SAN DIEGO – The No. 23 Arizona State football team's attempt to rally from a 14-point deficit in the final minutes came up short as the Sun Devils fell to a determined San Diego State squad 28-21 on Saturday night.
The frenetic finale started with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Manny Wilkins to N'Keal Harry that cut SDSU's lead to 28-21 with 1:40 left. Harry's catch polished off an 11-play, 82-yard drive that took only 2:28 off the clock.
ASU was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick but the defense came through to give the team one final breath of life as Jay Jay Wilson stripped SDSU running back Chase Jasmin with 43 seconds remaining in the game and Aashari Crosswell fell on the ball to set up the theatrics of the final 30 seconds of regulation.
It appeared ASU would have a very realistic opportunity to tie the game with under a minute remaining following a long, would-be pass completion from Wilkins to Frank Darby that would have put the ball inside the SDSU two-yard line with six seconds remaining. The catch, however, was overturned when the play was reviewed (and upheld) for a targeting call. The play was ruled as a 15-yard penalty instead of a 48-yard pass completion and the ball placed at the SDSU 35-yard line. Wilkins' final pass was knocked to the ground as time expired, handing ASU its first loss of the season.
Wilkins finished the game with 341 passing yards on 31-of-46 passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown in the contest.
Harry led all players with nine catches for 86 yards while Darby had a career-best 127 yards on five catches, even without the 48-yard catch that was taken off the board late in the game.
A nine-play, 60-yard drive started the scoring as Wilkins passed 12 yards to Brandon Aiyuk for the wide receiver's first career touchdown reception. Eno Benjamin's 18-yard reception on third-and-10 at the 50 was one of the key plays on the drive. Four plays later the Sun Devils found the end zone with Aiyuk's catch and run.
The Aztecs for were forced to punt on their first three drives before finding their offensive rhythm in the second quarter. SDSU would have to earn its first score of the game, moving the ball 75 yards on 11 plays while using 5:13 on the clock to tie the score at 7-7 on Juwan Washington's 13-yard touchdown run.
ASU swiftly answered the Aztecs, using only 2:16 on the timer to gobble up 82 yards and reclaim the lead, 14-7. The drive was sparked by Darby who hauled in a season-high 51-yard reception from Wilkins. The redshirt senior quarterback then polished off the drive with a one-yard keeper for the 13th rushing touchdown of his career (tied for third place on ASU's all-time list with Taylor Kelly).
After forcing an SDSU punt, the Sun Devils marched 84 yards – from their own five-yard line to the SDSU 11 – before being forced to give up the ball on downs. Wilkins dialed up Darby's number for another long-distance connection, this one covering 43 yards, to reach SDSU's 20-yard line. ASU's next three plays gained eight yards and Wilkins was sacked on ASU's attempt to extend the drive on fourth-and-2.
The SDSU offense took full advantage of the opportunity created by the Aztecs' defense, motoring 85 yards in only 1:41 to tie the game at 14-14. Aztec QB Ryan Agnew found WR Tim Wilson Jr. for a nine-yard touchdown with just eight seconds left in the half.
The Aztecs' momentum carried over into the third quarter as the SDSU defense held ASU to a single yard on its opening drive of the half. SDSU's offense followed suit by moving 40 yards on its next drive to set up John Baron's 54-yard field goal that gave the Aztecs their first lead of the night, 17-14.
After accumulating 254 yards in total offense in the first half (235 passing and 19 rushing), the Sun Devils managed only 13 yards in the third quarter.
The Aztecs extended their lead to 20-14 early in the fourth quarter with their third, five-minute-plus scoring drive of the contest. Baron's second field goal, this one from 40 yards, capped the march. SDSU would tack on another touchdown score with 4:14 remaining in the game, converting a two-point conversion to take a 28-14 advantage.
The Sun Devils return to action next Saturday (7:30 p.m. PT) when they open Pac-12 play at No. 10 Washington. The game will be televised by ESPN.
The frenetic finale started with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Manny Wilkins to N'Keal Harry that cut SDSU's lead to 28-21 with 1:40 left. Harry's catch polished off an 11-play, 82-yard drive that took only 2:28 off the clock.
ASU was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick but the defense came through to give the team one final breath of life as Jay Jay Wilson stripped SDSU running back Chase Jasmin with 43 seconds remaining in the game and Aashari Crosswell fell on the ball to set up the theatrics of the final 30 seconds of regulation.
It appeared ASU would have a very realistic opportunity to tie the game with under a minute remaining following a long, would-be pass completion from Wilkins to Frank Darby that would have put the ball inside the SDSU two-yard line with six seconds remaining. The catch, however, was overturned when the play was reviewed (and upheld) for a targeting call. The play was ruled as a 15-yard penalty instead of a 48-yard pass completion and the ball placed at the SDSU 35-yard line. Wilkins' final pass was knocked to the ground as time expired, handing ASU its first loss of the season.
Wilkins finished the game with 341 passing yards on 31-of-46 passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown in the contest.
Harry led all players with nine catches for 86 yards while Darby had a career-best 127 yards on five catches, even without the 48-yard catch that was taken off the board late in the game.
A nine-play, 60-yard drive started the scoring as Wilkins passed 12 yards to Brandon Aiyuk for the wide receiver's first career touchdown reception. Eno Benjamin's 18-yard reception on third-and-10 at the 50 was one of the key plays on the drive. Four plays later the Sun Devils found the end zone with Aiyuk's catch and run.
The Aztecs for were forced to punt on their first three drives before finding their offensive rhythm in the second quarter. SDSU would have to earn its first score of the game, moving the ball 75 yards on 11 plays while using 5:13 on the clock to tie the score at 7-7 on Juwan Washington's 13-yard touchdown run.
ASU swiftly answered the Aztecs, using only 2:16 on the timer to gobble up 82 yards and reclaim the lead, 14-7. The drive was sparked by Darby who hauled in a season-high 51-yard reception from Wilkins. The redshirt senior quarterback then polished off the drive with a one-yard keeper for the 13th rushing touchdown of his career (tied for third place on ASU's all-time list with Taylor Kelly).
After forcing an SDSU punt, the Sun Devils marched 84 yards – from their own five-yard line to the SDSU 11 – before being forced to give up the ball on downs. Wilkins dialed up Darby's number for another long-distance connection, this one covering 43 yards, to reach SDSU's 20-yard line. ASU's next three plays gained eight yards and Wilkins was sacked on ASU's attempt to extend the drive on fourth-and-2.
The SDSU offense took full advantage of the opportunity created by the Aztecs' defense, motoring 85 yards in only 1:41 to tie the game at 14-14. Aztec QB Ryan Agnew found WR Tim Wilson Jr. for a nine-yard touchdown with just eight seconds left in the half.
The Aztecs' momentum carried over into the third quarter as the SDSU defense held ASU to a single yard on its opening drive of the half. SDSU's offense followed suit by moving 40 yards on its next drive to set up John Baron's 54-yard field goal that gave the Aztecs their first lead of the night, 17-14.
After accumulating 254 yards in total offense in the first half (235 passing and 19 rushing), the Sun Devils managed only 13 yards in the third quarter.
The Aztecs extended their lead to 20-14 early in the fourth quarter with their third, five-minute-plus scoring drive of the contest. Baron's second field goal, this one from 40 yards, capped the march. SDSU would tack on another touchdown score with 4:14 remaining in the game, converting a two-point conversion to take a 28-14 advantage.
The Sun Devils return to action next Saturday (7:30 p.m. PT) when they open Pac-12 play at No. 10 Washington. The game will be televised by ESPN.