Arizona State Football
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — For three quarters, Arizona State looked like it belonged on the same field as No. 10 Texas A&M.
Then the fourth quarter arrived.
The Sun Devils battled the Aggies for 45 minutes Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field, but a disastrous final quarter turned a competitive game into a 48-20 Texas A&M victory.
Arizona State entered the afternoon coming off a dominant 70-7 win over Morgan State and faced its first major test of the season against an Aggie team ranked among the nation’s best. For much of the afternoon, ASU showed it could handle the moment.
But Texas A&M’s defense ultimately proved too much, forcing multiple turnovers in the fourth quarter and turning a four-point game into a rout.
The loss drops Arizona State to 1-1 on the season, while Texas A&M improves to 2-0.
Sun Devils Answer Early
Texas A&M opened the scoring after a muffed punt gave the Aggies possession deep in Arizona State territory. Rueben Owens II took advantage, punching in a two-yard touchdown to give the Aggies a 7-0 lead.
Arizona State didn’t panic.
Quarterback Cutter Boley answered with a well-executed drive, connecting with Reed Harris for a 21-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 with just 21 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
The touchdown was the first indication that the Sun Devils weren’t going to be intimidated by the environment or the opponent.
Texas A&M reclaimed the lead early in the second quarter when Marcel Reed found Isaiah Horton for a four-yard touchdown.
Arizona State continued to respond, however. Carson Smith connected on a 30-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10 before Texas A&M added another field goal before halftime.
The Aggies entered the locker room with a 17-10 advantage, but the game remained firmly within Arizona State’s reach.
ASU Keeps Fighting
The Sun Devils came out of halftime with another scoring drive.
Smith connected on a 35-yard field goal to bring Arizona State within four at 17-13, setting the stage for a pivotal second half.
Texas A&M responded with another touchdown from Reed to Horton, extending the lead to 24-13.
Once again, Arizona State refused to go away.
Boley connected with Harris for a 58-yard touchdown, cutting through the Aggie defense and bringing the Sun Devils within striking distance at 24-20.
Suddenly, an upset didn’t feel impossible.
Arizona State had weathered the early mistakes, responded to every Texas A&M scoring drive and entered the fourth quarter within one possession of the nation’s No. 10 team.
But the Aggies’ defense saved its best football for the final 15 minutes.
Fourth Quarter Collapse
The turning point came almost immediately.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed connected with Mario Craver for a 33-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, pushing the Aggies’ lead to 31-20.
Arizona State needed an answer.
Instead, the game unraveled.
Defensive end Marco Jones intercepted a Boley pass after T.J. Searcy pressured the quarterback and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
Just like that, Texas A&M had turned a one-score game into an 18-point advantage.
The Aggies weren’t finished.
After Texas A&M recovered another Arizona State fumble, the Aggies added a field goal to make it 41-20. On the next Arizona State possession, Julio Humphrey intercepted Boley and returned it 45 yards for another defensive touchdown.
In a matter of minutes, Texas A&M had scored 24 unanswered points.
The final score — 48-20 — made the game appear much more lopsided than it actually was for most of the afternoon.
Texas A&M forced four Arizona State turnovers, including the two fourth-quarter pick-sixes, while holding the Sun Devils to 115 rushing yards.
Harris Continues to Shine
Despite the loss, there were positives for Arizona State, particularly from its passing game.
Reed Harris once again demonstrated why he could become one of the most important pieces of Kenny Dillingham’s offense.
After catching six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener, Harris continued his strong start against Texas A&M, providing Boley with a legitimate big-play threat.
Boley also showed plenty of promise before the fourth-quarter collapse. The junior quarterback entered the game after throwing for 387 yards and six touchdowns against Morgan State, and he displayed the arm talent necessary to challenge a ranked opponent.
The biggest issue wasn’t Arizona State’s inability to move the football.
It was the inability to protect the football when the game was on the line.
A Valuable Lesson for Arizona State
There is a temptation to look at a 48-20 final and assume Arizona State was simply overwhelmed.
That doesn’t tell the full story.
For three quarters, the Sun Devils were competitive with a team playing in front of more than 100,000 fans at Kyle Field. Arizona State trailed only 24-20 heading into the fourth quarter and had repeatedly answered when Texas A&M appeared ready to take control.
The problem was that the margin for error against a team like Texas A&M is extremely small.
The Aggies capitalized on Arizona State’s mistakes, and once the turnovers started coming, the game changed almost instantly.
For Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils, the challenge now is making sure the fourth quarter doesn’t overshadow what was otherwise a strong test against a ranked SEC opponent.
Arizona State will have little time to dwell on the loss.
Next Stop: London
The Sun Devils now turn their attention toward an unusual opportunity: Big 12 play in London.
Arizona State will face Kansas next Saturday, Sept. 19, in the Union Jack Classic at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The game will give the Sun Devils an immediate opportunity to respond after Saturday’s disappointing finish.
Arizona State showed against Texas A&M that it can compete with a nationally ranked opponent.
Now, Dillingham’s team has to show it can finish.
The final score won’t show how competitive this game was for three quarters.
But the fourth quarter will be the part Arizona State remembers.
And perhaps the part that defines how this team responds for the rest of the season.
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