Few things have gone according to plan this year for Arizona State. The Sun Devils entered the abbreviated Pac-12 schedule with hopes of competing for a Pac-12 South crown. With two disappointing losses and three games wiped away because of problems with the coronavirus, positives are tough to come by for the Sun Devils.
The latest installment of the Territorial Cup matchup has been somewhat downplayed by the fact both teams enter winless. Arizona State lost its first two games of the season for the first time since 1998, while Arizona enters with the fourth-longest losing streak in the FBS.
“This game is always going to be a very intense game just because of the rivalry between the state,” said sophomore offensive lineman Dohnovan West, who started as a freshman in ASU’s 24-14 win over Arizona in 2019. “We’re just going to take it as another game; it’s another opponent. So, we’ve just gotta stay focused, go out there, and execute our responsibilities and play our game.”
Arizona State’s “game” thus far offensively has featured major success running the football. In both of their games this season, the Sun Devils have had a 100-yard rusher and are averaging 211.5 yards rushing per game. Despite only matching up with Pac-12 opponents, ball carriers for ASU have gained 5.8 yards per attempt in the run game in 2020’s limited sample size, an increase from 2019’s 3.5 yards per carry.
With ASU trailing 17-12 in the middle of the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to UCLA, the Sun Devils utilized the duo of freshman running back Chip Trayanum and junior running back Rachaad White to bully their way down the field. Trayanum carried the ball five times, gaining 45 yards on the drive alone. On a third down and 4 from the UCLA 23-yard line, White set ASU up with a first and goal after a 20-yard gain.
“I complimented our o-line and running backs after that game looking back because we gained a decent amount of rushing yards and did some good things in the run game when their defense was all over us,” said offensive coordinator Zak Hill. “The safeties are up in the box, and that was tough sledding. The backs were breaking tackles, the o-line was physical, and the tight ends were being physical.”
“I think one of the things that enabled that was just our will power,” said West of the Sun Devils’ rushing success against stacked boxes. “Even though they stacked the box, I feel like we did a pretty good job of moving the defenders off the line of scrimmage, as well as the running backs making people miss and getting yards after contact.”
Last season, the Sun Devils struggled at times to run the ball effectively. In five of their 13 games, ASU rushed for fewer than 100 yards in the game. Success in the running game hasn’t masked all of the offense’s problems, but it has certainly helped. Through two games, two of the Sun Devils’ three completions worth 20 yards or more have gone to running back Rachaad White – one on a swing pass to the flat and another on a trick play.
“When you’re not hitting some of those shots that you plan on hitting, you have to rely a little more on the run game,” Hill explained to reporters Tuesday.
With limited opportunities to showcase their skills and continue to jell as a unit, there’s reason to believe the offensive line can be a dominant unit in 2021. On Monday, Edwards said he expects “95 percent” of the team to return next season, utilizing the NCAA’s eligibility freeze to create an experienced roster. On Tuesday, West said he and the offensive line are continuing to communicate better during game reps with plenty of room for growth.
In Saturday’s loss, sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels’ passing numbers improved – the Sun Devil signal-caller completed 21 of 35 passes for 224 yards, a touchdown, and an interception – during a game in which the Bruins were able to get plenty of pressure on him. Against the Bruins, the Sun Devil offensive line allowed Daniels to get sacked five times, increasing their season total to eight sacks allowed. The eight sacks allowed in two games resulted in a loss of 46 yards, a number which diminishes ASU’s above-average numbers in the run game.
“Anytime the quarterback gets hit, it’s too many,” said Hill of the five sacks allowed in Saturday’s home-opener. “You’re always looking to improve the communication. UCLA is a high-pressure defense… and they got us a couple of times.”
Arizona State’s offense will look to clean up after being flagged seven times for penalties – including three ineligible man downfield calls. The Sun Devils will head into Friday’s matchup with Arizona on a short week. It’s just another physical challenge for a team whose schedule has been scrapped and edited for most of the last month.
“Your bodies going to be a little bit more sore because it’s a short turnaround,” said West, who was a part of an ASU offensive line which led a 234-yard rushing effort against the Wildcats during last season’s Territorial Cup. “Practice is practice. We have to go out there with a mindset of getting better, and we’ve been working on our chemistry.”
“This week, we are focused on our execution and our operation and just the details within what we’re doing,” said Hill, who gets his first taste of the rivalry, albeit in a year without fans in attendance. ASU is looking for its fourth consecutive win over Arizona, with Edwards’ team overcoming second-half deficits to win the first two matchups during his tenure. “Obviously, you’re doing the whole scheme thing, but our main focus is going to be on ourselves and just our execution.”
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