici's throw on first and goal fell barely incomplete after being tipped in the end zone. ASU was not as lucky on the next play, ending an epic that could have written another miraculous story into the lore of Mike Bercovici.
INTERCEPTION. OREGON WINS! pic.twitter.com/FgmwwkgU0w
— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) October 30, 2015
Instead, the game left many questioning the decision. That is, except for Graham, who knew the offense should not have been in that position in the first place and which part of the team was really responsible for the loss.
"I'll tell you one thing, I can't fault anything that the offense did," Graham said. "742 yards. Obviously we talk about overtime, the team that runs the ball in overtime wins. Yeah, I'm not going to second guess anything they did because they deserved to win."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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