The Sun Devils tried to bounce back from a heartbreaking 28-21 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs with an opponent they knew all too well – the No. 10 Washington Huskies.
The Huskies (3-1, 2-0) were able to escape another Sun Devil upset (2-2, 0-1), winning 27-20 on a stellar performance from their defense. Washington’s defense held redshirt senior quarterback Manny Wilkins to 104 passing yards and the Sun Devils offense as a whole to 268 yards.
Wilkins struggled as a whole against the talented Huskies defense and found junior wide receiver N’Keal Harry five times for 20 receiving yards. Teams have begun to catch on to Wilkins's connection to Harry.
After struggling on the ground last week in San Diego, offensive coordinator Rob Likens made sure that sophomore running back Eno Benjamin got the ball on a number of occasions. Benjamin amassed 104 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown.
The defense as a whole showed signs that they can compete with high-powered offenses, no matter the week. Besides a few secondary blunders, the Sun Devils held the Huskies in check. Freshman linebacker Merlin Robertson led the team with 11 tackles and one sack in the team's loss.
With two straight failed fourth-quarter comebacks, the Sun Devils will look to get back in the win column on Saturday. ASU takes on the Oregon State Beavers (1-3, 0-1) in Sun Devil Stadium for the annual Family Weekend football game.
The No.7 Stanford Cardinal pulls off miraculous comeback over No. 19 Oregon Ducks
Stanford and Oregon have had memorable games in the past and Saturday's Pac-12 North battle was just that – memorable.
Stanford (4-0, 2-0) was able to come back from a 24-7 deficit in the second half and snag a win in Eugene (38-31). The Cardinal defense forced the Ducks offense to turn the ball over three times in crucial situations.
Oregon (3-1, 0-1) marched down the field leading 24-7 and was looking for the dagger with a touchdown run by sophomore wide receiver Jaylon Redd. Redd’s touchdown was reviewed and the ruling was reversed – Redd stepped out-of-bounds at the one-yard line.
Three plays later, a high snap slipped out of junior quarterback Justin Herbert's hands, and Stanford’s defense had themselves a scoop and score. However, the Cardinal wasn't finished quite yet.
The momentum switched sidelines and Stanford was able to grasp the energy, crushing Oregon fans' dreams of seeing the Ducks as the top team in the Pac-12 North division.
Stanford tied the game at 31 as the game clock expired. In overtime, Stanford scored on a 23-yard touchdown thrown by junior quarterback K.J. Costello to sophomore tight end Colby Parkinson.
The Ducks' final chance to score came on a 4th-and-10. Herbert threw the ball in the end zone but was picked off, giving Stanford the 38-31 win.
Friday Night Lights in the Coliseum
Friday night's Pac-12 drama involved the Washington State Cougars (3-1, 0-1) and the USC Trojans (2-2, 1-1). The Cougars looked to have the game on lockdown and enter the weekend with an undefeated record, but the Trojans came alive in the second half.
USC's freshman quarterback JT Daniels threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Daniels had to compete in the air with an air-raid offense in Washington State. The Cougars, led by graduate quarterback Gardner Minshew II, had the opportunity to blow open the game and leave Trojan fans in misery. Minshew II threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns but the Cougars defense could not stop the athletic Trojan offense.
In a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Cougars scored a touchdown and tried to convert a two-point conversion to give them a 7-point lead. USC stopped the attempt and only trailed 36-31 with the ball in their hands.
USC’s redshirt sophomore runningback Vavae Malepeai bulldozed his way through the Cougars defense for his second touchdown of the night. Not only did it give the Trojans the lead but they converted the two-point attempt and led 39-36.
Washington State only needed a field goal to tie the game. With less than two minutes to play, redshirt freshman kicker Blake Mazza had his 38-yard field goal blocked, giving the Trojans the 39-36 victory.
Next week: ASU will be back home to take on Oregon State, Sept. 29 on Pac-12 Network at 7:00.
Reach the reporter at sbemanue@asu.edu or follow @SebastianEman5 on Twitter.
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