ASU benefits from special teams nightmare for Huskies in upset win
Oct 15, 2017, 12:27 AM | Updated: 12:56 am
Washington place kicker Van Soderberg (42) watches a missed field goal attempt as holder Washington punter Joel Whitford (32) kneels during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State defeated Washington 13-7. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
In order for Arizona State to beat No. 5 ranked and undefeated Washington, something special was going to have to go their way.
That special part of the victory came via special teams, where the Huskies had a nightmare of a night in Tempe.
Along with a stupendous defensive effort, the 13-7 upset win for the Sun Devils was combined with taking advantage of key opportunities and a little bit of luck.
One of those key opportunities would come late in the first quarter when the Sun Devils forced a punt for the Huskies after sacking quarterback Jake Browning for a loss of 16 yards.
On the ensuing punt, Arizona State’s 6-foot-7 wide receiver Curtis Hodges would come up with the block, giving his team excellent field position on the Huskies’ 35-yard line.
While the offense wouldn’t do much with it, the team was able to turn the situation into points thanks to kicker Brandon Ruiz’s 52-yard field goal.
BEND IT LIKE RUIZ. #UWvsASU #BlackoutUW pic.twitter.com/xru5uTBLYe
— Sun Devil Football (@FootballASU) October 15, 2017
Speaking of field goals, the lucky aspect would come on the other side of the kicking game.
After key stops in the red zone from the Sun Devils’ defense, they would hold Washington to two field goal attempts in the third quarter.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, kicker Van Soderberg missed both of those field goals over the span of seven in-game minutes from 27 yards and an even shorter 21 yards.
The work by the defense to keep Washington out of the end zone was sorely needed after the offense managed to put up only 33 yards of offense in the quarter.
On top of that, the 27-yard miss by Soderberg came on a drive in which a 50-yard Huskies touchdown was called back for holding.
If you needed any more signs of things going wrong for the Huskies, punt returner Dante Pettis, who has eight career punt return touchdowns, muffed a punt in the early fourth quarter and was forced to take a loss on the return.
While Washington made a valiant comeback effort late in the game, ASU would hold on. It was their first win over a top-five AP team since 1996 when Jake Plummer and the No. 17 Sun Devils beat No. 1 Nebraska. Entering the game, the Sun Devils had lost their last 10 games against top-five AP teams.
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