ASU bitten badly by 1st-half miscues in critical moments at Texas A&M

Arizona State football had several errors in critical moments in the first half at Texas A&M that kept it from leading at the break.

Two special teams miscues teed up 10 points for the Aggies, which led 17-10 at the half after ASU’s defense forced three three-and-outs.

Cory Butler Jr. muffed a punt near ASU’s own end zone and Texas A&M recovered it after a scramble for the ball, setting up a first-and-goal. When the defense had nearly forced a third down, linebacker Martell Hughes was called for an offside penalty, and the Aggies punched in the game’s first score on the next play.

Near the end of the first half, the Sun Devils called a direct snap fake punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 42-yard line and tight end James Giggey couldn’t make it across.

It gave Texas A&M the ball in ASU territory with just over two minutes left in the half, and the Aggies capitalized with a field goal to take a seven-point lead into the locker room.

Butler’s muffed punt came after ASU’s first drive was halted by an illegal substitution penalty on a 19-yard completion to Reed Harris that turned a converted third-and-8 into third-and-13. An eight-yard rush ended the drive.

The Sun Devils’ five penalties in the first half were already more than the four they had all of Week 1. The Aggies were penalty-free in the half.

Back-breaking penalties continued in the second half, as each starting corner had a penalty that helped Texas A&M move an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive forward, including a holding from Rodney Bimage Jr. that negated a third-down stop.

Turnovers on three straight possessions in the fourth quarter then sealed a 48-20 loss for ASU, despite outgaining the Aggies by over 100 yards and winning the time-of-possession battle.

ASU also endured apparent injuries to interior offensive lineman Wade Helton and cornerback Ashton Stamps, while center Tana Alo-Tupuola exited one drive before returning for the next one. Stamps was back in for the second half.

Kenny Dillingham, the Sun Devils’ head coach, was seen chewing out the officials while he went out to check on Stamps.

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