Redshirt sophomore Jaelen Strong is tackled a member of Oregon States' team. the Sun Devils won 30-17. (Photo by Arianna Grainey)For the second week in a row, No. 19 ASU football needed a spark in the fourth quarter to put away the game.
The Sun Devils (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12) looked like they were going to cruise to another easy win at home with a 20-3 advantage coming out of halftime, but the Sun Devils had trouble putting away Oregon State.
After scoring at the end of the third quarter, the Beavers (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) threatened ASU by setting up a field goal. ASU redshirt senior defensive end Davon Coleman blocked the field goal, which set up freshman kicker Zane Gonzalez’s 18-yard field goal and redshirt senior defensive back Robert Nelson’s pick-six.
Those plays became the dagger for the Sun Devils’ 30-17 win over Oregon State, bringing ASU closer to its goal of winning the Pac-12 South.
“We made a lot of mental mistakes,” ASU coach Todd Graham said. “(Oregon State coach Mike) Riley does a great job. Presents a lot of different things, and I’m proud of the guys for going and getting the football. We are playing championship level defense.”
ASU intercepted Oregon State junior quarterback Sean Mannion four times — twice by Nelson and once each by redshirt sophomore defensive back Damarious Randall and senior safety Alden Darby.
Mannion, the Pac-12’s leader in passing yards and touchdowns, had only thrown six interceptions this season coming into the game. The Sun Devils also limited Mannion to 320 passing yards, which is 73 yards below his average.
The Sun Devils’ defense held on as their offense struggled to put away the Beavers.
“We got a great defense,” ASU redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly said. “Everywhere. Guys are playing at a high level. They’re playing as one unit and that’s scary for other teams.”
ASU started the game off with a 1-yard touchdown run from senior running back Marion Grice that capped off a nine-play, 75-yard drive. The Sun Devils’ defense forced Oregon State to punt on its first two drives, but Kelly threw an interception to Oregon State senior cornerback Rashaad Reynolds and another to Beavers linebacker Jabrai Johnson.
ASU’s defense still held on with Nelson’s first interception against Mannion, leading to sophomore running back D.J. Foster’s first rushing touchdown of the year with an 8-yard rush to put the Sun Devils up 13-0 following the blocked extra-point.
Beavers junior wide receiver Brandin Cooks muffed a punt that Nelson recovered at Oregon State’s 15-yard line. ASU followed it up with another 1-yard touchdown run by Grice to extend the lead to 20-0.
Mannion threw his second interception to Randall following Grice’s score. After the Sun Devils failed to follow it up with a touchdown, the Beavers went on a 15-play, 45-yard drive that ended with junior placekicker Trevor Romaine’s 22-yard field goal. Oregon State went into halftime down 20-3.
Everything seemed good for ASU coming out of the break when Darby intercepted Mannion on the Beavers’ first drive, but the Sun Devils’ offense looked like it didn’t even leave the locker room. The next three drives in the game ended in punts, but that changed when Oregon State scored again with Mannion’s six-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Caleb Smith.
ASU had only 34 yards of total offense in the third quarter and the Beavers were about to cut the lead by one possession with Romaine’s field goal until Coleman blocked it.
With momentum restored, the Sun Devils took a long 13-play, 68-yard methodical drive at the beginning of the fourth quarter to finally get back on the scoreboard with Gonzalez’s field goal. Nelson picked off Mannion again on the first play of the Beavers’ ensuing drive and scored to seal the game, making Mannion’s 29-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Connor Hamlett irrelevant.
Grice finished the game with 118 rushing yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaelen Strong, who only had eight receiving yards against Utah last week, had 106 yards on seven catches.
It was a game to forget for both quarterbacks as Kelly didn’t throw a touchdown. He finished the game 22-of-37 passing with 183 yards and two interceptions, while Mannion had a final statline of 31-of-46 passing with 320 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
ASU is riding a five-game winning streak — the Sun Devils' longest since 2007. ASU has a one-game lead over UCLA and heads into Los Angeles for a showdown with the Bruins next week that will likely decide the winner of the Pac-12 South.
Graham and Kelly both said they’re confident in winning the division and even making it to the Rose Bowl.
“I had the belief that we could, ever since right when we got here,” Kelly said. “We talked about being a championship team and even being in the second year under the offense and defense. Guys are starting to click. It’s hard for a new coach that has to come in here and establish that to a new program and he’s doing a great job. Our guys are really buying in and practicing really hard each week.”
It looks like Graham’s model of discipline football is starting to pay off. Unlike ASU’s recent history, the Sun Devils have come away victorious in two close games in a row and the players are getting more confident by each game.
The light at the end of the tunnel is just a game away for ASU.
“I’m really proud of our guys,” Graham said. “We have worked a really long time, some of these guys five years, for the opportunity to go to UCLA and compete for the Pac-12 South Championship. We are 60 minutes away, one win away, from clinching the south. That is a big, big deal.”
Graham sits Bradford
Early in the third quarter, the ASU coaches pulled redshirt junior linebacker Carl Bradford out of the game and didn’t let him return.
Bradford did not record a single defensive statistic despite starting the game. Senior linebacker Kipeli Koniseti played in his place at Devilbacker for the rest of the second half.
“Guys make mistakes, and that’s why he didn’t play the rest of the game,” Graham said. “We’ll deal with that in-house.”
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion
