Arizona State, Fresno State set to play in Las Vegas Bowl
Dec 2, 2018, 1:58 PM
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The train is headed to Vegas.
After being picked to finish at the bottom of the Pac-12 South, Arizona State is heading to the Las Vegas Bowl.
The Sun Devils will take on the No. 19 Fresno State Bulldogs on Dec. 15 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Under first-year head coach Herm Edwards and staff, ASU went 7-5 during the regular season.
The Sun Devils got off to quick start, rolling off two wins over UTSA and then-No. 15 Michigan State. From there, though, they ran into some trouble, falling to SDSU and Washington on the road before dismantling Oregon State 52-24. Following two losses to Colorado and Stanford, ASU needed three wins in its last five games to become bowl eligible.
They won four, highlighted by a come-from-behind win over in-state rival Arizona.
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In his final season as a Sun Devil, quarterback Manny Wilkins proved he could shoulder the load, completing 63 percent of his passes for 2,896 yards and 19 touchdowns. He threw just five interceptions.
His favorite target, wide receiver N’Keal Harry also found success this season, catching 73 balls for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown.
On the ground, Eno Benjamin made a case for the top back in the Pac-12, carrying the ball 277 times for 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also made 33 receptions for 247 yards and two scores.
Joining the Sun Devils in the bowl game are the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs punched their ticket to Las Vegas with a close 19-16 win over No. 22 Boise State to win to win the Mountain West title.
Fresno State was a team to be reckoned with throughout the season, losing just two games to go 11-2.
ASU and Fresno State had two common opponents this season — San Diego State and UCLA.
The Sun Devils lost to SDSU while Fresno State defeated the Aztecs. Both teams beat UCLA.
