The 2-4 Arizona State Sun Devils take the road to square off against the Stanford Cardinal in Pac 12 football on Saturday afternoon. The Sun Devils, 1-2 under interim head coach Shaun Aguano, are coming off their biggest win of the season after their 45-38 win over #21 Washington last week. Stanford comes into this matchup at 2-4 as well but winless in the conference at 0-4. They have momentum as well, however, following their 16-14 win at Notre Dame last week. The opening kick is scheduled for 4:00pm EST.
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It has been a tumultuous season for the Arizona Sun Devils that started with the firing of head coach Herm Edwards after a 1-2 start to the season. Things looked to be taking a turn for the worse with two-straight losses under interim head coach Aguano. Last week, the Sun Devils got their first signature win under Aguano with a 45-38 win over the then #24 Washington Huskies. Not only was it a signature win, it was the first win under Aguano's watch.
“I look back and I say, ‘Is this one of the greatest days of my coaching career?’ Absolutely,” Aguano said. “I feel like I’m the richest man in the world right now. Not monetarily, trust me. We still live paycheck-to-paycheck. But just because of the wealth of love these kids have given me.”
The game took a turn after ASU starting quarterback Emory Jones had to exit the game with a head injury in t he second quarter. In stepped backup quarterback Trenton Bourquet who would go on to lead the Sun Devils to three touchdown scores and points in five of their last eight possessions. He finished the day 15-of-21 for 182 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. ASU had 397 yards of total offense including 156 yards on the ground. Running back Xazavian Valladay had 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown in the win.
On the defensive end, ASU gave up 458 yards of total offense including 324 through the air. They allowed 32 first downs and 5.2 yards per play. They had one sack on the day, three tackles for loss as well as an interception as they battled Washington's potent passing offense.
It's all about the Sun Devil family.
A letter from Interim Head Coach Shaun Aguano: https://t.co/6V5YBTOANH#ForksUp | #Ohana pic.twitter.com/uD8H9hTSTy
— Sun Devil F ootball (@ASUFootball) September 21, 2022
With a bye week following the Washington win, Aguano wasted little time in announcing that since Jones passed concussion protocols, he will be the starting quarterback at Stanford. The Sun Devils offense is currently ranked just 85th in the country in scoring this season. They are 105th in rushing and 74th in passing. They have not been particularly effective in the red zone, ranking just 65th in the country. The Sun Devils have also been loose with the football, ranking 88th in the country in turnover differential. On the defensive side of the ball, ASU is ranked just 114th in defensive scoring in the country. They are a dismal 115th against the run and 100th against the pass. If your team reaches the red zone, you can put the points on the board as the Sun Devils are ranked dead last in the country in red zone defensive efficiency.