The #17 Arizona State Sun Devils once again threw their names into dark horse consideration for a College Football Playoff spot, beating the #23 Stanford Cardinal 26-10 in Tempe to improve to 5-1 overall.
ASU took advantage of a bad night at the office for Stanford QB Kevin Hogan (19-of-39, 212 yards), limiting the Stanford attack to just 288 total yards altogether. The Sun Devils' offense did just enough to cash in on their defense's big day, sending their fans in Tempe home with dreams of a Pac-12 (and national) title.
Turning Point: Would you believe a punt? After Stanford had cut the gap from 20-3 to 20-10, Arizona State stalled out on their ensuing drive just inside the Cardinal 40. QB Mark Bercovici would show his versatility, pooching a punt inside the Stanford 5. ASU downed the ball just inches outside the goal line with 8:45 left, leaving Stanford 99.5 yards away from pay dirt.
Stanford's offense, as was the case all night, couldn't put the pieces together - going three-and-out and effectively ending the game.
Key Stat: 2007. The Stanford Cardinal hadn't been shut out in a first half since being blanked by the Washington State Cougars seven years ago. That 87-game streak was snapped on Saturday, and Stanford's offense wouldn't be able to recover from one its most meager starts in recent program history.
Arizona State MVP: QB Mike Bercovici - 23-of-33, 245 yards, 1 TD
Arizona State's defense was a collective MVP as well, pushing back the Stanford offense at every turn. However, Bercovici did a masterful job of managing the game - more impressive because he had to slow himself down at times to drain the clock in the fourth quarter. Add in a pretty TD throw to Jaelen Strong and two punts (including the aforementioned pooch kick), and Bercovici was the ultimate Renaissance man for the Sun Devils on this night.
Stanford MVP: TE Greg Taboada (two catches, 53 yards)
Stanford's defense was impressive at times, but still couldn't hold back the Sun Devils when it mattered. On the other side, the Cardinal's offense was pedestrian at best. Tight end Greg Taboada gave Stanford two big plays (catches of 30 & 23) on a night devoid of them, so he gets the nod. Honorable mention goes to Ty Montgomery (six catches, 82 yards) who produced late for the Cardinal.
What’s Next? Stanford will attempt to regroup against the Oregon State Beavers at home next week (kickoff at 12:30pm PST), while Arizona State heads to Seattle for a pivotal matchup against the Washington Huskies (kickoff at 7:45pm PST).
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