Sept. 17, 2000
? ASU moves to 2-0 on the year, while Colorado State falls to 2-1. This marks the first 2-0 start for a Sun Devil football team since ASU was 2-0 in 1997 (NMSU/Miami). The last time an ASU squad started a season 3-0, which ASU has a chance to do vs. Utah State next week, was in 1996 during the "run for the Rose Bowl."
? The Sun Devils are now 68-17-1 in home openers, while ASU is 7-2 in home openers under head coach Bruce Snyder. ASU also won last year's home opener over Texas Tech 31-13.
? ASU is 20-1 in the all-time series vs. Colorado State. The Sun Devils are 16-0 in Tempe and 4-1 in Fort Collins. The last meeting between the Rams and Sun Devils before tonight was a 31-20 win by ASU in Tempe in 1990.
? Counting the last three quarters vs. SDSU and the first quarter vs. CSU tonight, the Sun Devil defense combined to shutout its opponent for a combined four quarters. ASU added two more quarters to that streak in the second and third quarters, with the six-quarter streak coming to an end with a 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter by CSU
? The fumble recovery in the first quarter by Tommie Townsend was the first for ASU since the Washington game last year (Oct. 16, 1999). This was a span of seven games.
? Before tonight's win over #25 Colorado State, ASU's last win over a ranked opponent was back in 1997 when the Sun Devils knocked off eventual Pac-10 champion Washington State 44-31 at Sun Devil Stadium (11/1/97). The Cougars were ranked #10 at the time of that game. ASU was 3-1 vs. ranked opponents that year, including wins against Miami and Stanford. ASU did not play a ranked opponent in 1999 and was 0-5 in 1998.
? Odds and ends about Colorado State. The Rams are now 0-16 in Tempe, having won the only series match-up at home in Fort Collins. That win came back in 1977 when both schools played in the WAC. 1977 happened to be ASU's last year in the conference before joining the Pac-10. Colorado State is now 18-14 in night games under head coach Sonny Lubick. Against Pac-10 teams, Lubick and his Rams are 1-4, with the lone win coming against Arizona (No. 4) in Tucson back in 1994.
? Freshman running back Mike Williams (Lakewood, Calif.) rushed for 143 yards on 32 carries and 1 TD, becoming the first true-freshman back to run for over 100 yards since Mario Bates. Bates accomplished the feat in his freshman campaign of 1991 with 161 rushing yards against Arizona (11/23/91). Arizona State/Colorado State Game Notes -- September 18, 2000
? The ASU defense has been stellar to start the 2000 by allowing only 17 combined points. The 17 points allowed is best defensive start for a Sun Devil squad since 1986 when ASU also gave up 17 points in the first two games under head coach John Cooper.
? With a reception on the first drive of the game, ASU tight end Todd Heap has now caught a pass in 17 straight games (75 catches in that span).
? Besides the huge win for ASU over Colorado State, it was an all-around good day for the Pac-10 as the "Conference of Champions" finished the third week of regular NCAA play with a 7-1 record. Included in that record are two major upsets as #14 UCLA beat #3 Michigan 23-20 and Stanford shocked #5 Texas (27-24). California almost upended #19 Illinois, but failed on a two-point conversion in the last minute to fall 17-15. Oregon beat Idaho (42-13), Washington State beat Utah (38-21), and Arizona beat San Diego State (17-3) to round out the conference action.
? Colorado State linebacker Adam Wade (So., Moreno Valley, Calif.) suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and is likely to be out for the rest of the season.
? Linebacker Adam Archuleta recorded one (1) TFL Saturday night and now has 41 in his career to rank sixth in the ASU record books. Archuleta (Sr., Chandler, Ariz.) now has had at least one tackle for loss in 16 of his last 19 games.
? Mike Barth's 41-yard field goal as time expired won the game for the Sun Devils and moved ASU to 2-0 for the 2000 campaign. Barth is now 3-for-5 on the year. While it was not a career high for Barth, the 41-yard connection was the biggest of his career. His only attempt and make last year was a 46-yarder vs. Arizona.
? ASU and its opponent have combined for 40 total points in the two games, which is the lowest combined total in the first two games in ASU history since 1939 when Dixie Howell's squad combined with their opponents (SDSU/West Texas) for 39 points.