Strike first
· The Sun Devils are now 12-5 under head coach Todd Graham when scoring first
· ASU has now scored first in 17 of 21 games under head coach Todd Graham
· ASU has now outscored opponents 73-27 in the first quarter this season
· Fifth game this season the Sun Devils did not allow a point in the first quarter
· Are 11-1 under coach Graham when shutting out the opponent in the first quarter and 13-0 when leading at halftime. ASU has shut out an opponent in four of the team’s six wins this season
Against the Cougars
· ASU moved to 25-13-2 all-time against the Cougars and has won 9 of its past 10, including four of last five in Pullman.
· 55 points in 1990 is most points scored by ASU against the Cougars
Saturday not Game Day
ASU is 10-2 when playing on Thursdays and 18-5 when not playing on Saturday in past 15 seasons.
Hold ‘Em Back
ASU forced four three-and-outs to start the game and forced nine total. Entering the game, ASU was forcing opponents to an average of 6.7 three-and-outs per game, a total that ranked in the top-five nationally
No Rush
ASU has held its last three opponents to under 100 yards rushing (Colorado, Washington and Washington State) after holding WSU to just two total yards. The last time ASU accomplished that in three straight games was in 2009.
ASU is 10-1 under coach Graham when rushing for more yards than the opponent
Don’t Leave Points on The Board
ASU has now scored touchdowns on 44 of 107 drives this season (41 percent) and was ranked eighth nationally in the category entering the game.
Dropping half a hundred
· ASU has now scored 50+ points five times this season, including four in Pac-12 Conference play
· 52 points tonight is the most in a Pac-12 road game since the Sun Devils scored 56 against Arizona in 1996. It was the third highest total in a Pac-12 road game in school history.
Gold Zone
With exception of mercy kneel vs. CU, ASU now scored on 42-straight red zone drives. The team only scored 76.1% of red zone drives against FBS teams in '12 (ranked 93rd nationally)
Take it Away and Capitalize
Through eight games this season, Arizona State is outscoring its opponents 81-35 (+46) on points off turnovers while posting a +6 takeaway number. ASU has nine touchdowns off 18 opponent turnovers this season.
Climbing the record books
· With three catches, tight end Chris Coyle moved into sole possession of fourth place on the school’s list for career receptions by a tight end with 84. He trails Ken Dyer for third all-time by five catches.
· Coyle secured his ninth career touchdown reception to move into a tie with Jamal Lewis (2003-06) for fourth on the school’s career touchdown receptions by a tight end list.
Career longs
· Career-long 14-yard catch by wide receiver Frederick Gammage on the first drive of the first quarter
· Career-long 51-yard catch by wide receiver Richard Smith in the second quarter
· Carl Bradford ran for 21 yards on a fake punt in the third quarter on his first career carry
· Alex Garoutte ran for 19 yards on a fake punt in the third quarter on his first career carry
Throwing Up a Five Spot
Kelly threw five touchdown passes for the second time this season and the third time in his career. Andrew Walter holds the record for five or more touchdown passes in a career with four.
Putting Points on the Board
Kelly was responsible for 42 points against the Cougars (five passing touchdowns, two rushing. Entering the game he was 14th nationally in points responsible for (116). He now has accounted for 66 points in the last two games.
Career Night for Foster
With two receiving touchdowns, running DJ Foster recorded his first-ever multi-touchdown game of his career. He has three receiving touchdowns this season and seven in his career.
#HighOctane Offense
ASU’s 557 yards marked the third-best offensive output of the season and the fifth time this season ASU has recorded more than 500 yards of total offense – including the third straight game
Not Just a Quarterback
Kelly dropped a season-high 40-yard punt to the WSU 3-yard line on the second drive of the first quarter
· 10 of 12 career punts by Kelly have now been downed inside the 20-yard line
Winning By Way of TKO (Taylor Kelly Offense)
Taylor Kelly has now thrown for 26 touchdowns this season with eight interceptions. He moved just out of the top-10 for all-time single season throwing yards with 2,511 this season with at least four games remaining.
Defensive Notables
· Linebacker Carl Bradford recorded a 16-yard sack and two forced fumbles to push his season total to 5.5 sacks this season and three forced fumbles. Bradford also added three quarterback hurries
· Safety Alden Darby recorded three pass breakups and a forced fumble
· Defensive end Marcus Hardison recorded his first career sack and tackle for loss
Explosive Play Counter
ASU didn’t require many big plays to do their damage on Thursday, having just 10 explosive plays (rush of 12+ yards, pass of 16+ yards) on 88 plays from scrimmage. ASU now has 96 such plays this season.
Strike Fast
ASU had three scoring drives that took less than four plays and now have 16 total this season. The Sun Devils had four scoring drives coming in three minutes or less and now have 42 such drives this season.
In-Zane In The Membrane
Zane Gonzalez has now connected on 13 consecutive field goals following his 2-for-2 effort against Wazzu. He entered the game second in the season in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game. He had 13 points in today’s contest and now has 17 field goals this season, good for a tie for 10th all-time in a single season at ASU.