Reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Will Sutton went up to senior cornerback Robert Nelson after Nelson picked off Utah redshirt sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson with 2:26 remaining in the game and delivered a heartfelt message.
The senior defensive lineman told Nelson he loved him and that he was very blessed to be on the field with him.
Nelson had the chance to repay the message on the next drive as Sutton intercepted Wilson to seal a 20-19 victory for the Sun Devils (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12)
“No matter what happens all game, (Nelson) seems to get a pick and I love him for that,” Sutton said. “I caught my pick and he came up to me and did the same thing. He’s a sideline leader.”
Sutton, Nelson and the rest of the Sun Devil defense carried the team to victory on a night where the offense was held to its lowest point total of the season.
“I haven’t seen the film, but that’s the best that we’ve been defended,” Sun Devils coach Todd Graham said. “They did a tremendous job. We had a lot of negative yardage plays. They did a great job keeping us out of rhythm.”
The lack of offensive rhythm for the Sun Devils turned into a 19-7 lead for the Utes (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) when, with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, Wilson threw his second touchdown pass of the game.
Then, the Sun Devil defense took over.
They forced four straight three-and-outs, allowing redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly and the offense ample opportunities to come back.
“I see defensive guys going down to the offense and saying, ‘Hey, just keep plugging. We can win this game. They’re not scoring.’” Graham said. “Then our offense goes down and scores.”
Kelly led the offense on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to give the Sun Devils the lead, but the onus was on the defense to step up once more late in the fourth quarter.
It did.
Nelson intercepted Wilson on the play after the ASU go-ahead touchdown, making an acrobatic catch while falling out of bounds and successfully keeping a foot on the field.
Then it was the All-American Sutton’s turn to lead the defense. Sutton chipped in by jumping in front of a Wilson pass on the Utes’ final drive to make sure the Sun Devils’ one-game lead in the Pac-12 South remained intact.
“Will Sutton, he was the player of the year last year and a consensus All-American, but since I’ve been here that’s the biggest play that I think he’s made,” Graham said. “That was a tremendous play. We’ve got players that make great plays.”
Sutton set a new career-high with nine tackles, but the statistic that mattered most was the play of the defense as a whole in crunch time.
The Sun Devils defense limited the Utes to just 33 total yards and one first down over their final six drives, including the two interceptions.
“I thought we played well defensively, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter.” Graham said.
Sutton was all smiles in the postgame press conference, happy he and the defense were the leading contributors of the Sun Devils’ second-straight road victory.
“We just played smart, disciplined football,” Sutton said. “It feels good. We’ve just got to keep getting wins. That’s all that matters.”
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @DsShapi
