Dec. 7, 1974 marked Arizona State’s last win over Hawai’i. Over half a century later, ASU earned its first victory over Hawai’i, pulling away 30-12 on a rainy Saturday night.
Coming off one of their worst performances in the Kenny Dillingham era, defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s defense allowed 316 total yards, its lowest total in the last three weeks. The Sun Devils totaled three sacks as junior defensive back Kyan McDonald also secured his first career interception.
“Just proud of him. All the work he’s put in,” junior linebacker Martell Hughes said of McDonald. “He’s one of the quieter guys on the team. Just being able to see him get his moment and obviously make a play that changed the game for us. I’m proud of him.”
Freshman defensive lineman Julian Hugo posted a two-sack performance. His first sack led to a 12-yard loss, forcing Hawai’i to attempt a 51-yard field goal, which was missed. The second forced a Rainbow Warrior punt, opening the door for a 67-yard touchdown run from freshman running back Cardae Mack, giving the Sun Devils a 24-6 lead.
Mack, one of ASU’s “Texas2Tempe” initiative additions, recorded single-game career highs in rushing yards (154) and rushing touchdowns (2), while averaging 11.8 yards per carry. He posted the most rushing yards in program history by a freshman since Keegan Herring’s 197 yards against Northwestern in 2005.
“Everything I do is for my family,” Mack, who lost his father last October, said. “I think me going out there and doing that for my family makes me happy that I can do that.”
The two freshmen played evident roles in the Sun Devils’ third victory of the season.
“He just shows up every day. He’s another guy who has passion,” Dillingham said of Hugo. “Watch him come off the sideline. Go watch the TV copy. You can feel it. He shows up every day. He loves football. He’s a great person. He’s a perfect person for this program, and he’s the perfect person that we want to try to build around in the future.”
Mack’s mentor, running backs coach Shaun Aguano, who hails from the Rainbow Warrior land, has had a knack for producing 1,000-yard rushers since joining ASU’s coaching staff in 2019. Those include current Washington Commander Rachaad White and New York Giant Cam Skattebo. While the Sun Devils may not have a back who’s on pace to hit the 1,000-yard mark, Aguano continues to develop the deepest running back room in Dillingham’s tenure in Tempe.
Mack, the birthday boy, marched Sparky’s ground game to its second-highest total this season — 231 yards.
“That was huge, a lot of football’s [about] momentum and swagger,” Dillingham said of his side’s rushing attack. “I think for them to get some confidence tonight and be like, ‘okay, we can do this. We can run the football. We can run a four-minute drill.’ That’s the second four-minute drill opportunity the offenses had this year, and they’re two for two in a four-minute scenario when it’s time. Those are positive things. So hopefully we can build on it.”
The Sun Devil defense responded after allowing a single-game, season-high 244 yards on the ground to Baylor. The maroon and gold held Hawai’i to 2.9 rushing yards per attempt.
“I think both fronts played good football games. We stopped the run and we ran the ball,” Dillingham said. “When you do that, you’re going to win most games.”
While ASU got back on track, the team’s identity remains in question.
“I still think there’s a little bit of trying to figure us out, though. That’s just being transparent,” Dillingham said. “I thought we were closer to where we need to be today, tonight. I really did.”
Sparky hits the road to Lubbock to take on No. 11 Texas Tech on Oct. 17, with hopes of upsetting the Red Raiders, like it did last season.
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