ARIZONA STATE FOOTBALL

ASU football WR Elijhah Badger has career day in loss to Stanford

Oct 22, 2022, 2:32 PM | Updated: 8:30 pm

Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger (2) catches a touchdown pass against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

BY JAKE ANDERSON

Arizona Sports

Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Elijhah Badger reeled in six catches for a career-high 118 yards and a touchdown in ASU’s 15-14 loss to the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday.

“It felt good showing my family what I could do back home,” Badger told reporters postgame of his 15-20 relatives in the stands. “A lot of family members came, a lot of support — it just felt good.”

And for whatever reason, the Sun Devils prefer starting on offense while on the road. At least it appears that way, as ASU has yet to score a first quarter touchdown at home this season.

But Arizona State scored a touchdown in the opening 15 minutes against the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday afternoon, marking just the second time the Sun Devils have managed to do so. The only other took place at USC.

After going three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, ASU took its second possession 75 yards on six plays, culminating in a 15-yard rushing TD from running back Xazavian Valladay.

X gon' give it to yapic.twitter.com/sRTEvSH9Sy

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) October 22, 2022

The score marked Valladay’s seventh rushing touchdown of the season.

Arizona State wasted no time on its next possession of the first quarter, too, although the drive didn’t reach its completion until 14:01 to go in the second quarter.

Quarterback Emory Jones once again led a 75-yard drive, this time on seven plays, which ended with a perfect pass into Badger’s bread basket for the Sun Devils’ second touchdown of the first half.

pic.twitter.com/6DZPIqmc0O https://t.co/tKI58VdbT7

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) October 22, 2022

Jones finished the game 14 of 25 (56%) for 227 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception, while Valladay added 76 rushing yards and a TD on 18 carries (4.2 per attempt).

“I thought Emory’s play was solid,” interim head coach Shaun Aguano told reporters postgame. “I’m going to go back and look at the progressions, look at his decisions on some RPOs.

“I thought he did pretty well. He put the ball in places where we needed it to be and receivers made some catches. They’re all going to miss some, but I thought he did pretty well off the cuff.”

UP NEXT

Arizona State travels to Boulder, Colorado, to take on the Buffaloes next Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

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