Valedictorian: Tim White
Offense: B-
We'll implement a learning curve adjustment for the ASU offense, which got off to a lethargic start but kept pounding and found a groove in the fourth quarter.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins showed flashes of explosiveness in his first start Saturday, running it in from 13 yards out for the game’s first score to cap a seven-play, 44 yard drive. In the second quarter, he hurdled a defender after bursting through the open field for a 28-yard gain that set up a 33-yard field goal from senior kicker Zane Gonzalez.
After completing his first career pass with 8:12 to go in the first quarter, Wilkins tossed his first interception on the third play of the same drive.
Wilkins was also the game’s leading rusher, though eventually junior running backs Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage combined for 134 yards, as Richard punched in his 12th career touchdown run from the 2-yard line to put the Sun Devils up 20-6 in the third quarter on ASU’s longest drive of the game in both time (5:11) and distance (89 yards).
Redshirt senior receiver Tim White had nine catches for 95 yards and freshman N’Keal Harry took a backward pass 34 yards to the house to etch his name into the rushing column of the box score. Harry had four receptions for 34 yards in his debut.
Defense: C+
The Sun Devils allowed Case Cookus to throw for 371 yards, but held the Lumberjacks to 56 yards on the ground and forced NAU to settle for field goals twice. The Sun Devils also held firm twice on NAU's fourth down conversion attempts.
In the third quarter, Marcus Ball was ejected for targeting after a violent helmet-to-helmet hit on junior running back Jabril Taylor. According to several reports, junior linebacker Christian Sam suffered an ankle injury and did not return.
Cookus picked apart ASU’s secondary, allowing sophomore wideout Emmanuel Butler to rack up 118 yards and freshman Elijah Marks to accrue 176. The pair of Lumberjack receivers each had seven catches, and Marks reeled off a 90-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to draw the Lumberjacks within two scores.
Special teams: A-
The Zane Gonzalez record watch is on. Gonzalez nailed all three of his field goal attempts, including a career-long 53-yarder in the third quarter — the third-longest in ASU history. The Deer Park, Texas native needs two made field goals to equal the Sun Devil record, nine to tie the Pac-12 mark, and is 12 shy of an NCAA record.
White accumulated 195 all-purpose yards, including 57 on kick returns. He also returned a punt 43-yards in the fourth quarter.
Wilkins successfully converted a 2-point attempt on a pass to Ballage.
Overall: B-
Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or follow @StefanJModrich on Twitter.
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