3 Major Takeaways From Arizona State's 2-0 Start to Big 12 Play
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TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils are heading into their week six bye with a 4-1 record as well as posting a 2-0 in Big 12 play - taking care of a pair of conference contenders in Baylor and TCU in less than a week.
The Sun Devils are now in great position moving forward - with the possibility to return key players in two weeks against Utah.
Arizona State on SI has curated three key observations from the come-from-behind victory below.
Sun Devil Offense on Precipice of Special Run
The Arizona State offense had a phenomenal game overall - 498 total yards and a balanced passing/rushing attack.
It only translated to 27 points - and the team had to overcome another slow start.
Star QB Sam Leavitt sees that the offense is on the cusp of something truly special, saying as much in the post-game press conference.
"Yeah, I mean, just, you know, slightly, watching the tape on the sidelines, but haven't really broken it down too much. We just got a lot of red zone trips. We got to come up with some, with some better points. Like I said, I got to play backline more. Understand window throws more in the red zone, you know, but once it pops, it's going to be pretty fun, because we should, we should have probably put up over 45 points."
Raleek Brown averaged over six yards per carry and added 50 receiving yards for good measure, continuing to prove to be a true x-factor in the offense. Jordyn Tyson hauled in a pair of touchdowns and looks to be a 'sleeper' in Heisman Trophy conversations. Alabama transfer Jaren Hamilton had a massive 44-yard catch in the second half of the game, finally securing a big-play moment that has been weeks in the making. Even the tight end room bore weight - with Chamon Metayer hauling in four catches and senior Cameron Harpole coming through with timely catches.
The Sun Devil offense under Marcus Arroyo is quite literally on the brink of coming into their own for the stretch run of the season.
Arizona State Defense Continues to be Great in Biggest Moments
Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward has received his fiar share of criticism from the Arizona State fanbase in recent weeks - he silenced those critics in a major way on Friday.
Ward's aggressive, blitz-heavy brand of play-calling paid off, as the Sun Devil defense secured six total sacks, along with intercepting star QB Josh Hoover at two of the most crucial points of the game.
Linebacker Martell Hughes sealed the Arizona State victory with an interception with just under a minute remaining in the game - head coach Kenny Dillingham was incredibly glowing in his reveiw of the sophomore post-game.
"He just has, I mean, he goes to work every day. He's Barrett Honors. He's a smart person. He's mature. We talked about it, you know, we're watching the Cardinals game last night, and me him and Keyshaun (Elliott). And we were like, hey, you know, tell next year you're the dude... So I mean, even though he's young, I mean, he's growing up in front of our eyes. And that's what is awesome about college football."
Hughes' contributions were just a piece of what the defense did as a whole. Prince Dorbah secured three sacks, four tackles for loss, and a key strip-sack on Hoover that resulted in the game-winning field goal by Jesus Gomez. Adrian "Boogie" Wilson intercepted Hoover off of a tipped pass at the doorstep of the Sun Devils' end zone. Myles "Ghost" Rowser was incredibly active at all times in different scenarios, while Rodney Bimage Jr. stepped up in key moments at cornerback alongside Keith Abney II.
Elijah O'Neal and Clayton Smith perfectly accompanied Dorbah in a true breakout game for the Sun Devils' edge rushing group - further establishing the Arizona State defense as one that is stout at all three levels.
Sun Devils are in Position to Return to Big 12 Title Game
The Sun Devils' 2-0 start in conference play means much more to their season than meets the eye - as the team enters the week six bye with an undefeated mark in what has long been considered the most difficult stretch of the regular season schedule.
They now take positive momentum (and perhaps the return of key players) into a road battle with a potentially shaken Utah squad before what has the ability to be the premier conference game against Texas Tech on October 18.
Ultimately, Arizona State controls their own destiny moving forward.
Read more on major takeaways from Arizona State's clutch-time victory over Baylor here, and more on why Arizona State fans should be feeling confident about the outlook of the season following the win here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.