Oct. 1, 2011
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery
Record Update
ASU ended a three game skid against the Beavers with their 35-20 victory on Saturday. ASU is now 25-12-1 against Oregon State and have posted a 19-4 record in Tempe. With the win, Dennis Erickson moved to 4-5 all-time against his former school and improved to 2-3 against the Beavers as a coach at ASU. Erickson is now 12-7 overall when facing his former teams (4-5 against OSU, 6-2 against Washington State and 1-0 against Wyoming). Moving to 4-1 on the season, ASU also took a one game lead on the rest of the championship eligible teams in the Pac-12 South division.
ASU Hall Of Fame Game: Ten former Sun Devil student-athletes were welcomed into the ASU Hall of Fame at halftime, including Adam Archuleta (football), Mike Benjamin (Baseball), Lucy Casarez (Softball), Kurt Nimphius (Men’s Basketball), Grace Park (Women’s Golf), Townsend Saunders (Wrestling), Marvel Smith (Football), Stacey Tullock (Soccer), Molly Tuter (Women’s Basketball) and Fernando Vina (Baseball). Eddie House (Men’s Basketball), a member of the 2010 class, was also honored at halftime after he could not make the ceremony last year. Archuleta and Smith went a combined 4-0 against the Beavers in their Sun Devil careers.
Punt Returns
Coming into the game, Oregon State had not allowed a single punt return all season. Jamaal Miles put an end to that midway through the second quarter, taking one 78 yards to the house for his first career punt return for a touchdown on the first punt return the Beavers have allowed all season. It was the first punt return for a touchdown during the Dennis Erickson era and the second-longest return play for a touchdown of the season for the Sun Devils, behind Miles’ 98-yard kickoff return in the opener against UC Davis.
More on the Return
Jamaal Miles’ punt return was ASU’s first since Terry Richardson did it against Arizona in 2005, a span of 68 games. It was the first punt return touchdown that Oregon State had allowed since 2009.
Goin’ For Miles
Jamaal Miles’ punt return for a touchdown was his 9th career touchdown and 1st career punt return for TD. It was the fourth way that Miles has scored a touchdown this season, giving him touchdowns in receiving, passing, kickoff return and now a punt return. Miles also added 68 yards on 8 receptions and six rushes for 45 yards in the game. Miles is the only player at the Division I level this year to have scores in all four categories and the only one to take both a kick and punt return back for a TD.
Goin’ For Miles, Part Deux
Miles also added 68 yards on 8 receptions and six rushes for 45 yards in the game. Those totals brought him to 249 all-purpose yards in the game. Miles has twice been named to the Paul Hornung Weekly Honor Roll for versatile play this season and definitely made a case for earning the recognition for a third time.
Miles’ Scoring Plays This Season: (three receiving, one passing, one kick return, one punt return)
98-yard kickoff return – UC Davis
78-yard punt return – Oregon State
35-yard pass – Missouri
12-yard reception – Missouri
11-yard reception – Missouri
3-yard reception – USC
Second Quarter
ASU’s 21 second quarter points were the most they had scored in the period on the season. The Sun Devils have outscored opponents 54-20 in the second quarter of games this season. The offensive outburst was needed, after ASU was held scoreless for the first time this season in the first quarter of Saturday’s tilt.
Not In Our Secondary
The Sun Devil secondary stepped up to the plate Saturday, intercepting four balls on the evening. The number was notable, as ASU had only intercepted three passes total in the four games prior to this one. Osahon Irabor caught his second interception early in the second half while Clint Floyd’s (3rd career pick) and Alden Darby’s (1st and 2nd career picks) fourth-quarter interceptions helped keep the Beaver’s from staging any sort of comeback.
A New Marshall In Town
Cameron Marshall ran for a 37-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter for his sixth touchdown of the season and 17th of his career. The run was Marshawn Lynch v. Saints-esque, as Marshall toughed his way through no less than five Beavers that had a shot at bringing him down as he rumbled to the end zone. He added his 18th career rushing touchdown just seven minutes later on an eight-yard run to put ASU up 35-20 for the finally tally. Marshall finished with 82 yards on 14 rushes with the two touchdowns.
Noel Huddle Offense
In the second quarter, ASU put together scoring drives for touchdowns that lasted 2:13, :44, 2:26 and 1:28, respectively. On the season now, the Sun Devils have nine scoring drives under two minutes and 18 under three minutes. What’s more impressive is that comes on 23 total scoring drives. ASU also finished right at their season average on points with 35 in this high octane offense.
Whetting His QB Appetite
Jamaar Jarrett scored his first sack of the season to bring his career total to 6.5. Jarrett was a force to be reckoned with for the Beaver linemen for much of the game.
No Danger, Gerrell Robinson
Gerrell Robinson caught a 24-yard touchdown pass to put the Sun Devils back on top midway through the second quarter. It was the third consecutive game that Robinson has caught a touchdown pass and his third of the season.
Third Down, Last Down
ASU entered the contest leading the conference third-down conversions allowed this season, having only given up a first down on 23.5 percent of their opponent’s third down attempts on the season. The team stuck to their guns on Saturday, holding OSU to just a 3-of-14 conversion rate on third down for about a 23 percent conversion rates. ASU has now held their opponents to just 15-of-65 on the season on third downs. In addition, the Sun Devils forced four three-and-outs on the evening. Entering the tilt. ASU ranked third in the country on that statistic behind only Florida and Bowling Green.
That’s a First
A.J. Pickens picked a perfect time to score his first career touchdown, catching a short pass from Brock Osweiler and taking it in for a 17-yard score early in the second quarter to put the Sun Devils on the scoreboard and bring the game back within single digits.
That’s a First…And a Second
On the other side of the ball, Alden Darby added his first career interception in the fourth quarter, an important pick that kept Oregon State from forcing any sort of rally. With the Beavers in desperation mode at the end of regulation, Darby intercepted his second ball of the game and of his career to seal the deal. Darby added five tackles on the contest as well.
Push ‘Em Back
ASU has been impressive in forcing opponents into plays of no gain or for a loss on the season. Saturday was no exception as the team forced eight such plays (four for no gain, four for a loss) for a total loss of 30 yards.
Holding Poyer In Check
Entering Saturday’s tilt, OSU’s Jordan Poyer led the conference and was 2nd in nation in punt returns, averaging 25.3 yards per game and scoring a touchdown against UCLA last week. ASU didn’t give him any time to get rolling on Saturday though as he muffed one punt that was recovered by the Sun Devils and stuffed him for just a gain of six yards on his second attempt. Poyer did, however, intercept two Brock Osweiler passes in the first half.
Protecting the Red Zone
ASU has done a solid job of keeping its opponents out of the end zone once they enter the red zone. ASU gave up just two touchdowns on five Beaver trips to the red zone on Saturday to bring their season allowance to just 9 touchdowns on 20 red zone attempts.