Taylor Kelly comes through on Senior Day, ASU rallies to beat Wazzu: By the Numbers

Just like his injury-riddled senior season, Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly got off to an exceptionally rough start Saturday.

But on Senior Day, the three-year ASU starting QB overcame early adversity to turn in arguably his best performance of the season.

After completing just three of his first nine passes and being sacked five times in the first quarter, Kelly went on to complete 15-of-25 passes for 232 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in ASU’s 52-31 comeback win Saturday over Washington State.

Trailing 21-7 late in the second quarter and playing without injured star wide receiver Jaelen Strong, Kelly found sophomore wide receiver Cam Smith for a 42-yard touchdown pass, and after a turnover deep in ASU territory, connected with sophomore WR Frederick Gammage on a 10-yard TD strike to even the score.

The Devils (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) went on to outscore Washington State (3-7, 2-6) 31-10 in the second half to run away with the win and remain in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title.

Here’s how Kelly rallied ASU to victory in his final collegiate home game, by the numbers:

4

Four different ASU defenders recorded interceptions off WSU freshman QB Luke Falk on Saturday, including a pair of seniors: defensive lineman Marcus Hardison and defensive back Damarious Randall.

5 (part I)

Along with Kelly, ASU’s defense also overcame a rough start. The Devils committed four offsides penalties (three on one Washington State possession) and had another declined in the first half.

5 (part II)

The Devils dialed up the pressure in the second half, sacking Falk five times for the game.

6

The Sun Devils were 0-for-6 on third-down conversions in the first half, but Kelly and Co. flipped the script by going 6-for-8 in the second half.

21

The Cougars aren’t exactly known for their rushing prowess, but ASU did well to hold them to just 21 yards on the ground on 24 carries.

35

It’s fair to say ASU’s defense set up its offense Saturday, as the Sun Devils scored 35 points off Washington State turnovers.

38

With five receptions Saturday, junior tailback D.J. Foster has caught a pass in all 38 games of his collegiate career. Foster had five catches for 59 yards to go with 96 yards on 15 rushes against the Cougars.

41

Kelly’s two late first-half touchdowns to Smith and Gammage came 41 seconds apart and completely shifted the game’s momentum heading into halftime.

131

In Strong’s absence, Smith stepped up by recording a career-high 131 yards through the air and two touchdowns on six receptions.

528

With his four TD tosses, Kelly passed former Sun Devil QB Andrew Walter to become responsible for the most points in ASU history. Kelly has now contributed 528 points during his Sun Devil career.