Arizona State took to the road for the first time this season, traveling to Berkeley to face Cal in the Sun Devils’ second conference matchup of the season. ASU would fall to Cal 24-21 as injuries and red zone offense shortcomings plagued the Sun Devils. Nonetheless, newcomers defensive tackle Dashaun Mallory and running back Cam Skattebo headlined the efforts from the team’s first-year players.
Defense
There is no question that the ASU defense has stepped up to the challenge week in and week out almost halfway through the season. A big part of that success comes up front as names like BJ Green and Prince Dorbah, a newcomer himself, seem to be mentioned every week. This week, though, Michigan State transfer Dashaun Mallory, defensive tackle, made his impact felt on Saturday afternoon.
Against Cal, Mallory tallied six total tackles, four of those being tackles-for-loss. In the second quarter, Mallory accounted for one of two sacks for ASU on a first down. Mallory sacked Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V in another series for the defense, setting the tone for his play on Saturday. Mallory kept the energy flowing, especially late in the game when ASU needed it the most. As time wound down, Cal was knocking on the door to close the game when, on fourth-and-one, Mallory, along with Austin Peay defensive back transfer and junior Shamari Simmons, forced the turnover on downs.
“We can only take the challenges as much as we can”, Mallory said. “We hear defense is hot, special teams are up, and like I said the defense we look forward to the challenge every single week, no matter how long we got to play on the field, no matter how short we play on the field. We look forward to going out there and make plays and get our team rallying.”
Aside from Mallory, when it comes to newcomers on this side of the ball, others showcased formidable execution. Senior and Washington State transfer linebacker Tre Brown continues to be the leader of the defense, posting five tackles before exiting the game with a left leg injury, which had him on crutches. Following his departure, the defense was visibly becoming weaker up the middle as Cal rushed for 89 yards in the fourth quarter alone.
Another veteran with a somewhat quiet impact as he might be banged up was another Austin Peay defensive back transfer, senior Dee Ford. Concisely, Ford was another testament to Mallory’s set-the-tone playstyle. Three minutes into the game, Ford had blanketed Cal’s leading receiver, Jeremiah Hunter, which led to one of the three breakups on the day for ASU. Yet, he did also yield a touchdown in coverage to Hunter in the third quarter.
In other secondary news, with nickel backs Jordan Clark not dressed and Macen Williams forced to leave the game with an injury, Simmons picked up the slack tackle-wise with 11 total stops, six of those solo.
Freshman interior lineman C.J. Fite and Wisconsin transfer and true freshman Tristan Monday both had tackles of their own. These players play key roles as the depth is tested, but also the preparedness is tested. Preparation is something Mallory commented on, not being an issue with depth.
“We also respect and trust everyone else,” Mallory stated. “...We all study hard, we all prepare hard. So, at the end of the day, it was next man up. In a time like that, it was a crucial moment, but again, it was next man up.”
Offense
Last week, the offense seemed to get back on track under the play calling of head coach Kenny Dillingham. Dillingham’s skills in using players’ best attributes were highlighted last week as Cam Skattebo ran, threw a pass, caught receptions, and even punted. The Sacramento State transfer and junior’s performance today did not disappoint as his skills were put on display while even being one of the many injured on this Sun Devil squad.
“I had a little bruise, had a little bruised up shoulder in the first quarter,” Skattebo said. “Kind of got to my head a little bit; I ran soft.”
Running soft materialized in 42 yards posted on the ground in the first half. In the second half, Skattebo would only add 17 yards rushing but exploded with receiving duties. Skattebo had a 66-yard reception in the third quarter, which set up a field goal, while also adding 10 and 20-yard receptions in the fourth quarter.
As Skattebo tallied 157 all-purpose yards, also adding a touchdown on the ground, Skattebo also had another pass attempt this week as he connected with no other than junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet for an 18-yard gain. Banged up or not, it is clear that Skattebo has persevered for the team.
“If you love football, you’re going to get up and keep playing hard,” Skattebo said. “I love this game. I’ve played this game since I was five years old. This is my life. We’re losing by one point every game. I’m still going to come out here and give it my all, and I expect everyone else in the locker room to do the same.”
Melquan Stovall, a senior and Colorado State transfer, had his most productive day of the season, doubling his season reception total so far (4) while racking up 72 yards. Stovall had two catches for 30 or more yards, the latter one coming on an ASU touchdown drive.
Another receiver who showcased some flashes in Berkeley was junior wide receiver and Idaho State transfer Xavier Guillory. Guillory did not record any stats last week against USC. Against Cal, though, he had two receptions today for 21 yards, also administering a block for fellow junior wide receiver Elijaha Badger’s 52-yard reception. The Cal contest may just be the jumpstart he needs to be a focal part of the passing game.
Running back Kyson Brown was not heavily involved today, having one rush and one catch for three total yards. The important note here that today was the freshman’s fifth appearance of this season, and thus, Brown cannot redshirt this year. This doesn’t come as a surprise since the summer arrival has made his mark during fall camp.
Special Teams:
Placekicker and Cal transfer Dario Longhetto has been one of the more consistent players thus far this season as well. In the senior’s return to Berkeley, he made his lone extra-point while also being 2-2 on field goals today, one made from 29 and the other from 24 yards out, and those distances showcased the red zone struggles of the offense not being able to punch the ball into the end zone with greater frequency.
New Mexico State transfer punter Josh Carlson had a forgettable day, as he averaged only 36.2 yards. Through five games, the senior is just averaging 37.6 yards, and while it’s unclear ASU can come up with any solutions near mid-season, walk-on sophomore and Idaho State transfer could be called to replace Carlson.
Full list of newcomers participating in the Cal game:
DB Demetries Ford (5 total games played)
DB Shamari Simmons (5)
DT Tristan Monday (5)
DT Dashaun Mallory (5)
LB Tate Romney (5)
LB Tre Brown (5)
OL Sione Finau (5)
OL Leif Fautanu (5)
RB Cam Skattebo (5)
WR Xavier Guillory (5)
P Josh Carlson (5)
WR Melquan Stovall (5)
RB Kyson Brown (5)
EDGE Prince Dorbah (5)
K Dario Longhetto (5)
LS Slater Zellers (5)
OL Bram Walden (5)
DT Sam Benjamin (5)
EDGE Elijah OO’Neal(5)
EDGE Clayton Smith (4)
DB Josiah Cox (4)
DT CJ Fite (4)
OL Aaron Frost (3)
OL Cade Briggs (3)
QB Drew Pyne (2)
Max Iheanachor (2)
RB DeCarlos Brooks (2)
DB Keith Abney II (1)
Keontez Bradley (1)
Harold Brooks III (1)
DB Roman Rashada (1)
OL Kyle Scott (1)
Freshman who haven’t made an appearance yet:
OL Sirri Kandiyeli
WR Korbin Hendrix
WR Kaleb Black
DL Landen Thomas
DL Kyran Bourda
DL Ashley Williams
LB KK’VionThunderbird
DB Montana Warren (injured)
DB Lenox Lawson
DB Shawn Russ
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? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!
