TEMPE – With its Big 12 title hopes on the line, No. 20 ASU football (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) totaled just one touchdown in a dreadful offensive showing.
No. 20 Arizona’s (9-3, 6-3 Big 12) defense forced five turnovers and held Arizona State’s offense to 214 total yards, winning the 99th edition of the Territorial Cup, 23-7.
“Yeah, you can’t have five turnovers,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “You’re just not going to win games. … like the most fundamental thing in football. We were really good at that last year (limiting turnovers). We were really good at points of this year in that. Today, you (have) got to give credit to them for knocking the ball out.”
The Wildcat defense disrupted the Sun Devil offense’s rhythm all night long: ASU senior quarterback Jeff Sims completed 44% of his passes, recorded 114 passing yards, threw three interceptions and fumbled once.
“They stopped the run pretty well. But we didn’t have enough plays,” Dillingham said of his offense’s struggles. “When you don’t have enough plays and your possession time is 40:00 to 19:59, that’s because of turnovers.”
When junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson exited the game after Sparky’s third drive, Arizona stacked the box. The Maroon and Gold’s third-best ground game in the conference was imprisoned to 100 yards — its lowest rushing total since its last home loss to Houston.
Daring the Devils to throw the deep ball, Sims launched down the field for sophomore wide receiver Jaren Hamilton, but was picked off by Wildcat senior defensive back Treydan Stukes. Arizona tacked on another field goal on its ensuing drive, extending its lead to 13-7.
Sims scampered in from 27 yards out for the game’s first score at the midway point of the second quarter. However, it ended up being the only time Sparky crossed the goal-line plane all game.
“The challenge was us,” ASU senior tight end Chamon Metayer said. “We just had to get in our own ways. By the time we figured it out, it was kind of too late. That’s just the game of football. We got to capitilize early, we can’t start slow.”
Slow starts have been a common theme for offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo’s squad: Other than their season-opening win over NAU, the Sun Devils have a sum total of 18 points in their last 11 first quarters.
In its 14-game season last year, Arizona State totaled 109 first-quarter points. This season, ASU has met 29% of that sum.
One of the reasons could be the absence of the team’s honorary captain in the game, former running back Cam Skattebo. The New York Giants’ tailback accounted for 30 open-quarter points last season.
“Yeah, great to see him. Everybody loves Skatt,” Dillingham said. “Skatt was a big piece of this team last year. He’s a big piece of Arizona State moving forward.”
While the team’s aspirations of returning to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, have been cut short, Arizona State will compete in a bowl game. In the meantime, Sims looks to suit up for one last start in the Maroon and Gold.
“Jeff (Sims) is 3-1 as the full-time starting quarterback,” Dillingham said. “Jeff is an unbelievable human being. He’s an unbelievable person. He has all the ability in the world. I feel for him tonight.”
With Sims, Tyson, Metayer and a majority of his offensive line graduating, Dillingham and his staff will need to find new faces to fill these holes.
“I think we have to do a good job evaluating people, and keep looking for who we should add in the program,” Dillingham said. “In today’s day and age, with the way it’s currently set up, it’s harder to withstand injuries than it’s ever been because it’s just the new model of college football. But, I think we’re going to have a really good chance to get really good players to add to the program.”
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