Cal at ASU Postgame Notes

Hod Rabino · Sep 25, 2016

Courtesy of ASU's Media Relations

WITH THE WIN

Saturday night’s victory marks just ASU’s third victory in its last 12 games against Cal and just its first win against the Bears at Sun Devil Stadium since 2007.
The Sun Devils improved to 16-18 all-time against the Golden Bears and 11-8 at home.
The win marked ASU’s first in a Pac-12 opener since 2012 (Utah).
Head Coach Todd Graham improved to 3-2 in Pac-12 openers.
The Maroon and Gold improved to 24-6 in games played at Sun Devil Stadium since Todd Graham took the reins in 2012.
Quarterback Manny Wilkins moved to 4-0 in his career as a Sun Devil starter, joining Danny White (10-0) and Todd Hons (8-0) as the only others since 1970 to achieve the feat in their first four career starts.

LIGHT ‘EM UP

Tallying 51 points on the outing, ASU has now scored 50 or more points 16 times (2nd time this season) since Todd Graham arrived in Tempe for the 2012 season.
Against Pac-12 opponents the Sun Devils have scored 50 or more points ten times under Coach Graham, having only tallied nine in the current era prior (since 1978).
Under Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey the Sun Devils are averaging 47.4 points per game.
The Devils 31 points in the final 9:44 were more than 54 teams scored total in their games this weekend.

IN-ZANE IN THE MEMBRANE

With his three field goals on the night, Zane Gonzalez moved into 4th in FBS history for career field goals made at 84. FSU’s Dustin Hopkins holds the FBS record of 88.
Gonzalez has now scored a point in 43 consecutive games and is fast-approaching Zendejas’ school record of 45 consecutive games with points scored.
Continuing to prove he is the best kickoff specialist in the nation, Gonzalez booted seven of his 10 kickoffs on the night for touchbacks moving his season total to 30-of-37 (81.1 percent).

A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

Courtesy of a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown by Laiu Moeakiola, the Sun Devils have now accounted for 17 defensive touchdowns under the tutelage of Coach Graham, second in the nation in that time (Ohio State – 22).
The Maroon and Gold now have 14 pick-six’s under Graham, the most in the FBS during that time. ASU only recorded four pick-six’s in the three seasons prior to 2012.

IT’S ABOUT HOW YOU FINISH

ASU has now outscored other teams 626-454 in the fourth quarter and overtime under Todd Graham and are averaging 22.3 points per fourth quarter this season.
That 22.3 points per fourth quarter mark is more than 117 FBS teams are averaging per second HALF and more than 25 teams are averaging per GAME on the season.
Scoring 31 points in the fourth quarter beginning at the 9:44 mark, the Sun Devils outscored 54 FBS teams on the day, while becoming just the second FBS team in the last five years to score at least 30 points in the fourth quarter to come from behind and win.
Rallying back after being down 24-10 in the second the quarter, the Sun Devils have now overcome double-digit deficits in two consecutive outings (16- UTSA, Sept. 16).

GOLD ZONE

The Sun Devils have now scored in 18-of-18 trips to the red zone in 2016 and have scored a touchdown on 14 of those trips (77.8). That was an area ASU struggled in last year, only finding the end zone on 51.5 percent of its red zone trips.

THE WHITE PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

Accounting for 163 all-purpose yards (86 REC, 46 PR, 31 KOR), Tim White now has ten games in his career with over 100 all-purpose yards and five in his last six starts dating back to last season.

EXPLOSIVE PLAYS

FIRSTS

Sun Devil linebacker Koron Krump recording his first forced fumble and fumble recovery of his collegiate career
Hauling in 30-yard touchdown strike from Wilkins, tight end Jay Jay Wilson recorded his first collegiate reception AND touchdown respectively.
J’Marcus Rhodes made his first career start, tallying a career-best seven tackles.

GO-TO TARGET

A new face led the Sun Devil receiving corps in Jalen Harvey, who finished with five receptions for 83 yards – both career highs. Four of Harvey’s receptions went for a first down as he averaged 16.6 yards per catch.

GOLD RUSH

Tallying three rushing scores on the night the Sun Devils moved their season rushing touchdown total to 16, just three off their 2015 season total of 19. He had just eight career receptions entering the game.

TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE

D.J. Calhoun’s 42-yard kickoff return for a touchdown marked the third in the Todd Graham era and first since 2015 (Tim White- Utah, Oct. 17)

ASU KICKOFF RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS UNDER TODD GRAHAM (3)

MAKE ‘EM PAY

The Sun Devils outscored Cal 10-0 on points of takeaways on the evening. Under Todd Graham, ASU has outscored opponents 500-239 in points off takeaways.

A PUNT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

The Sun Devils helped theirselves out in the field position battle off the foot of punter Matt Haack and quarterback Manny Wilkins. The duo combined for five punts on the evening with all five being downed inside the 20-yard line (and both of Wilkins’ punts being down inside the five-yard line.
Haack punted three times for 151 yards (50.3 average) with a long of 57 while Wilkins had two punts for 86 yards (43.0 average).

DON’T CROSS THAT LINE

Against Cal, the ASU defense forced 33 negative or no yardage plays (7 TFLs, 24 incomplete passes, 2 rushes of no gain) of 93 plays runs by the Golden Bears (35.5 percent)
On the season, the Sun Devils have forced 110 negative or no yardage plays of 302 run by the opposition (36.4 percent)
Under Graham ASU has forced 1,467 plays that have not resulted in positive yardage out of 4,062 (36.1 percent).

Deserthawkfan · Sep 25, 2016