By Lucas Robbins,
Digital Communications Intern
The No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils came up short against Pac-12 South Division rival No. 11 UCLA Bruins 62-27 in front of a record-setting 12,996 students in the fourth annual Blackout game on Thursday night in Tempe, Ariz.
The Sun Devils (3-1, 1-1) started strong in the first quarter as they scored 10 points and held UCLA to a punt and two field goals to keep them out of the end zone for the first 15 minutes. However, UCLA’s mid-game effort proved to be the difference as they outscored ASU 42-17 in the second and third quarters.
Playing in place of injured starter Taylor Kelly, redshirt junior quarterback Mike Bercovici broke single-game school records for both pass attempts and completions as he went 42-of-68 for 488 yards. He became the first Sun Devil to pass for more than 400 yards in his first career start since Rudy Carpenter in 2005, and surpassed Paul Justin’s 63 attempts in 1990 and Jeff Van Raaphorst’s 38 completions in 1986 and 1984.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaelen Strong was the high man for ASU with 12 catches for 146 yards as he eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the ninth time in his career. Although he was kept out of the endzone, he and Bercovici connected on 25-yard long ball to set up the first touchdown of the game.
Bercovici managed to spread the ball around as he connected for touchdowns with three different receivers. Redshirt sophomore tight end Kody Kohl caught his first career touchdown and scored the first touchdown of the game. Bercovici made his longest pass, a 29-yard toss, to sophomore wide receiver Cameron Smith early in the second quarter. The last touchdown reception was a five-yard play to redshirt freshman Ellis Jefferson in the third quarter.
Sophomore kicker Zane Gonzalez opened the scoring for the second time this season with a career long 49-yard field goal on ASU’s opening drive. He would finish the night 2-for-2 between the uprights.
The Bruins’ defense was stifling as they forced four turnovers and held junior running back D.J. Foster, who came into the game averaging 170 yards per game, to just 30 rushing yards. Redshirt senior running back Deantre Lewis led ASU’s ground attack with 46 yards on nine carries.
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley passed for 355 yards and completed 18-of-23 passes in his return to the field after being injured in the Bruins’ most recent game against Texas. The Chandler, Ariz., native’s favorite target was wide receiver Jordan Payton, who caught an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half. Payton finished the night with five catches for 151 yards and added another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Hundley also recorded the last score of the game with a one-yard touchdown run in the final minutes of the game.
ASU senior safety Damarious Randall was the only Sun Devil with double-digit tackles as he secured 10 solo tackles against the Bruins to make him the leader among all FBS players in solo tackles this season with 36.
Redshirt sophomore devilbacker Edmond Boateng forced a field goal attempt by the Bruins when he sacked Hundley on third down in the first quarter. He was the only player to sack Hundley when he dropped the quarterback for a five-yard loss in the first quarter to earn the first sack of his career.
UCLA cornerback Ishmael Adams was the Bruins’ playmaker as he accounted for two touchdowns. The junior had a 95-yard interception return for touchdown just before halftime and returned a kickoff the length of the field midway through the 3rd quarter.
Next up for the Sun Devils is a road game with Pac-12 South opponent USC on Saturday, Oct. 4th in Los Angeles.