When asked about losing so many close games in 2010, ASU football coach Dennis Erickson always answered, “You have to look at them and say, ‘Why did we lose?’”
The entire ASU football team will be asking the same question this week.
And it shouldn’t have a problem pinpointing several reasons why the No. 22 Sun Devils (2-1) came up short on the road Saturday against Illinois (3-0), 17-14.
“They're a good football team,” Erickson said. “But we had many opportunities. It's very disappointing. It's two steps forward and one step back.”
The Sun Devils out-gained Illinois 362 yards to 240 yards, but the list of fundamental breakdowns from Saturday is lengthy: three turnovers, 91 yards of penalties, six sacks allowed and a missed short field goal.
For any team, no matter how talented, those kinds of mistakes won’t translate into wins.
It’s been written before and the Sun Devils hoped it would be put in the past, but when the same demons continue to haunt them, it’s hard not to bring up past letdowns.
ASU fell last year in similar self-inflicted fashions on the road at then-No. 11 Wisconsin and USC, both by a single point after a month’s worth of mistakes in the games.
Even last week in a win against then-No. 22 Missouri, the Sun Devils made enough miscues to blow a 14-point fourth quarter lead and leave the visitors with a field goal at the end of regulation to win it.
Fortunately, they snuck out of the blackout unscathed, but the team knew it couldn’t continue to play like it did and still reach its lofty goals.
In reality, Saturday’s non-conference loss to Illinois only takes away the unrealistic hope of a national championship.
But with a team still unable to overcome itself, let alone its opponents, ASU’s shot at a Pac-12 south title appears murky.
“This is gut wrenching, to be honest with you,” ASU senior wide receiver Gerell Robinson said. “Everyone is sitting in disbelief that [the loss] happened the way it did. We just have to go back to the drawing board.”
Saturday didn’t start off on the right foot for the Sun Devils.
They went three and out on their first possession, and after a shanked punt, the Illini took it into the end zone for an early 7-0 lead.
ASU responded on its next drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Brock Osweiler to Robinson to tie the game up.
After Illinois put through a 20-yard field goal to regain the lead in the first quarter, no more points were scored until the fourth quarter.
The Sun Devils drove the ball into the red zone twice in the second quarter, but failed to put any points on the board either time.
Osweiler threw an interception after being hit in the pocket, then ASU redshirt freshman kicker Alex Garoutte missed a 32-yard field goal with 32 seconds left in the half.
In the third quarter, Osweiler again threw an interception in Illinois territory after the defense got past the ASU offensive line.
The teams exchanged field possession until finally the Sun Devils broke through on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 14-yard touchdown run from Osweiler to put ASU ahead for the first time, 14-10.
After an Illinois three-and-out on the ensuing kickoff, it appeared the Sun Devils were driving down the field to put the finishing touches on a come from behind victory.
But yet again, the Illini defense got to Osweiler and forced a fumble, giving the home team the ball in Sun Devil territory.
“I can't tell you how many times we were in scoring position and didn't come away with points,” Osweiler said. “Whether that was a mistake I made, a wrong route being ran, a penalty, something like that. They brought a lot of pressure tonight. Shoot, it seemed like almost every snap.”
A few plays later, Illinois sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase hit senior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins across the middle of the ASU defense for a 16-yard touchdown.
The Sun Devils had two more possessions to tie or take the lead, but couldn’t move the ball, culminating in four straight Osweiler incompletions to clinch the game for Illinois, 17-14.
Reach the reporter at tyler.emerick@asu.edu
