Oct. 18, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Junior quarterback Andrew Walter's postgame comments for sophomore wide receiver Derek Hagan rang truer than any others possibly could after Arizona State's dramatic victory Saturday at North Carolina.
"You're the man! You're the man! You're the man!" Walter exclaimed as the victorious Sun Devils waltzed off the Kenan Memorial Stadium field following one of the more memorable finishes in school history.
Trailing by four points with 36 seconds remaining, ASU drove 61 yards in six plays to sneak past North Carolina 33-31, igniting a scene of maroon and gold euphoria before a near-capacity crowd in a place known as "God's country."
The most vivid play in the unforgettable scoring drive was Walter's 5-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Skyler Fulton, whose feet graced the corner of the end zone slightly in front of an orange pylon.
But Hagan was the one who provided a reason for celebration, turning a simple pass-and-catch across the middle into a 42-yard gain that enabled the Sun Devils to complete the come-from-behind win.
"The whole time, we knew the middle of the field was going to be wide open, so I just caught the ball and happened to make something happen," said Hagan, who set career highs with 11 receptions and 185 receiving yards.
Throughout the afternoon, Hagan had played an integral part in an ASU offense that amassed 598 total yards, enabling him to easily find a seam in North Carolina's prevent defense on the final drive.
Upon cleanly catching the strike from Walter, Hagan turned up the field and was greeted with more greenery than what's found on the picturesque Chapel Hill campus. He sprinted toward the sideline before being brought down inside the red zone as the Sun Devil bench erupted in cheers.
"I double-clutched, but was able to get it to him," Walter said of the pass to Hagan. "If he hadn't caught it on his back shoulder, he wouldn't have made a play. He wouldn't have gotten us down there to make the touchdown. That doesn't have anything to do with me."
Hagan said he was trying to score, even though he figured he wasn't fast enough to outrun North Carolina's secondary. He knew his mad dash had given his team at least a few cracks at the end zone, but he also felt bad about not getting out of bounds with no timeouts left.
"If he had any speed, he could have scored right there," ASU head coach Dirk Koetter said jokingly. "I told him he played a great game, but that he should have had two more touchdowns if he had any speed."
After Walter spiked the ball on first down and couldn't connect with Fulton on second down, Hagan became the primary target on the game's deciding play. Hagan was covered in the flat, but Fulton was open on a fade route to the corner of the end zone and Walter's throw was as good as gold.
"We've got three or four wideouts who can all step up and do the same thing anytime," Hagan said. "It's better to have three or four wideouts instead of the defense focusing on one."
Over the last three games, Hagan has caught 26 passes for 463 yards, the best stretch by any Sun Devil receiver this season. His 38 receptions and 576 receiving yards through the first seven games are more than he had during his entire freshman campaign.
Hagan wasted little time getting involved Saturday, scoring on a 49-yard touchdown reception from Walter on a post route down the sideline. He caught the ball at the 18-yard line, then sidestepped two North Carolina defenders and fought his way into the end zone.
"Is D-Hag for real?" Fulton questioned after learning of Hagan's 185 receiving yards. "All the plays that D-Hag is making ... when I see hiim make plays, that makes me say, 'Oh, I've got to go make a play now.' Against UCLA, I'm going to have to come back hard, make some plays and catch back up to him."
After North Carolina regained the lead late in the first quarter, Hagan made his presence felt again by sealing a block that allowed freshman tailback Loren Wade to sprint down the sideline for a 35-yard gain. He later helped the Sun Devils draw even when he caught a screen pass and scored a two-point conversion that came on the heels of Walter's 11-yard strike to Fulton.
On his team's ensuing possession, Hagan hauled in a 20-yard reception on third-and-9 to help the Sun Devils advance inside the North Carolina 5-yard line. The drive stalled because of two penalties, but freshman place-kicker Jesse Ainsworth drilled a 21-yard field goal to give ASU a 17-14 lead with 6:27 remaining in the second quarter.
"The whole game, all these penalties were being called, but we didn't let those penalties get to us," Hagan said. "We just kept playing through and kept fighting."
The Sun Devils looked as if they were going to stand pat and take a three-point lead into the locker room before Hagan recovered a fumble on a punt, giving his team the ball deep in North Carolina territory. Hagan's 6-yard catch on third-and-5 moved the ball to the 1-yard line, but ASU was denied on three straight plays, setting up a 24-yard field goal by Ainsworth as the first-half horn sounded.
The Tar Heels drew within three points on the opening possession of the second half, but the Sun Devils answered less than seven minutes later when sophomore tailback Hakim Hill scored on an 8-yard touchdown run. On the 77-yard drive, Hagan maneuvered through a pair of North Carolina defenders to catch a 24-yard pass from Walter on a hitch-and-go pattern down the sideline.
"Everybody played great, not just me," Hagan said. "The defense didn't give up after all the penalties and stuff. Nobody gave up. It was a team effort today."
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.