Grant Gunnell returned from a shoulder injury and completed a high percentage of his passes (12 of 17). But he turned the ball over twice – once on an interception and once via fumble. Veteran Rhett Rodriguez, who finished the game, also had two turnovers, although one of his interceptions probably should have been caught. Rodriguez completed only 7 of 16 passes for 52 yards. Freshman Will Plummer led Arizona’s only touchdown drive, in the second quarter. He went 7 of 13 for 83 yards. He also rushed for 17 yards.
Senior Gary Brightwell had a rough night – probably the worst game of his career in what’s likely his final appearance at Arizona Stadium. Brightwell had 63 scrimmage yards but fumbled a career-high three times. Whether they were all his fault is immaterial; hanging on to the ball is priority No. 1 for any back. Sophomore Michael Wiley again provided a spark, rushing for 42 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Veteran Nathan Tilford got his first action of the season, gaining 13 yards on two totes. Freshman Jalen John had two receptions for 15 yards.
Freshman Ma’jon Wright was one of Arizona’s few bright spots, totaling eight catches for 85 yards – both career bests. Veterans Brian Casteel (4-40) and Stanley Berryhill III (2-21) continued to provide solid production. Big plays have been hard to come by for Jamarye Joiner (3-14) since his 33-yard TD vs. USC. Boobie Curry (zero catches) was a non-factor. Rodriguez’s second interception caromed off the hands of backup tight end Zach Williams.
The official box score credited the Sun Devils with only one sack, but they should have had two. A tackle for loss on Gunnell in the second quarter caused him to fumble, leading to ASU’s fifth touchdown. The pass protection wasn’t as bad as it has been in recent games, but it wasn’t stellar either. The bigger issue came on fourth-and-short. The Wildcats had two fourth-and-1 opportunities in the first half but failed to convert either with inside runs. Arizona again played without left tackle Jordan Morgan, who needs to get and stay healthy to realize his considerable potential.
The front had probably its least effective game of the season, failing to stop the run or apply pressure on the rare occasions when the Sun Devils passed. ASU finished with 259 net rushing yards – 272 if you take out three kneel-downs. Arizona failed to record a sack and had just two tackles for losses, with only one coming from front-seven players – DT Roy Lopez. LB Jalen Harris had three tackles and the Wildcats’ lone pass breakup. LB Anthony Pandy was in and out of the lineup and had just two stops, a season low.
The Sun Devils’ 227 passing yards came on only 13 attempts. The secondary provided little in the way of run support either. Veteran CB Lorenzo Burns couldn’t wrap up QB Jayden Daniels on his 20-yard TD run in the first quarter. Burns then got hurt and was unable to return. His replacement, freshman walk-on Treydan Stukes, tied for team-high honors with seven tackles. Fellow CB Christian Roland-Wallace also had seven stops. Safety Quinn Sullivan, another walk-on, had five tackles and a forced fumble but also committed two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties, earning an ejection.
The Wildcats allowed the opening kickoff to be returned for a touchdown, setting the tone for a miserable night. The play was tactically unsound and exposed Arizona’s lack of depth and athleticism. Tayvian Cunningham averaged just 16.7 yards on three kickoff returns, with a long of 18. Freshman Tyler Loop averaged 47.0 yards on three punts, including a career-long 64-yarder that was downed at the ASU 4-yard line.
The Wildcats couldn’t have played any worse. They weren’t ready at the start, turned the ball over with alarming frequency and never made it a game. Kevin Sumlin’s team was sloppy and clearly the less physical of the two. Noel Mazzone’s offense continued to lack imagination, especially in those fourth-down situations. Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads barely can field a two-deep, and his unit frequently faced short fields. Still, 70 points is 70 points. Special-teams coordinator Jeremy Springer’s group was not prepared for ASU’s alignment on the opening kickoff and did not adjust accordingly.
