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ASU football can't cap comeback in loss to Cougars

The Sun Devils nearly overcame a 16-point second half deficit, but ran out of time.

ASU redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) is hit, resulting in a sack, in the first half of a game versus WSU in Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016.
ASU redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) is hit, resulting in a sack, in the first half of a game versus WSU in Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016.

Riddled with injuries and reeling from a road loss a week ago, the ASU football team returned home to Sun Devil Stadium still one win away from bowl eligibility, despite a host of problems.

The Sun Devils (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12) mounted a late comeback, but fell just short, dropping their second game in a row and first of the season at home to Washington State, 37-32.

It was unclear if redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins would play Saturday, but ASU's opening drive seemed to answer the question if he was healthy.

Guided by Wilkins, ASU cruised, marching 59 yards in 11 plays. Wilkins capped the drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown after hurdling a Washington State defender.

After the touchdown, however, Wilkins lasted just one more drive after suffering a stinger, forcing ASU to turn to freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole to lead the offense.

Sterling-Cole had played in just two games before Saturday, and hadn't completed a pass, but he kept his cool early, leading a five-play, 75 yard scoring drive, capped by a 52-yard Kalen Ballage touchdown to put the Sun Devils up 14-3 and give the appearance that ASU would be able to weather the proverbial storm.

Overall, Sterling-Cole completed seven of 16 passes for 86 yards, but Graham praised the efforts of his fourth-string signal caller.

"I thought Dillon battled and, for a freshman who hadn’t had very many reps, I thought he did a great job," Graham said.

With a steady lead, in the second quarter, the notoriously good Sun Devil special teams unit made its biggest mistake of the season, allowing junior safety Robert Taylor to return the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to swing momentum towards the visitors.

"There was no way on Earth that that should’ve went for a touchdown," Graham said in his postgame radio interview. "It’s one of those things that we emphasize all the time. We thought the kicker was going to tackle him but guys just pulled up. That play was really, really frustrating."

The Cougars, spurred on by the kick return, exploded offensively.

Over the next quarter-plus, Washington State scored 28 consecutive points to build a commanding lead.

Redshirt junior quarterback Luke Falk threw for two touchdowns in the stretch and maneuvered his team up and down the field, putting pressure on the ASU defense from all angles.

Redshirt junior linebacker Marcus Ball said ASU's gameplan was to get pressure on Falk, evident by its seven sacks, but Falk outmatched them during that stretch.

"It’s no surprise everyone knows we’re coming with pressure," Falk said. "It was sense of urgency trying to get to him but we knew he was going to get the ball out quickly.”

ASU responded late, scoring the final 11 points of the game, but could not stop the Cougars when it counted, allowing Falk and co. to run out the game and escape Tempe with a win.

Ball, who had nine tackles in the game, said its up to ASU's defense to continue making strides and win games for the Sun Devils.

"From here on out, every game is going to be on us, that’s how every defense in America should look at it," Ball said. "Defense wins ball games, no doubt about it. We’re not going to hang our heads about the loss, we’re going to go back to work and show up next Saturday.”


Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.

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