The Arizona State Sun Devils (1-6, 0-4 Pac-12) put up a valiant effort against the No. 5 Washington Huskies (7-0, 4-0) on Saturday night, but fell short in a 15-7 loss at Husky Stadium. The Sun Devils’ defense forced four turnovers and held the Huskies to their lowest offensive output of the season, but the offense could not capitalize on the opportunities and only scored one touchdown.
Sun Devils Take Early Lead, But Huskies Respond
The first quarter was a defensive battle, as both teams failed to score and combined for only 10 first downs. The Sun Devils got the first break of the game when Ro Torrence intercepted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who came into the game as a Heisman candidate. However, ASU could not convert the turnover into points and punted after three plays.
The second quarter was more of the same, as both defenses continued to dominate. The Huskies finally got on the board with a 27-yard field goal by Peyton Henry with 6:32 left in the half. The Sun Devils answered with a 75-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trenton Bourguet to Jalin Conyers, giving ASU a 7-3 lead with 1:54 remaining. The Huskies had a chance to cut the deficit before halftime, but Penix was picked off by Ed Woods at the ASU 14-yard line.
Defense Keeps Sun Devils in the Game, But Powell’s Pick-Six Turns the Tide
The third quarter was scoreless, as both offenses struggled to move the ball. The Sun Devils had two promising drives that reached Washington territory, but both ended with missed field goals by Logan Tyler. The Huskies also had two drives that crossed midfield, but both were thwarted by ASU turnovers. The first one was a fumble by Penix that was recovered by Dashaun Mallory at the ASU 37-yard line. The second one was an interception by Elijah O’Neal at the ASU 25-yard line.
The fourth quarter was where the game changed dramatically. The Huskies took their first lead of the game with a 32-yard field goal by Henry with 11:21 left in the game, making it 6-7. The Sun Devils had a chance to regain the lead on their next possession, as they drove to the Washington 11-yard line. However, on third-and-8, Bourguet’s pass intended for Conyers was intercepted by Mishael Powell, who returned it 89 yards for a touchdown. The Huskies failed to convert the two-point attempt, but still led 12-7 with 8:17 remaining.
The Sun Devils did not give up, as they tried to mount a comeback drive. They reached midfield with 3:12 left in the game, but faced a fourth-and-10 situation. Bourguet’s pass to Conyers was broken up by Trent McDuffie, giving the ball back to Washington. The Huskies added another field goal by Henry with 1:06 left in the game, making it 15-7. The Sun Devils had one last chance to tie the game, but Bourguet’s Hail Mary pass was intercepted by Kyler Gordon as time expired.
Stats and Standings
Bourguet completed 19 of 35 passes for 196 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also ran for 23 yards on six carries. Elijah Badger led ASU in receiving with eight catches for 50 yards. DeCarlos Brooks ran for 63 yards on nine carries, while Cam Skattebo added 51 yards on eight carries.
Penix completed 22 of 38 passes for 275 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. He also lost a fumble and was sacked once. Jalen McMillan was his top target with seven receptions for 91 yards. Bijan Robinson was held to 37 yards on 13 carries.
The Sun Devils’ defense had eight tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery. Caleb McCullough led the team with eight tackles and one pass breakup. Woods had six tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception.
The Huskies’ defense had four tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown. Powell had five tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception return for touchdown, and one pass breakup. McDuffie had four tackles and two pass breakups.
With the win, Washington remains undefeated and atop the Pac-12 North standings. They will face Oregon State next week in Corvallis. With the loss, Arizona State drops to last place in the Pac-12 South standings. They will host Washington State next week in Tempe.
