ASU strutted into Lubbock, Tex. unbeaten in nonconference play and looked to start their Big 12 journey by posting an undefeated record. Several miscues, namely penalties along with an effective game plan by Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) had the Red Raiders play the spoiler in a 30-22 win over the Sun Devils (3-1, 0-1). Texas Tech running 83 plays and frustrating the visitors' defense when Arizona State, as it is, wasn’t able to get out of its own way dictated the flow of the game on Saturday afternoon.
“We battled to the end,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “There was a little bit of frustration out there, like every time we tried to get back they scored again. We just couldn’t close out the gap all game, which I think was the frustrating part. Our guys stayed in it and they fought, and then we just couldn’t close it. I learned that our guys are going to fight, but sometimes it doesn’t go your way.”
Dillingham has noticed the unwillingness of his team to give up, a trait absent last season which was his first year as head coach. Last week the Sun Devils did claw their way back in a road victory at Texas State. That aspect was on display today, even in a contest that where Arizona State displayed more than a few shortcomings.
“We can fight back this year,” Dillingham remarked. “Last year, we couldn’t. When we got off the rails, that thing was going into the ocean. There was no way to stop it. This year, our guys can navigate it back, and sometimes you get 14 points down and they do a good job of not letting you come back. They countered every time that we were on the brink of closing that gap and tying the football game.”
Texas Tech was 8-17 on third-down conversions, and ran their offense. With senior with maximum efficiency, even though the 30 points scored and the 334 offensive yards tallied, pale in comparison to their other two wins this season. Star running back Tahj Brooks seemingly gaining four to five yards on a majority of first down carries, the Red Raiders offense was able to effectively move the chains and execute a game plan that looked like the proverbial death by a thousand paper cuts.
“We have to win on third down,” Dillingham recognized. “That’s how they play the game. They played the game very efficiently, and we knew it going into the game. Our game was to get them to third down, and we gotta win those downs, not give up the big play. If we win three of those third downs, it’s a different football game, but they won them.”
Trying to keep their drives alive, the Sun Devils came up empty on their trio of fourth down conversion attempts, and they only time they did gain a first down in that scenario was thanks to a pass interference penalty by Texas Tech.
“Statistically you should convert on fourth and ones,” Dillingham explained. “We haven’t been as aggressive this year because we’ve been playing pretty good defense, but in that game, the way they started on offense was so hot we felt like we had to stay on the field and put together a drive so our guys didn’t play a ton of snaps. There were 83 defensive snaps, and that’s too many snaps to play on defense. That’s a testament to us not getting off the field on third and us not converting third downs.”
On multiple occasions when Texas Tech extended its drives, it came as a result of a penalty on ASU. A defensive pass interference on sophomore cornerback Keith Abney II resulted in a field goal before the first half ended, and junior safety Myles Rowser sacked the quarterback on a 3rd-and-6 but taunted after making the play. Although the drive ended in a Texas Tech punt, eight penalties for 69 yards, which was still dwarfed by the Red Raiders, nine penalties for 94 yards is naturally a factor that greatly affected the game and high up on Dillingham’s list to remedy.
“Those were unacceptable for us, and that’s on me,” Dillingham admitted. “We can blame the players all day, but at the end of the day, it’s our job and responsibility. That’s the beautiful thing about college coaching is that everything is my fault. We lost 65 yards of field position in two possessions because of penalties and turnovers. Unfortunately, that’s, I think, our first game since I’ve been here that I can say we were undisciplined, and we have to get that fixed.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for a career-high 282 passing yards in tonight’s game, as his head coach has noticed his visible week-to-week growth. From his decision-making to his accuracy, his game generally looks more fluid, his comfortability is much more noticeable, although these are elements that were much more on display in the first three games in comparison. The upcoming bye week will allow the signal caller and his coaches to dissect his first four games in a Sun Devil uniform.
“Really rowdy game on the road for a freshman starter,” Dillingham commented. “He missed a couple of throws I know he can make, and then he made a couple of throws that we have to make for him. It’s the nature of the game. Last week, he scrambled to run, this week he scrambled to throw. I think that’s just part of the maturing process, as he's got to be able to see the different looks. That’s one of the harder parts when you’re young is sometimes you’ve never seen what you’re going to see in games other than two and half days at practice.”
The Sun Devils head into their first bye week of the year, already matching their win total from last year. They are set to host Kansas (1-3, 0-1) on October 5th. Dillingham will naturally head right back to the drawing board during the extended break, ensuring his players possess that “next game up” mentality and placing this first loss in the season in the rearview mirror.
“We have three seasons this year,” senior running back Cam Skattebo explained. “We have four games and a bye week, then four more games and a bye week, and four games after. Every four games needs to be a new season, no matter if we go 4-0 or 0-4. We went 3-1 this season, so after this bye week, we need to come back out with that fire. We lost that a little bit playing on the road here, and it’s hard to stay positive when you’re playing catch-up all game long. I try my best to stay positive, keep my head up, and let the guys know we always have a chance.”
“We’re 3-1 heading into the bye,” Dillingham noted. “The goal is to be 4-0, but the reality is we’re 3-1, and there’s nothing to do about it now. We can’t go back and play better, and it is what it is. They whooped our butt in all three phases with special teams, offense and defense. They deserved to win the football games, and I have to coach better. We have to play better and be a better football team coming out of the bye.”
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