Julian Hugo is doing something no ASU freshman since Terrell Suggs has done

TEMPE — Julian Hugo is among the handful of Arizona State freshmen who have provided some of the team’s best contributions this season.

The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive lineman recorded his fourth sack over the last three games in Saturday’s win.

He became the first ASU freshman to have three games in a row with at least one sack since program legend Terrell Suggs, whose three-game stretch came later in the 2000 season than Hugo’s but included five sacks instead of four.

Suggs finished that campaign with 10 sacks before later breaking the single-season NCAA sack record in 2002 with 24 and totaling 139 sacks across 17 seasons in the NFL.

Hugo has a ways to go before catching Suggs’ freshman total, as he leads the Sun Devils at four sacks with five games left in the regular season. He got a career-high 33 defensive snaps against Kansas State, a game in which he also had a tackle for loss.

“He’s just playing good football,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “We’re putting the best players on the field that we think give us a chance to win. That’s it. And we believe he gives us the best chance to win football games, and he’s earned the right to be on the field, and he’s doing his job and he’s doing it at a high level when he gets his opportunities.”

Hugo has had some wild sack celebrations, which Dillingham said have been rallying points.

“I liked that there was six guys around him. I don’t know the move though, he’s got tons of moves,” the head coach said. “I thought the energy and the passion of how the guys played was to a standard. Now the question is can they continue that?”

ASU defense takes step ahead of big step up

Dillingham said he was glad Kansas State scored on its first possession because it gave the ASU defense something to respond to.

While it was against an offense that was missing its starting quarterback for the 32 games prior, Avery Johnson, the Sun Devils allowed just 10 points on the ensuing 12 drives. They allowed 213 total yards outside of the methodical nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive that opened the game.

The only touchdown ASU allowed after that came on a 21-yard drive following a big-play punt return from the Wildcats.

“We’ve struggled responding to adversity and for us to get down in the third quarter and respond, like, that’s the stuff our team needs to get better at,” Dillingham said.

The defense missed out on a handful of interceptions that could’ve made it a bigger step forward. Instead, the Sun Devils are stuck at three interceptions and three fumbles recovered on the year compared to 10 turnovers on offense.

“Ultimately, shoot, we were there to make the stop, get the ball broken up,” linebacker Martell Hughes said postgame. “So as long as we keep doing that, eventually we’re going to be able to squeeze one and get one to the crib.”

The next game at No. 8 BYU will be a massive jump in competition, both for the Hugo sack streak and the big picture on defense.

The BYU offensive line has allowed just three sacks this season, in part because it’s made up of very good and experienced players, but also because of quarterback Bear Bachmeier’s ability to make plays in the face of pressure.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Bachmeier will also run all over a defense given the opportunity, ranking second in rushing touchdowns (seven) and fifth in rushing yards (321) among Big 12 quarterbacks this season.

To this point, Isaiah Marshall of Kansas had the most rushing yards against ASU of any quarterback. He had 52 yards while no others have had more than 30.

One thing working in the ASU run defense’s favor will be the Cougars likely still missing star running back L.J. Martin, who was still without a timetable for his return from a lower-body injury as of Monday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Oct. 7 reported a timeline of four-to-six weeks.

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