Coming into Saturday night’s game in Boulder, Colorado, nobody was quite sure what to expect from the Arizona State offense. Trenton Bourguet was making his first collegiate start after spending multiple seasons as a backup. And interim head coach Shaun Aguano took over play calling duties from offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas. The result of these changes could not have been more fruitful, as ASU carved up one of the country’s worst defensive teams en route to a 42-34 win over the lowly 1-7 Buffaloes. Aguano’s first road win at the helm of ASU football will be remembered as an offensive explosion that was seemingly weeks in the making.
The Sun Devil offense was firing on all cylinders from its first drive to its last. Aguano’s toughest postgame task might just be figuring out who is the most deserving recipient of his second win’s game ball. The stat sheet from this contest resembles a CVS receipt. Bourguet completed 32 of his 43 attempts for 435 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his touchdowns through the air went to Oklahoma transfer tight end, Jalin Conyers. He entered the game with no touchdowns. He left it trailing only Elijhah Badger (4) in the team’s receiving touchdown ranks.
“It felt great; I kind of surprised myself; it was crazy. Man, I didn’t realize I had three,” Conyers said with a signature wide grin. “None of this matters if we don’t come away with the win tonight, so I’m glad we could get that done.”
Aguano had hinted at being more aggressive on offense. He wanted to utilize every offensive weapon he had to its fullest extent, and that was certainly on display tonight. It’s hard to tell how much stock should be put into the product versus the opponent it came against. Colorado’s struggles on both sides of the ball this season have been dramatic. But even so, things just felt more breathable with Aguano calling plays and Bourguet executing them. Everyone was a fan of the new look attack.
“I really liked it; I think (Aguano) figured out that I can catch the ball a little bit,” Conyers joked. “Obviously, it’s going to be a process, and nothing’s perfect, but we executed well tonight. I’ve never had a game like this in college, so I was just glad I could help the team win.”
On any other night, a three-touchdown and 118 rushing yard performance that puts a runner over 4,000 career yards would lead the marquee. In this action packed affair, that gaudy stat line courtesy of Wyoming transfer Xazavian Valladay is at risk of becoming a footnote.
Valladay accounted for the other half of ASU’s six touchdowns all by himself. He scored from 4 yards, 42 yards, and one yard. Prior to the one-yard finale, his career total sat at 3,999 yards. He charged forward to the goal line and picked up the only yard he needed for the score and the impressive milestone. He leads the team with nine total touchdowns and continues to be a workhorse out of the backfield.
“Just to be able to be on this stage and showcase my talent, it’s really a blessing,” Valladay said. “I definitely set goals, but no (the 4,000-yard mark) was definitely not on the radar.”
Valladay scampered to paydirt from 42 yards, a contrast to his usual shorter yardage touchdowns. He ran through a massive hole on the left side of the line and wasn’t touched by a Colorado defender the entire way. Not even close.
“Feel the wind. Run like hell,” Valladay said when asked what he thought during the play. “When you see a hole that big, that’s a lot of running back’s dreams. It’s just all about having fun.”
One big question mark surrounding the offense leading up to this game was just how different it would look with Aguano at the controls. Whether it was the presence of Bourguet or the identity of the man behind the curtain, there was no denying the offense looked nothing like the one that had sputtered and gagged its way to 14 points at Stanford a week earlier. The main beneficiaries of Aguano’s new hands-on approach to the offensive play calling? The tight ends. Specifically, Conyers. He finished with six total catches and 118 yards receiving to go with the three touchdowns. Earlier this week, he expressed a desire to get more targets and confidently stated there may not be a linebacker in the country who can guard him. Not only was his role increased on Saturday night, he was a focal point.
“Me and (Bourguet) have been throwing together since last year, so when I heard he was getting the start, I had confidence for sure,” Conyers explained. “After I had the first couple of catches, he said to me, ‘hey, I’m going to give you a chance here,’ and I just said alright, let me know. Obviously, it worked out really well.”
Bourguet elaborated on what makes Conyers such a headache for defenses to plan for. It’s the same thing that made him such a highly touted recruit coming out of high school.
“He’s a big mismatch problem. He’s big, and he’s got great hands,” Bourguet said, praising the measurables of his new favorite target. “I just try to give him a chance. On a 50/50 ball, I trust him to come down with it. I just wanted to give him a chance, and he did the rest.”
Conyers will get all the glory in the wake of his career game as he should, but he was far from the only ASU pass catcher who felt the love from Bourguet in his starter debut. He found nine – yes, nine – different receivers in the ballgame. Badger’s eight receptions led the way. Conyers and graduate transfer Bryan Thompson each had six. Giovanni Sanders had five. Messiah Swinson, who was also targeted more as a tight end this evening, caught three. Colorado wasn’t just baffled at the way they were being shredded through the air; they had no idea where it was coming from.
“The game plan kind of evolved based on what I was seeing,” Bourguet reflected. “They were bringing some pressure, and my tight ends, as well as others, were my hot read at that time. Offensively we just really played as a unit.”
Badger didn’t find the end zone, but his eight-catch 137-yard performance continued a run of dominance that has solidified Badger as one of the most talented wide receivers in the conference. He was more than happy to heap the praise on the team’s new starting quarterback. Badger is never one for a long-winded quote, but with the way his game has been rapidly ascending in recent weeks, the words he does speak tend to carry more weight.
“I knew Trenton was going to come in and do the job.
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Enjoy a 3-Day FREE trial sign up today here and get all the latest Sun Devil news! Sign up today here for our FREE 30-Day trial and get all the latest Sun Devil news!
