ASU football’s ground game fuels win vs. WSU
Oct 28, 2023, 7:04 PM | Updated: Oct 29, 2023, 12:50 pm
The Arizona State rush attack set the tone in Saturday’s 38-27 win over Washington State. The Sun Devils only averaged 93.7 yards per game on the ground this season, but they finished with 235 rushing yards on 39 attempts to supplement Trenton Bourguet’s 274 yards on 19-of-26 passing with no interceptions.
ASU jumped on WSU early, totaling 163 yards on 20 attempts in the first half in front of a home crowd at Mountain America Stadium.
DeCarlos Brooks scored their first two touchdowns, and Cameron Skattebo joined in, scoring his first touchdown of the game after a 66-yard breakaway.
Skattebo dominating the ground game for ASU 🔥 pic.twitter.com/C2hT79SYTU
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 29, 2023
ASU also doubled its season averages for yards per carry, averaging 6.0 yards compared to 3.0 yards per carry over the season coming in.
The Sun Devils welcomed back starting offensive lineman Aaron Frost for the first time in over a month, and he helped open things up for ASU rushers.
Defensively, ASU held the Cougars to just 88 rushing yards on 21 attempts, an average of 4.2 yards per carry.
While the Devils’ offense stalled in the second half comparatively, they scored double-digit points over the final 30 minutes for just the third time this season after scoring a season-high 24 first-half points.
In total, Brooks finished with three touchdowns while Skattebo and Elijhah Badger each added one, all five coming on the ground.
Not only is 38 ASU’s season-high in points, but the 11 points they won by is also a season-high in margin of victory as they move to 2-6 in Kenny Dillingham’s first season.
