To think ASU did it in the rain and on the road.
In breaking a nine-game FBS losing streak Saturday that could perhaps be best defined by self-inflicted mistakes, the Sun Devils committed just four penalties and turned the ball over only once. The combined five penalties and turnovers was the third-lowest combined amount in a game in the Dennis Erickson era.
ASU came into the game ranked 117th nationally in turnover margin and 118th in penalties out of 120 FBS teams.
“We had one turnover and four penalties,” Erickson said. “You have to do that to win, and when you do that, you win. That is a pretty good example of it.”
It was the first FBS game the Sun Devils had both fewer penalties and equal to or less turnovers than the opponent since their last FBS win against Washington at home last season.
“The way we feel about this team is that, these three losses we just had, we’ve been losing, and [opponents] haven’t been winning,” senior safety Max Tabach said. “Whether it is penalties, or whether it is missed assignments, we have the talent to beat anyone in the nation. We just have to do it.”
New face time
Redshirt junior linebacker Colin Parker came into the season with eight career tackles and seemingly as an afterthought amongst ASU’s talented linebacker crew.
Parker finished with ten tackles on Saturday while his teammate at safety, Tabach, finished the game with 12. With their play in run support, the duo helped ASU’s defense hold UW senior quarterback Jake Locker to a season-low six yards rushing. With their performances, both players may have earned starting nods moving forward, each having entered the season as backups.
Another overshadowed player in 2010, redshirt sophomore receiver A.J. Pickens, made two critical catches on a late first half touchdown drive that put ASU up two scores.
Vontaze’s inferno cooled
Sophomore middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict played intermittently throughout Saturday’s contest after being disciplined by Erickson and his staff in part for an incident he was involved in against Oregon State, which was not specified by Erickson.
Redshirt senior middle linebacker Gerald Munns played the majority of the snaps against UW and finished the game with four tackles while Burfict finished with three.
“I though [Vontaze Burfict]played good,” Erickson said. “He didn’t get any penalties.”
Burfict was not whistled for a personal foul penalty for the first time since the team’s loss to Wisconsin on Sept. 18.
“He showed some composure and real leadership,” Tabach said. “Because you know Gerald Munns is one of the best back-up linebackers in the nation. [Burfict] came in and was extremely positive and had no reaction to Washington trying to bait him into a personal foul. I was real impressed with him.”
Tuned in
According to the ASU athletic website, which cited Nielsen Media Research, the Sun Devils contest “generated a 4.8 rating/9 share, making it the highest-rated college football telecast in the Valley as approximately 86,524 households tuned into the game.
“The game’s rating peaked at 6.0 rating with an 11 share at 9:30 p.m. (108,156 households).”
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
