BOULDER, Colo. - For the first time in a long time, the ASU football team didn't have to put on an offensive fireworks show to capture a win.
During the Sun Devils' 21-3 victory at the University of Colorado Saturday, their offense committed four turnovers, had trouble finishing drives and regularly halted its progress with six false-start penalties.
But even on the most dysfunctional of nights, ASU still managed to gain 430 yards, 182 of which were on the ground, and sprinkle in its usual dose of big plays in the passing game.
The Sun Devils know their offense has never been a problem nor will it continue to be. The biggest thing they'll take from the mile-high area is proof that the team's much-aligned defense, which ranked 114th in the nation last season, was able to hold an opponent to just three points, on the road nonetheless.
"Tonight is about the Sun Devil defense," coach Dirk Koetter said. "When we can win 21-3 on the road at a Big-12 school and not play our best on offense, I just think that says a lot for where we're at.
"We've been so great at finishing drives the last few years, and we were horrible at that tonight. In past years when that would happen we were always in a fight for our lives to outscore teams. But I was never worried tonight because our defense had everything under control."
The Sun Devils (3-0) managed to hold the Buffaloes to just 219 total yards, forced three turnovers and continued to put pressure on the opposing quarterback, registering five sacks to up their season total to 18.
"Our offense has to be able to have confidence in us [the defense] to stop the other team," senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill said. "We know that when our offense gets the ball they're going to do good things. So when they have a down night, we should be able to carry them a little bit."
It was an intercepted screen pass and subsequent 26-yard runback by Hill, who weighs in at 301 pounds, with just more than six minutes remaining in the third quarter that typified just how well ASU's "D" - and how abysmal the Colorado offense - played.
"I just tried to key the running back, and as soon as the pass left the quarterback's hand it seemed really slow - and as soon as I caught the ball, I'm sure it seemed a lot slower," Hill said jokingly.
Hill picked off the ball at ASU's 23-yard line. The only other time the Buffaloes (0-3) threatened to score a touchdown came just more than five minutes before halftime, when senior quarterback Bernard Jackson took a snap at the ASU 3-yard line, scrambled forward with the ball outstretched and had it stripped inches short of the goal line by ASU senior safety Zach Catanese. Junior safety Josh Barrett recovered in the end zone and ran the ball back to the ASU 5-yard line before the offense took over.
Jackson looked startlingly poor, throwing 8-for-18 for 86 yards and an interception.
Fittingly, Colorado scored its only points off a turnover by the Sun Devil offense. On ASU's first drive of the game, sophomore tailback Shaun DeWitty fumbled deep in his own territory and Colorado recovered on the ASU 26. Buffalo senior kicker Mason Crosby connected on a 29-yard field goal four plays later.
ASU proceeded to march 78 yards down the field on its next drive - but fumbled once again. After taking the snap at the Colorado 2-yard line, sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter rolled wide right and dove for the end zone before being popped by junior linebacker Jordon Dizon.
The ball squirted loose and was originally ruled a fumble out of bounds at the 1-yard line. But upon video review, it was ruled the ball hit the pylon, thus resulting in a touchback.
The fumble was a sign of things to come for Carpenter, who likely had the worst start of his career, throwing 21 of 37 for 248 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
"Last year people didn't know who I was, and they didn't game plan for me; I was just a stupid freshman quarterback," Carpenter said. "Now most people think I'm a legitimate quarterback. They know they have to game plan for that and they've done a good job so far."
The Sun Devils enjoyed another extended drive on their next series, only this one ended with points. Junior tailback Ryan Torain finished a 10-play, 71-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown gallop.
ASU padded the lead with just less than 11 minutes to go before halftime on an 18-yard scoring strike from Carpenter to redshirt freshman Chris McGaha, who caught the ball in the corner of the end zone with defensive backs draped on him. A pass-interference penalty was called on the play but declined. It was the first touchdown of McGaha's collegiate career.
The score was set up by a 48-yard punt return by senior Terry Richardson six plays earlier. Richardson backpedaled to field the punt and appeared wrapped up shortly after catching it, but he broke the tackle, picked up some blocks and sprinted down the sideline before being wrangled down at the Colorado 40.
ASU's offense struggled throughout the third quarter, gaining just 55 yards. The team added its final score late in the fourth after Colorado freshman Cha'pelle Brown fumbled a punt return, which ASU junior Justin Tryon recovered at the Colorado 20.
Six plays later, Carpenter completed a 5-yard touchdown to junior tight end Zach Miller, who hauled the ball in with one hand before being shoved to the end-zone turf.
"We're 3-0. That's all you can do," Koetter said. "Are we the New England Patriots right now? No, we're not. But we're where we need to be, and we're getting ready to go into conference play."
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