Fork Report: Arizona State survives for comeback win against UTSA

Arizona State scored first and last, but what happened in-between becomes a mere footnote to the Sun Devils’ perfect non-conference record.

On the road for the first time and on a short week, ASU survived its trip to San Antonio, escaping the Alamodome with a 32-28 Friday night win over University of Texas at San Antonio.

It wasn’t easy.

It took 20 unanswered points, including 17 straight in the fourth quarter, for the Sun Devils to rally from a 16-point third-quarter deficit.

ASU found itself in the two-score hole following a muffed punt, their second of the game.

The Sun Devils turned the ball over three times leading to 14 UTSA points.

Kalen Ballage ran two yards — out of the “Sparky” formation — for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, completing ASU’s largest road comeback since a 22-point comeback at San Diego State in 2002.

Manny Wilkins struggled early with his accuracy and finished 15-of-31 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked once.

Zane Gonzalez kicked four field goals.

ASU outgained UTSA in yards 469-322, with Roadrunners quarterback Dalton Sturm accounting for 311 of those UTSA yards. He passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another, helping his team to a 28-12 lead at one point in the game.

The Sun Devils start 3-0 for the second time in the last three seasons.

THE GOOD

For the third straight game, the Sun Devils scored first. It was a field goal, but points on the scoreboard nonetheless. Gonzalez booted a career-long 54-yard field goal to cap an eight-play, 30-yard drive in 2:51. It was Gonzalez’s second 50-yard field goal of the season — he kicked a 53-yarder against NAU — after beginning the year 0-for-4 from that distance in his career.

Showing off his right leg once again, Gonzalez lined up for his second field goal, and once again, nailed a 54-yarder to pull the Sun Devils to within 14-6 at the 8:02 mark of the second quarter. The kick broke the Pac-12 record for career points scored (previously UCLA’s Ka’imi Fairbairn). Gonzalez also became the first Sun Devil in history to kick more than one 50-yarder in a game.

Right before the end of the first half, the Sun Devils offense finally found the end zone. N’Keal Harry made a one-handed catch for a touchdown on a 27-yard throw from Wilkins to end a 12-play, 91-yard drive in 3:06 to make it 14-12. With that play, Harry joined D.J. Foster as the only other Sun Devil in history to score a touchdown in each of their first three games as a true freshman.

Only twice in the first half did the Sun Devils convert a third down opportunity. They exceeded that total only minutes into the fourth quarter when Ballage caught a 21-yard pass to move the chains on third down and eight. On the very next play, Wilkins hit Frederick Gammage on a deep ball of 45 yards down the right sideline to pull ASU to within three, 28-25, at the 11:40 mark.

THE BAD

Already trailing 7-3, the Sun Devils gift-wrapped a second touchdown for UTSA. Ballage muffed a punt as he tried to field the football on its second hop. The ball glanced off his hands and was recovered by UTSA at the ASU 14. Three plays later, Sturm found an open Jalen Rhodes for an 11-yard touchdown, making it 14-3 at the 1:43 mark of the first quarter.

Talk about getting punched in the mouth. Through the first 15 minutes, not only did the Sun Devils trail, but their offense was nonexistent. They ran 13 plays for a total of 50 yards and just two first downs. By comparison, UTSA gained 105 yards on 19 plays and had six first downs. Punter Matt Haack was ASU’s best offensive weapon during the stretch, averaging 46.5 yards on two punts.

Wilkins went from throwing a touchdown to throwing an interception early in the second quarter. A 57-yard scoring pass to Harry was wiped off the scoreboard by a holding penalty called on left tackle Evan Goodman. On the very next play, facing a second down-and-22, Wilkins was picked off by Nate Gaines, his first of the season.

Prone to the big play, the Sun Devils defense allowed a pair of explosive scoring plays in the third quarter. First, Sturm rushed 34 yards, breaking tackles and making defenders look silly, for a touchdown. Then, after Gump Hayes muffed a punt, Shaq Williams caught a 24-yard screen pass for a touchdown for a 28-12 lead at the 8:20 mark.

STAT OF THE GAME

5: The Sun Devils defense recorded five straight stops to end the game, including four three-and-outs; limiting the UTSA offense to a combined five first downs in quarters three and four after they had totaled 11 in the first half

HE SAID IT

“Really, really really proud of our team,” head coach Todd Graham said. “About every mistake we could’ve made we made tonight and just so proud of how our guys responded. What an incredible win to comeback and win like and have that much adversity. Just really proud of our guys. Obviously, we created a lot of it, but proud of our guys and all that matters is 3-0 and moving forward.”

NOTED

Gonzalez has now scored a point in 42 consecutive games, leaving him three short of Luis Zendejas’ school record of 45.

Gonzalez tied Zendejas’ school record with 81 career field goals. He has four or more field goals in six games in his career.

Receiver Tim White entered the game as a punt returner in the third quarter. He was limited in practice with an ankle injury.

Linebacker Christian Sam missed the game — his second straight — after suffering a foot injury in the season opener vs. NAU.

Linebacker Salamo Fiso missed a third straight game due to a violation of team standards. He’s expected back next week.

ASU improved to 12-3 in regular season non-conference games under Graham and 9-5 in its last 14 contests on the road.

The first-ever meeting between the two teams was moved from its Saturday slot back in April to accommodate TV, ESPN2.

UP NEXT

It’s back home for the Sun Devils, and it’s the start of Pac-12 play.

ASU hosts Cal on Saturday, Sept. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning two hours earlier on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

It’s a reunion of sorts. Remember, Cal’s quarterback is Davis Webb, the Texas Tech signal-caller who led the Red Raiders over the Sun Devils in the 2013 Sun Bowl.

Cal has won five of six and nine of 11 against ASU, including a year ago on a last-second field goal, 48-46, in Berkeley.

This will be the Golden Bears’ first trip to Tempe since 2011, when they left the Valley with a 47-38 victory.

ASU has lost the past two meetings and four of the last five matchups at Sun Devil Stadium.

Cal leads the all-time series 18-15, dating back to 1976.

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