Mike Stockman
Copyright 2015 Phoenix
Area Sports
(Photography by Jacob M
Cutler)
TEMPE, AZ (November 14, 2015) The Arizona State University
Sun Devils came from behind after being down 17-3 at the half, to defeat the
Washington Huskies by a final score of 27-17 on Homecoming Saturday, November
14 at Sun Devil Stadium.
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| Mike Bercovici has thrown for over 4,000 yards as a Devil |
In the first quarter, the Huskies chewed up the Devils’
defense with a total of 205 yards offense. Missed tackles and broken
assignments allowed the Huskies to jump to a 10 - 0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Huskies extended their lead when
quarterback Jake Browning threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Darrell
Daniels who strolled in easily with 8:20 left in the half.
The Devils would not get on the board until Zack Gonzales, now
3rd all-time in scoring for the Devils, hit a 40 yard field goal
with less than 2:30 left in the half.
At the half, the Huskies led 17-3 with a total of 341 yards
on offense to the Devils’ 133 yards.
After halftime, a different team came out of the locker
room for the Devils. The Huskies
continued to pile on the yards, but were unable to score the rest of the game.
In the second half, the Devils scored 7 points in the third
quarter and 17 in the fourth. The
defense forced four turnovers, three interceptions and one forced fumble, to
tame the Huskies.
The Devils finished the game with 397 yards total offense
to the Huskies’ 547 total yards.
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| Matt Haack - 11 punts averaged over 46 yards |
The Devils’ junior punter Matt Haack (Des Moines, Iowa)
played a major role in pinning the Huskies back deep all game. He punted eleven
times for a total of 507 yards, his average yards per punt was just over 46.
After the game, one reporter asked what happened in the locker
room during the halftime intermission. Antonio Longino said “We said to each
other - when we come out, we gotta come together. Don’t just play for the
seniors. We have to play for everybody because tomorrow is not promised to
anyone“.
In other postgame interviews, Kalen
Ballage talked about the heart of the team when he stated “It’s how you
finish, not how you start”.
Mike Bercovici, with over 4,000 yards passing
as a Sun Devil, talked about what it felt like to put on the Devil uniform for
over 90 games. He said “It feels incredible …We will never take it for granted”.
“If you want to put a pitchfork on your helmet, you gotta wake up bright-eyed
no matter the situation”.
As the players left the postgame interview, one could see the
focus in the eyes of each of them as they begin to mentally prepare for their next
game – the Arizona Wildcats.
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| Bercovici, Longino, Ballage in postgame interview. |
The Huskies (4-6) travel to Oregon State to play the
Beavers next week in a Pac12 Conference game on Saturday, November 21.
The Devils
(5-5), needing to win the next game to
be bowl eligible, host in-state rival
and nemesis Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, November 21, at Sun Devil Stadium. The annual Territorial Cup showdown can be seen on local
channels. Game time is 1:30 p.m. MST.
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