Arizona State returned home to Tempe after an upset win in Pasadena last week as the College Football Playoff-hopeful Oregon Ducks came in and beat the Sun Devils by a final score of 49-13.

Although over the past week, memories of the 2019 sixth-ranked Ducks falling to the Sun Devils in Tempe swirled throughout different outlets, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning had his ducks in a row tonight. Early and balanced scores buried ASU in the first half before the Sun Devils could even try to put a better product on the field in the second half.

As Oregon would receive the opening kickoff, the Ducks looked to strike early, setting up a hopeful response from the former Duck, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham, and company. Oregon, to open, would march down the field 75 yards on nine plays and put the ball in the endzone. This score was a 23-yard connection between Bo Nix and Patrick Herbert.

On the ensuing ASU drive, Cam Skattebo would take the opening snap, making him the fifth different player to take the first snap from scrimmage for ASU (others include Jalin Conyers, Trenton Bourguet, Jaden Rashada, and Drew Pyne). Skattebo’s arm was the feature of the drive as the first play drew a defensive pass interference before later, Skattebo would connect with Conyers for a 31-yard gain. In turn, the drive halted, setting up placekicker Dario Longhetto for a 43-yard attempt. The kick was missed as the Sun Devils could not respond to getting ‘punched in the mouth’ to open the game. This a point of improvement Dillingham wants.

“Well, where we’re not responding well is in game; we’re not responding well when somebody punches us, right?”, Dillingham asked. “We can’t regather ourselves yet. I faced the same thing, to be honest, when I was at Florida State. We just couldn’t figure out when it started to rain; it always poured, and that’s part of growth. You’ve got to eventually learn and have enough confidence and belief that, ok, you get socked in the face, they convert a 3rd and 15 on the first drive. Relax.”

Oregon would take over and proceed to keep the pressure on the Sun Devils as the ASU offense or defense had no response. Bo Nix, on the second drive, would connect again with Herbert for a 49-yard screen that was taken the distance. Getting the ball right back for a third drive, Nix led the Ducks down 67 yards on eight plays to connect with Troy Franklin for another touchdown. The score was 21-0 in favor of the Ducks thus far, still in the first quarter.

Contextually, through one quarter, Oregon had 222 yards of total offense versus ASU’s 48 yards. Nix accounting for 161 yards passing and was partially responsible for all three touchdowns. Nix finished 24-29 passing for 404 yards and was again responsible for six total touchdowns.

As Oregon seemed to be somewhat unstoppable, it was no secret that ASU was playing to the tune of playing ‘high risk, high reward’ football that never seemed to go their way. On Oregon’s fourth drive, Nix found Franklin again for a 45-yard-deep ball touchdown. This capped a 10-play drive. The challenge here again, Franklin was left in one-on-one coverage with ASU defensive back Dee Ford as Franklin won the matchup he needed to. High risk on second and fifteen, leaving the coverage in that way, hoping to make it third and long on the Oregon Offense.

“You can challenge them, challenge your guys, have that mindset that were going to try and win the football game. Not just keep it close. When you do that, you have to make them (opponent) win one one-on-ones, and they (Oregon) won their one-on-ones. If you flip one of those one-on-ones and you turn them, and those don’t happen, well, maybe it's three touchdowns less in the first half.”

As the score read 28-0 in favor of the visitors, it couldn’t possibly get worse for ASU players or spectators…right? As the ASU defense has been the pinnacle of the team this season, especially after dominating UCLA last week, tackling has never been a huge problem. Tonight saw a different story: Oregon ball carriers broke multiple tackles. The prime example was a short pitch and catch from Nix to Gary Bryant Jr., which went 71 yards to the house. Bryant Jr. breaking four different tackle attempts on his way.

“There was definitely a tackling problem,” Dillingham stated. “They’re (Oregon) just hard to tackle…There is a one-on-one, human-human, tackle him. Sometimes that dude is really good, and he makes you miss; sometimes you tackle him.”

As Oregon was up 35-0 and is still in the second quarter, ASU tried to show some signs of life. The ensuing drive for ASU had Conyers take direct snaps, rushing for 12 yards on back-to-back plays. Between Conyers, Skattebo, and Elijhah Badger, ASU rushed six times for 38 yards before their first pass attempt. Skattebo would eventually complete a 14-yard pass to Badger as the Sun Devils threated. Alas, three plays later, Skattebo would float a ball under pressure that would be intercepted by Oregon’s Cole Martin on the two-yard line.

With 1:06 left in the first half, a 35-point lead, and the ball at their own two-yard line, Oregon might run the clock out but didn’t. Nix orchestrated a 7-play, 98-yard drive, eventually finding Tez Johnson for a 16-yard touchdown completion. 42-0 Oregon going into the half, the challenge for improvement was set for ASU.

“I challenge our guys at halftime. Let’s go in the second half; let’s just win the second half”, Dillingham said. “That was it. They went out there, and they won the second half, and that’s not a win; I understand that.”

Dillingham’s Sun Devils would respond, not necessarily from a points perspective but in a never-say-quit way. ASU would get the ball to open the second half but would turn the ball over on downs slightly in Oregon territory. The defense would then force the Ducks offense to come off the field to make way for the field goal unit. After a bobbled snap, Oregon’s holder rolled out and threw the ball for it to be intercepted by Ed Woods. ASU’s third interception of the season and Woods’ first.

ASU would start on their own 25-yard line as this was the second opportunity to do something. Bourguet would navigate a nine-play, 55-yard drive that set up another Longhetto field goal try. Longhetto’s attempt from 38 yards was good. A bounce back from Longhetto and the ASU team on back-to-back drives.

Oregon would come right back this time under quarterback Ty Thompson as Nix was sat for the rest of the game. Thompson headed an 11-play, 75-yard drive, which was finalized by a Casey Kelly 19-yard touchdown reception. In ASU’s favor, this was Oregon’s last score of the night as the score now read 49-3 in the fourth quarter.

ASU, unlike the first half, came back again to score, this time a touchdown. The trifecta of Bourguet, Conyers, and Skattebo taking snaps concocted a 12-play, 67-yard drive that put more points on the board with about 8 minutes left in the game. Wide receiver Melquan Stovall took a delayed pitch 15 yards for his first rushing score of the season.

Oregon got the ball back, but after two plays, Thompson was intercepted by freshman defensive back Keith Abney for his first interception of the season and the Sun Devils’ fourth. The devils never said die.

“You know what it shows, the guys are actually trying to do what I ask; they’re trying to compete”, Dillingham said. “That’s the big thing, right? They did that, and I was proud of them, but for us, that’s exactly what championship teams look like.”

Abney’s turnover eventually led to another 34-yard field goal attempt for Longhetto that was good.

The game again ended 49-13 as Oregon now improves to 10-1 (7-1, PAC 12) while ASU sits at 3-8 (2-6, PAC 12). The focus now shifts to getting the Territorial Cup back to Tempe. ASU will reluctantly welcome Arizona next week in Tempe as Arizona comes off beating Utah at home today. ASU looks to bounce back normally as they finished strong today.

“So, we’re going to show up on Monday. We’re going to do the exact same thing” Dillingham said. “I’m going to walk in. They’re going to ask me how I’m doing; I’m going to say phenomenal, right? They’re going to ask me what’s up, and I’m going to say life, right? Like I do it every single day, and we’re going to repeat, and we’re going to repeat, and we’re going to repeat, and we’re going to repeat, and we’re going to repeat. What’s going to happen is Saturdays are going to start feeling better. That’s it.”

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