By Lucas Robbins,
Sun Devil Athletics Digital Communications Intern
Sun Devil Football dominated the offensive stat column with 742 total yards, 37 first downs and 108 total plays, yet came up short in the end as they lost in triple overtime to the Oregon Ducks, 61-55, Thursday night at Sun Devil Stadium.
Both teams scored 17 points each in the third quarter, and a combined 17 in the fourth, to send a 41-41 tie into overtime. After matching scores in the first two extra periods, the Sun Devils fell three yards shy when quarterback Mike Bercovici’s final pass of the game was intercepted in the endzone with a six-point deficit.
The Ducks (5-3, 3-2) scored on the first play of overtime when quarterback Vernon Adams completed a 25-yard pass to wide receiver Dwayne Stanford, but the Sun Devils responded when wide receiver Tim White reached for the pylon on a two-yard out route to tie the score, 48-48.
On ASU’s following possession in the second overtime, Bercovici rushed twice for 25 yards including an 18-yard touchdown scramble on third down. UO’s Adams scrambled for six yards on touchdown call that was reversed on the ensuing overtime possession, but the Ducks reached paydirt on the next play when running back Royce Freeman punched in a one-yard score.
Oregon’s next touchdown was also reviewed, a 20-yard catch by wide receiver Bralon Addison in the back of the end zone, and was upheld, but the Ducks failed on the two-point conversion to take a six-point lead. The game ended when Bercovici had his pass intercepted by Arrion Springs on following possession to reach the final score, 61-55.
ASU’s ground game found its groove as sophomores Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage combined for 162 rushing yards, including 135 yards on 19 carries for Richard and 127 yards on 12 attempts for Ballage.
Bercovici powered the Sun Devils’ passing attack as he completed 32 of 53 pass attempts for 398 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, and also added 58 yards rushing and a touchdown. White led the Sun Devils in receiving with nine catches, 97 yards and one touchdown, and wide receiver D.J. Foster added six receptions for 87 yards.
The Sun Devils defense recorded eight tackles for loss, including five sacks, behind 10 tackles and a sack from safety Jordan Simone and nine tackles and 1.5 sacks from linebacker Salamo Fiso.
The Ducks took a 17-14 lead into halftime behind two long touchdowns and a 24-yard field goal, the game’s first score. ASU used a pair of touchdown passes, including a 3-yarder by wide receiver Devin Lucien and a 39-yarder by wide receiver Gary Chambers, but three missed field goals by Zane Gonzalez left the Devils behind.
The Sun Devils tied the game on the opening drive of the second half when Gonzalez made a 28-yard field goal, his first of the night, to cap a 13-play 65-yard drive and make the score, 17-17.
ASU’s defense forced the first turnover of the game when safety Kareem Orr made a diving, one-handed interception off a tipped pass for his third pick of the season. Later in the drive, a 10-yard holding penalty by UO on fourth-and-1 set up a 22-yard touchdown run by Richard to give ASU’s its first lead, 24-17.
Another Richard touchdown, this time a one-yard catch, followed a 37-yard field goal by the Ducks and gave the Devils an 11-point advantage, the biggest lead of the game for either team. UO responded, however, with a 100-yard kickoff return by a touchdown and a 62-yard rushing touchdown to pull back ahead, 34-31, at the end of the third quarter.
ASU answered to start the fourth as Gonzalez capped off a 10-play, 52-yard drive with a 33-yard field and Bercovici’s five-yard touchdown pass to unguarded redshirt junior tight end Kody Kohl on their ensuing possession broke the game’s second tie, 41-34, with fewer than eight minutes to play.
Another tie seemed probable on Oregon’s following drive, but a dropped long ball by Darren Carrington on third-and-long ended the Ducks’ attack. UO got the ball back again after Tyree Robinson intercepted Bercovici, and the Ducks’ ensuing 13-play drive ended in a touchdown that eventually tied the game, 41-41.
Next for the Sun Devils is their second-to-last Pac-12 road game as they travel to Pullman, Wash., to take on the Washington State Cougars. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. (AZ) on Saturday, Nov. 7 and will be televised on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes.