Arizona State 52, North Texas 7
September 14, 1996Sun Devil Stadium
Attendance: 46,173
Weather: 95 degrees, clear
One week removed from failing to catch a single pass, Arizona State wideout Keith Poole conjured up a way to get more balls thrown his way.
"I threatened Jake's life," he said, perhaps half-joking.
Jake Plummer's life wasn't really in danger, but the Plummer-to-Poole proved deadly to North Texas. Poole had three touchdown receptions - and a career-high four scores overall - to lead No. 18 ASU to a 52-7 pasting of the Eagles before 46,173 at Sun Devil Stadium.
ASU rolled up 510 yards of total offense and moved to 2-0 for the first time since 1991. UNT, in its second season of Division I competition, fell to 1-1.
Poole, a first-team All-Pac-10 performer in 1995, caught six passes for 121 yards. He was blanked in that department a week earlier against Washington, ending a 22-game reception streak.
"(Keith) was a little down from last week," said Plummer, who was 15-of-22 for 213 yards and three touchdown passes on the evening. "But he's my best receiver and he knows he's the leader of the receiving squad. He came out and had a good night."
ASU wasted no time getting Poole involved. Plummer hit his favorite wideout for a seven-yard touchdown strike on the Sun Devils' first possession of the night. The next time ASU got the ball, Plummer found Poole deep down the field for a 50-yard connection and a 14-0 lead.
Poole later scored on a 39-yard reverse around the left side and a five-yard slant pattern, two of four ASU touchdowns in a 24-point third-quarter outburst that put the game on ice.
"We finally got Keith involved," ASU head coach Bruce Snyder. "I knew that was just going to be a matter of time because Jake and Keith have such good chemistry."
The contest marked not only the resurgence of Poole, but the emergence of a much maligned Sun Devil defensive unit. ASU held North Texas to 128 yards of total offense and just 12 first downs, five of which were awarded via penalties. The Sun Devils also scored two defensive touchdowns for the first time since 1983, both in entertaining fashion.
After ASU grabbed that early 14-point lead, UNT drove to the Sun Devil five-yard line. But junior end Derrick Rodgers nailed UNT quarterback Damon West, popping the ball loose. Cornerback Lamont Morgan scooped it up, rumbled 92 yards for the score and gave the Sun Devils a 21-point cushion.
Speaking of rumbling, junior defensive tackle Vince Amey relived his fullback days with a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter.
"I saw the ball and grabbed it," Amey said. "It was a dream come true."
The Sun Devils, last in the Pac-10 in total defense the previous year, moved to first in the conference after the win.
"I thought the defense rose up and played very well," Snyder said. "They were the catalyst for all those points in the third quarter."
ASU appeared sluggish after Morgan's touchdown jaunt. UNT marched down the field for its only touchdown of the game and stymied the Sun Devil offense for the remainder of the half.
"I was really not very happy with the first half," Snyder said.
But after last week's hero, Robert Nycz, kicked a 46-yard field goal to give ASU a 24-7 lead in the third, the floodgates opened. After Poole's final touchdown grab made it 45-7, Snyder pulled his starters. Backup quarterback later led a 12-play, 63-yard drive that culmintaed with a 13-yard scoring run by J.R. Redmond, providing the final margin.
But while the contest gave ASU an opportunity to play some reserves, the victory was not without a price. Many Sun Devils walked off the field banged up, and the squad lost one valuable player for the rest of the season.
Wideout Creig Spann tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on special teams, ending his 1996 campaign. Tailback Michael Martin, who rushed for 62 yards, cornerback Traivon Johnson and defensive end Brent Burnstein suffered knee sprains.
"We came out of Camp Tontozona feeling great about our injury situation," Snyder said. "Now all of a sudden we're very thin. I'm just hopeful we will get some of these guys back next week."
Game Notes- ASU moved to 2-0 for the first time since 1991.
- The Sun Devils scored two defensive touchdowns for the first time since a 1983 win over Utah State. Frank Rudolph scored on a four-yard return off a blocked punt and Mario Montgomery returned an interception 24 yards against the Aggies.
- The 45-point victory margin was ASU's largest since a 52-6 win over Wichita State in the 1986 Rose Bowl season.
- J.R. Redmond's second-quarter fumble ended a streak of 478 carries without a fumble lost by Sun Devil tailbacks.
- ASU inched from 18th to 17th in the Associated Press poll, while moving up one spot in the USA Today/CNN Coaches' Poll at No. 22.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| North Texas | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Arizona State | 14 | 7 | 24 | 7 | 52 |
| Scoring |
| First Quarter |
| ASU- Keith Poole 7-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Nycz kick) Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 3:35 |
| ASU- Keith Poole 50-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Nycz kick) Drive: 2 plays, 56 yards, 0:40 |
| Second Quarter |
| ASU- Lamont Morgan 92-yard fumble return (Nycz kick) |
| UNT- Bo Harrison 37-yard pass from Damon West (Graham kick) Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:09 |
| Third Quarter | ||||
| ASU- Robert Nycz 46-yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:26 | ||||
| ASU- Keith Poole 39-yard run (Nycz kick) Drive: 1 play, 39 yards, 0:10 | ||||
| ASU- Vince Amey 24-yard interception return (Nycz kick) | ||||
| ASU- Keith Poole 5-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Nycz kick) Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 1:07 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter | ||||
| ASU- J.R. Redmond 13-yard run (Nycz kick) Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 4:51 | ||||
| Rushing | Att | Yards | Average | TD |
| North Texas | ||||
| Hut Allred | 14 | 9 | 0.6 | |
| Damon West | 6 | -6 | -1.0 | |
| Cedric Cromer | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | |
| Mike Boone | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | |
| Jason Gulley | 5 | -4 | -0.8 | |
| Arizona State | ||||
| Michael Martin | 14 | 62 | 4.4 | |
| Terry Battle | 5 | 15 | 3.0 | |
| Jake Plummer | 4 | -6 | -1.5 | |
| Marlon Farlow | 15 | 50 | 3.3 | |
| J.R. Redmond | 10 | 59 | 5.9 | 1 |
| Jeff Paulk | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | |
| Keith Poole | 1 | 39 | 39.0 | 1 |
| Kevin Tommasini | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | |
| Passing | Comp | Att | Yards | Int | TD |
| North Texas | |||||
| Damon West | 8 | 18 | 86 | 1 | 1 |
| Josh Gulley | 1 | 5 | 10 | ||
| Arizona State | |||||
| Jake Plummer | 15 | 22 | 213 | 3 | |
| Steve Campbell | 6 | 10 | 59 | ||
| Gus Farwell | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Receiving | Rec | Yards | TD |
| North Texas | |||
| Hut Allred | 1 | 5 | |
| Coylin Grimes | 3 | 15 | |
| Bo Harrison | 4 | 69 | 1 |
| Tubby Coleman | 1 | 7 | |
| Arizona State | |||
| Creig Spann | 1 | 5 | |
| Steve Bush | 3 | 15 | |
| Keith Poole | 6 | 121 | 3 |
| Lenzie Jackson | 1 | 13 | |
| Devin Kendall | 2 | 31 | |
| Ricky Boyer | 1 | 12 | |
| J.R. Redmond | 3 | 24 | |
| Isaiah Mustafa | 1 | 7 | |
| Kenny Mitchell | 2 | 37 | |
| Kendrick Bates | 2 | 18 |
| UNT | ASU | |
| Total First Downs |
12 | 24 |
| Third Down Efficiency | 1-13 (8%) | 10-18 (56%) |
| Total Net Yards | 128 | 510 |
| Total Offensive Plays | 58 | 84 |
| Net Yards Rushing | 32 | 227 |
| Total Yards Passing | 96 | 283 |
| Punts- Number and Average | 11-43.2 | 3-52.7 |
| Penalties- Number and Yards | 4-30 | 10-95 |
| Fumbles- Number and Lost | 2-2 | 4-2 |
| Time of Possession | 26:28 | 33:32 |
| Missed Field Goals | ASU- Nycz, 47 | |