Sun Devils’ offense looks to be inspired by the resiliency it displayed
Arizona State's season opener provided a narrow 24-21 home win over Southern Utah and plenty of challenges to contend with last Thursday night. ASU thrived in the first half, but a two-and-a-half-hour lightning delay halted the team's rhythm, an element they struggled to regain in the second half. Nonetheless, the Sun Devils posted a time of possession if over 13 minutes in the last quarter, an aspect that was crucial in the victory.
"The coaches are teaching us how to get through adversity," junior wide receiver Xavier Guillory said. "That was a good test to show us where we are when tough times hit. We have to do better for sure this week when adversity hits to adjust and keep the foot on the gas. We can't go out there and be lackluster just because some unfortunate events happened."
Guillory was involved in the most exciting play of the night. On 4th-and-8 on the visitors' 47-yard line, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham went ultra-aggressive and called a post route to Guillory, trusting true freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada to find his formidbale downfield aerial target and throw the perfect ball. Rashada dropped an immaculate pass right into the arms of Guillory, connecting for what is the first touchdown for both of them in the Maroon and Gold.
"It was cool getting that first one," Guillory commented. "Especially after all the work we put in from the winter time when I got here to the spring and summer. Finally, just being able to reap the rewards of your hard work. We've hit those plays all the time during practice, so it was just kind of routine."
Hailing from Lapwai, Idaho, Guillory is a part of the Nez Perce Tribal Nation, and he showed his heritage after securing his first touchdown, dedicating his celebration to his cousin.
"One of my cousins did that when we were at a little Native Tournament," he said. "He did it, and I got a picture of it, and I was like, I am stealing that. I didn't do it last season because I forgot about it, but I told him I was gonna do it the next time I scored. I was glad I was able to get that in. I'll for sure keep doing that as long as my people cool with it and the refs don't throw flags for it."
(Video of that touchdown starts at the 5:41 mark)
After scoring three touchdowns in the first half, ASU was riding high into the locker room. Yet, due to the aforementioned weather delay, was unable to capitalize on that momentum in the second half. Ironically, the time spent in the locker room did create some interesting moments, including some players trying to get homework done.
"I learned a lot about our offense and our team," running back DeCarlos Brooks said. "I honestly feel like if we didn't have that delay; we would have steamrolled them because we had so much momentum and so much energy going into it. That kind of just flattened everything out in the locker room. Some people were doing homework. Some people were just chilling, and some people were like oh, we ain't even gonna play. Are we getting canceled or what?"
While his teammates were attending to their academics, Brooks decided to take after one of the NFL's best running backs. Marshawn Lynch became famous for his great work on the field and some of the antics he had off the field, but one thing Lynch always did was have a bag of Skittles in arm's reach.
"I was really just talking to people and doing what I could to be engaged," Brooks noted about his time spent during the delay. "I was eating as much as I could, too. I was popping Skittles just to stay awake because it was getting late. I was like, 'Man, this (delay) is pushing three hours.'"
Now, almost a week removed from their first game, ASU has now shifted their focus to their upcoming opponent, Oklahoma State. It is the second straight year the Sun Devils will face the Cowboys. Last year in Stillwater, Oklahoma State took the win 34-14 behind a 17-point second quarter. The Cowboys were ranked 11th in the country at the time of the matchup last year, but they ended the season a disappointing 7-6, which followed a 5-0 start.
With ASU's move to the Big 12, the matchup between these two teams will become a familiar one for years to come. Nonetheless, future conference games between the two program is hardly front and center on the players' minds.
"We treat it the same," wide receiver Melquan Stovall remarked. "Pac-12, Big-12, Big-10, we really don't pay much attention to whatever conference we're in. We're not really focused on any of that right now."
The Sun Devils' attention is centered on getting the best out of everyone on the field come Saturday. Film study is well underway as they prepare for what is a unique Oklahoma State team on defense employing a 3-3-5 scheme.
"The free safety that they have is a little bit different than most defenses," Brooks explained. "He'll come down and crash on run support, and we gameplan for stuff like that. We're gonna have a bunch of plays called for that defense as a whole."
"We're just gonna put athletes in space," Guillory commented. "We gotta go out there, use our speed and athletic ability, and just go. Every route makes the plays that the elite dudes make.
"It's time to put up or shut up. There ain't no more talk or posting on social media. It's either go out there and you go make a play, or you're not."
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