When the fourth quarter began at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday night, Arizona State faced a 27-17 deficit against a Colorado team that was looking difficult to stop and had stifled the offense for most of the day. But a 24-3 win in the fourth quarter erased that lead and gave ASU a much-needed 41-30 victory to get back on track after a tough loss a week ago.
The fourth-quarter comeback was buoyed by Arizona State’s best rushing performance of the year as Demario Richard and Manny Wilkins led the way for an offense that combined for 384 total rushing yards. The team’s previous high for the season was 214 gained in a loss to Stanford in September.
“In the second half, especially in the fourth, we just simply ran the ball with a different attitude,” Wilkins said after the game. “It was a statement for us. Our mindset was simply execute what our gameplan is. We knew adversity was going to strike and we’ve just got to stay poised in those kind of situations.”
In the fourth quarter alone, the Sun Devils offense tallied 191 total rushing yards with a touchdown each from Richard, Wilkins and freshman Eno Benjamin. Wilkins threw just three passes for 13 yards in the final 15 minutes with little reason to do anything other than hand the ball to Richard.
“We just worked the cut. That’s our motto on offense, ‘Just work the cut,’” Richard said. “We take everything like boxing. When you see a guy keep getting jabbed on the left side of his eye, eventually he’ll get cut. Just keep working the cut and he’s going to get tired.”
But the huge fourth quarter for the ASU offense came after plenty of frustrating moments early in the game.
Colorado outgained Arizona State 103 yards to 66 in the first quarter and had a chance to jump out to a huge lead had a few passes not been dropped by the Buffalo receivers. One of those mistakes by the CU offense spoiled an easy 76-yard touchdown when Shay Fields couldn’t hold on to a pass after ASU blew coverage on a flea flicker.
The opportunities for the CU offense were aided by the fact that the ASU offense converted only three of its eight third downs in the first half and was unsuccessful on its only fourth down conversion attempt.
“They had a great plan,” ASU head coach Todd Graham said. “We were very frustrated in the first half offensively. It was very difficult for us. They were doing some stuff schematically.
“What they were doing schematically was zone pressure, firing backers, and they had a good plan. They were blitzing right into it and we got hit right in the mouth a couple times right when we threw the ball.”
Bouncing back was a theme from ASU coaches after a 48-17 loss to USC a week ago.
“We were all embarrassed in how we played,” Offensive coordinator Billy Napier said of the week prior. “We challenged them to … make a statement and go into the game knowing its going to be difficult. There’s going to be adversity and we need to learn from the lessons of last week. Keep your poise, keep your composure, respond when there’s adversity and like it. There’s going to be tough times and that’s when we need to be at our best.”
Colorado’s biggest advantage on the night may have been special teams with kicker James Stefanou making all three of his field goal attempts and Brandon Ruiz missing a pair of tries. The Buffaloes also averaged 51.2 yards per punt with four downed inside the 20, while ASU got just a 42.8-yard average from Michael Sleep-Dalton.
Arizona State blocked a punt, though. And N’Keal Harry almost returned a punt for a touchdown, although his long return was called back due to a block in the back. It was the only penalty of the game for the Sun Devils.
“It said one penalty for five yards, but I think it was for about 60,” Graham said.
Still, the special teams' advantage was decidedly Colorado’s and the star of the game for ASU was easily Richard, who finished with 189 rushing yards. It was a career high for the senior whose previous best was a 135-yard game against Oregon back in his sophomore season. He hadn’t even topped 100 yards since a September 2016 game against Texas Tech.
“He’s really emerged as the leader of our team,” Graham said of Richard. “It’s just the absolute relentless way he runs the football.”
That relentless style has seemingly wore off on Benjamin, who found the end zone for the first time in his collegiate career when he bulldozed ahead with a Richard-esque 19-yard touchdown late in the game.
“I told [Benjamin] he’d been in my toolbox,” Richard said. “He’s got no choice, but to watch — well I think — two of the greatest to ever come through here. So he’s got big shoes to fill after we leave. … He watches me practice every day. I watch him and I correct him just like I’d correct myself.”
Benjamin’s 52 yards were the most in his young career, passing his previous best of 17, and Wilkins’ 95 yards topped his previous best of 89.
But with the offense getting all the spotlight, it’s worth remembering how well the defense played in the final frame of the game. After getting gashed on a few big plays early, it forced two punts in the fourth quarter and intercepted a Hail Mary as time expired.
Colorado finished the game with 454 total yards but didn’t convert any of its six third-down attempts in the second half.
“We had no change of plans,” ASU linebacker Alani Latu said. “We just did what we did, stuck to the basics. Tackling. I think that’s what we did great at tackling.”
Arizona State finished with five sacks, six tackles for loss and one interception.
“I was extremely proud of our kids,” Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. “They had every chance in the world to lay down and they didn’t do it … We weren’t perfect, but I’m going to tell you we played hard and we played with an attitude.
“I think it says a lot about these kids [to rebound]. I think it says a lot about Todd [Graham] and his leadership. I think he’s done a wonderful job this week. There wasn’t panic. His message to them was simple: We’re the same guys who went to Utah and won; the same guys who beat a very good Washington team. Get your mojo back.”
Up next for the Sun Devils is a road game against the UCLA Bruins who are trying to bounce back from back-to-back losses. If Arizona State’s mojo is indeed back, the Sun Devils could finish the season on a high note with a strong November.
