On Friday night, the Sun Devils were dealing with a nationwide ground stop that delayed their flight to Orlando to early Saturday morning. On Saturday night, Arizona State rolled into the Bounce House and clinched bowl eligibility with a 26-13 win over UCF.

ASU Head Coach Kenny Dillingham acknowledged the challenges that his team faced, and he said it was “one his favorite games since being a Sun Devil coach.”

He also mentioned that no matter what the circumstances are, you either get the job done or you don’t. Dillingham’s final words on the matter? “No excuses.”

Most of the first quarter was a punting exhibition, with neither offense able to generate much.

But near the end of the quarter, ASU flashed some tremendous trickery as Derek Eusebio connected with Anthony Miller. That would set up a Marquis Gillis touchdown early in the second. 

After UCF missed a field goal, Carson Smith showed off his leg with a 51-yard kick to extend the Sun Devil lead to 10-0. Two more field goals from Smith gave ASU a 16-7 lead at halftime.

While the Knights got the ball to start the second half, the Sun Devils kept it rolling with a CJ Fite sack to end UCF’s drive. An over seven minute drive by Arizona State began with 5:55 to go in the third, and ended with a Cardae Mack touchdown early in the fourth. 

ASU cruised the rest of the way to victory. In a city that loves storybook endings, it was the Sun Devils that overcame unexpected obstacles and had their fans celebrating in the Bounce House.

Key Performers:

Jake Fette: 21/26, 196 yards passing

Cardae Mack: 117 yards rushing, one touchdown

Reed Harris: Seven catches, 80 yards

Martell Hughes: One sack, eight tackles

Carson Smith: 4/4 on field goals, longest was 51 yards

Arizona State will return home to play Oklahoma State next Saturday. That game will start at 8:15 PM MST.

The post “No Excuses” – Sun Devils Become Bowl Eligible first appeared on Sports360AZ.



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