If that's how the Kevin Sumlin era ends, at least it was the end no one will forget.
The Arizona Wildcats were obliterated at home by rival ASO, giving up 14 points in the first minute and continuing to fall after that, falling 70-7 Friday night at Arizona Stadium.
It was UA's 12th straight loss, extending the program's record, and sixth straight at home, breaking a tie for the longest home skid. It was the fourth consecutive setback for the ASU, which last happened in the 1970s.
The final margin was the largest for The Sun Devils in the history of the Regional Cup, with 70 points the most by any team in the competition. Only Arizona 67-0 win in 1946 a bigger blast.
ASU (0-2) used Arizona's four turnovers and two turnovers on touchdowns to go up 42-0 after less than 25 minutes of game action, by far the biggest in the long list of big holes the Wildcats had started games in under Sumlin. The UA has converted it seven times, most since at least 1999, with the ASU converting it to 35 points.
The terrible performance started around as poorly as possible for Arizona, as DJ Taylor ASU returned in the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score. Gary Brightwell then flopped on the Wildcats ' second offensive snap, with The Sun Devils recovering at the UA 4-yard line, and on the next play chip Trayanum scored on a 4-yard run.
After just 56 seconds, Arizona is 14-0 behind.
Turned Arizona on the second drive-twice, in fact - with Grant gon get intercepted by Kyle Sewell ASU one play after apparently receiving Ma Wright had stripped the fishing on the middle. Officials turned on that play, only to see the Wildcats give it an early one later.
ASU failed to take advantage of those takeaways, missing a 40-yard field goal attempt, but then Arizona turned the ball on downs when Michael Wiley was stuffed for no gain on 4 and 1 in UA 41. The Sun Devils turned that third straight start in Wildcat territory into a 20-yard TD run by quarterback Jayden Daniels to make it 21-0 with 2: 21 left in the first.
The second quarter looked more promising for Arizona at the start, as it drove into the ASU red zone and was 1st and 2nd goal ... Just to get a bad exchange between Gunnell and Brightwell leads to another stutter. Michael Matos recovered it from ASU at the 4-yard line, and two plays later Rachaad White cut a 93-yard TD run to make it 28-0 with 11: 45 left before halftime.
A fourth turnover-and a third Bumble - on a strip sack from Gunnell set the ASU up deep into UA territory again, with Daniels connecting on a 31-yard TD pass to Ricky Pearsall to make it 35-0 with 10: 15 left in the first half.
This was followed by Arizona's fourth failed second conversion on his own side of the field, with ASU converting a 4-yard TD run by Daniel Ngata to make it 42-0 with 5: 25 left in the second.
Arizona finally got the board in its seventh possession, which also included real freshman will Plummer replacing Jonell in QB. Plummer had 3 for 3 for 49 yards on the drive, paving the way for Eli to score on a 20-yard run with 3: 38 left.
Gunnell, who missed last week's game against Colorado and all but the first game at UCLA because of a shoulder injury, was 12 of 17 for 78 yards with two turnovers. Plummer was 7 of 13 for 83 yards, eventually stepping aside for Rhett Rodriguez to get his first shots since the 2019 opener against the NAO.
UA actually outscored ASU 260-241 in the first half, despite being down 42-7, and it wasn't until his first possession of the second half that a punt was made. The Wildcats gained only 90 yards after halftime.
ASU added two short TD runs by white in the third quarter, the second coming off a lost third fumble from Brightwell. The sun made the Devils out 63-7 on a 74-yard TD pass from Daniels to Curtis Hodges, then after a sixth turnover Arizona Chinese-born running back Jackson scored on a 1-yard run to reach 70 with 7: 02 left.
Arizona's 12-game skid is now the second-longest active losing streak in the FBS, trailing only Kansas. The Jayhawks, who have lost 13 in a row, canceled their final game against Texas because of the COVID - 19 outbreak.
The Pac - 12 plans to meet all non-championship game participants at crossover games in December. 19. If Arizona were one of those it would be the last chance to avoid the first winless season in school history.
إرسال تعليق