The growth continues: Arizona State’s defense sets tone in overtime win over Utah
Nov 2, 2014, 8:12 AM | Updated: 8:19 am
TEMPE, Ariz. — My how the script has flipped.
Remember all that talk before the season started about how Arizona State would have to outgun opponents in order to win games in 2014?
In early November, that notion is a distant memory.
The Sun Devils used another tremendous defensive effort, and a 36-yard overtime field goal from Zane Gonzalez, to defeat 17th-ranked Utah before a Homecoming crowd of 53,754 at Sun Devil Stadium Saturday night.
For the third straight week, the ASU defense set the tone, allowing just 241 total yards and 57 yards through the air. The Utes had only two passing plays of over 10 yards in the ball game.
“I love coaching these guys,” Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said after the game. “I pride myself in that as coaches and a staff, our guys are going to get better every day in everything we do. I think we have in everything here.
“But I don’t think I’ve had (a defense) improve as much as these guys have. You’ve got to give them credit — and they deserve the credit.”
Utah’s yardage total was their smallest of the season. Tailback Devontae Booker did gain 146 yards on the ground — but it took 37 carries to get there. ASU’s much improved defense made him work for every yard. Only three of Booker’s carries went for more than 10 yards. Only four moved the chains.
“He runs hard man, he runs hard,” ASU safety Jordan Simone said about Utah’s workhorse back. “But the Pac-12 has a lot of great running backs, and I said this earlier in the week, he’s just another good back in the Pac-12 that we’ve got to stop.”
The Sun Devils, who moved into sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 South with a 5-1 conference record, didn’t stop Booker. But they did completely put the clamps on Utah’s passing game.
Playing without senior leader Dres Anderson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in last week’s win over USC, the Utes (6-2) couldn’t do much. In fact, only four of Wilson’s passes even went for first downs, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Booker that tied the game at 13-13 early in the third quarter.
The bottom line is, ASU’s defense has evolved into a conference-championship level unit. The Sun Devils have held three straight opponents to 290 or less total yards. In that span, they’ve allowed just two offensive touchdowns.
So how exactly has this transformation happened in such a short amount of time?
“Practicing hard,” Simone said. “Just the little things, being disciplined and staying after it and working on things that we need to get better at. Shout out to our D-line and linebackers for a great game. Those guys work so hard.”
Senior safety Demarious Randall also feels the defense’s confidence level has risen significantly.
“We’ve got a swagger about ourselves,” he said. “Once that swagger gets established, we were just swarming the ball and everybody trusts each other.”
Confidence and trust will be necessary ingredients as the Sun Devils host Notre Dame in what some are calling a College Football Playoff elimination game Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.
That swagger won’t hurt, either.
