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Instant recap: ASU 35, Cal Poly 21

A lackluster effort from the Sun Devils results in a narrow victory over FCS foe

Sophomore running back Demario Richard celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Cal Poly on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
Sophomore running back Demario Richard celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Cal Poly on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

It was a slow start to the second half for the Sun Devils but two late touchdowns proved enough to narrowly avoid an upset at home in a 35-21 win.

After two of Cal Poly's last three drives in the first half ended with touchdowns, the Mustangs started the second half with more of the same, marching 75 yards down the field on eight plays to tie the game at 21 and completely take the wind out of ASU's sails.

The Sun Devils, coming off a gut-wrenching road loss to Texas A&M, seemed to have bounced back until their ensuing drive ended in sudden and disheartening fashion.

ASU marched down the field and appeared to score when redshirt senior Mike Bercovici threw it up in the end zone for receiver Devin Lucien but the UCLA transfer couldn't haul it in.

The Sun Devils then tried to run the ball in from one yard out but failed twice before Bercovici was intercepted on fourth down on a pass intended for Lucien in the end zone.

ASU's defense held on the next two Cal Poly drives, forcing punts on each of them but the offense struggled to build on whatever momentum it inherited.

Bercovici threw threw three straight passes of 10 or more yards to get the Sun Devils down to the 10 yard line but the offense then stalled and kicker Zane Gonzalez missed on a 28-yard field goal attempt to turn the ball over on downs.

It wasn't until the middle of the fourth quarter when things started to turn in ASU's favor. After trading punts for several drives, linebacker Laiu Moeakiola brought down Kori Garcia for a seven-yard tackle for loss that injected new life into the defense and the stadium.

Feeding off the energy, the Sun Devils forced a punt then got moving on offense, driving downfield quickly until Bercovici found tight end Kody Kohl for a 10-yard touchdown that gave ASU the lead again, 28-21.

ASU kept the momentum from then on, forcing Cal Poly to punt then riding a 59-yard run from receiver Tim White down to the four-yard line.

Bercovici then found White on a short slant route for his third touchdown pass of the game, giving ASU a 35-21 lead with just under two minutes to play.

Second half notes

  • Linebacker Ami Latu, who was injured in the first half and returned to the locker room, did not play in the second half. "Gump" Hayes also did not play in the second half.
  • The Sun Devils are now a perfect 13-0 against FCS opponents in their history.

Reach the assistant sports editor at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21.

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