Even after a strong first game against NAU last weekend, one element of the ASU football team was still criticized: the rushing attack.

But the unit took a big step forward in Saturday’s 41-17 win over Stanford, as the No. 15 Sun Devils rushed for 127 yards to complement another great performance by the ASU passing game.

The ASU backfield was largely helped by the return of senior Keegan Herring and junior Shaun DeWitty, who both missed the NAU game due to hamstring injuries.

“With Dimitri [Nance] and Keegan and DeWitty, they all bring a different dynamic,” senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter said. “We need to keep those guys healthy and keep running the rock.”

Coach Dennis Erickson said adding running backs into the fold helps the team achieve a better offensive balance.

While Carpenter and his receivers basically carried the load last week, the Sun Devil running backs were much more productive against Stanford.

“When you pass the ball in hot weather like this, you get those defensive guys tired,” Carpenter said. “That’s when you can really start pounding it.”

Herring in particular gave the Sun Devils a jolt when he entered the game in the second quarter. He broke into the open field for a 20-yard scamper on his first run of the season.

“[Herring] adds something to us as far as making the big play,” Erickson said.

Herring then added another exclamation point on a 19-yard run to push ASU inside the red zone in the fourth quarter.

That run ultimately led to Herring’s first rushing touchdown of the season.

“Keegan’s a change-of-pace guy,” Carpenter said. “He’s not going to pound it out for five, six…a carry.

“He’s going to get nothing or get a lot, which is what happened [Saturday night]. That helps because it demoralizes defenses when they think they’ve got him in the backfield and then all of a sudden he’s gone.”

Herring was slow to get up after a fourth quarter play when he tweaked his hamstring again. Erickson said Herring did not seriously reinjure the aggravated muscle.

Provided Herring can stay healthy, he will continue to climb the charts.

With his 59 yards and one touchdown, Herring is 182 yards away from passing Ben Malone for ninth place on ASU’s all-time career rushing list and nine touchdowns away from passing Malone for fifth in career rushing scores.

DeWitty saw his first game action in well over a year Saturday after redshirting during the 2007 season. While he only carried the ball once, he did have two catches for 19 yards and was a factor in protecting Carpenter from the Stanford pass rush.

The help from Herring and DeWitty also seemed to really benefit Nance, who rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown after gaining just 30 yards against NAU.

“Keegan kind of fired us up in the running game, but even before he got in there, Dimitri was running really well too,” Erickson said.

Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.