After embarrassing loss last year, Utah embarrasses Arizona State with lights-out defensive performance

SALT LAKE CITY — Ever since Utah joined the Pac-12 eight years ago, Arizona State has been a thorn in the Utes’ side. Nobody has beaten Utah more than the Sun Devils, who like USC and Washington, have six wins over the Utes. The last two years were especially embarrassing for the Utes, who lost to the Sun Devils by a combined 38 points, while allowing 68 points.

So what did the Utes do to make up for it this year?

“Obviously last year’s game against those guys left a sour taste in our mouths. We wanted to get that out. We were sitting on it for a year so it was about time to let it loose.” — Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley

They turned the tables and simply embarrassed the Sun Devils, holding them to their lowest point total in 11 years and keeping them from setting a modern FBS record for most consecutive games scoring double-digit points (they had 125 straight double-digit games, which was tied with Louisiana Tech).

After the game, coach Utah coach Kyle Whittingham gushed, “I can’t remember a better defensive effort, certainly not as of late. Our defense was lights-out tonight.”

Ute defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley gave all the credit to the players and said they had extra motivation after what happened last year in Tempe when Arizona State rolled up 536 yards and 38 points on the Utes.

This year, the Utes held the Sun Devils to exactly 400 fewer yards and 35 fewer points.

“Obviously last year’s game against those guys left a sour taste in our mouths,” Scalley said. “We wanted to get that out. We were sitting on it for a year so it was about time to let it loose.”

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Arizona State came into this year’s game averaging 402 yards per game. Utah held them to 136 yards. ASU freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, a player the Utes coveted out of high school, was averaging 268 yards per game passing. He got 25 against Utah’s stout defense, completing just 4 of 18 passes. About 10 of those passes were fired into the third row of the stands as he was scrambling all night and just trying to get rid of the ball.

Daniels was also sacked three times, all by Utah’s defensive end Bradley Anae, who Whittingham called, the “best edge rusher in the Pac-12.” In fact, Whittingham was a prophet, telling Anae before the game that he was going to get three sacks in the game.

ASU coach Herm Edwards, a former defensive star in the NFL, was certainly impressed by Utah’s defensive effort. 

“You have to give Utah a lot of credit,” he said. “They put a lot of pressure on our quarterback. They found ways to get to him and he was under duress most of the day.”

Before and during the game, all eyes were on Ute running back Zack Moss and his quest to break the career rushing record set by Eddie Johnson 31 years ago. It took until late in the fourth quarter for Moss to get past Johnson, but in the meantime, the Ute defense took center stage.

The Sun Devils only managed 21 yards in the first quarter. The second quarter was the same — 21 yards — giving them 42 at halftime. The only reason they were within shouting distance of Utah were two turnovers by the Utes, which kept it a two-touchdown game.

In the third quarter, the Sun Devils finally got some rushing yards but again couldn’t find the end zone after a couple of Ute gifts — a fumble at their own 18-yard line and an interception returned to the Ute 28. In the first case, the Utes held ASU to a field goal and in the second, they pushed the Sun Devils back enough to force a punt.

The Ute front four of Anae, Leki Fotu, John Penisini and Mika Tafua had Daniels running for his life all night. ASU running back Eno Benjamin did end up with 104 yards rushing, but 32 came on one run late in the game and the rest were hard-earned.

The Utes came into the game as one of the top-ranked defenses in several categories and will only move up after Saturday’s stellar performance.

“Hey, it’s on to next week,” Scalley said. “I’m proud of them. It’s all about the player — they were prepared. They owned it. They worked their tails off. They took pride in what they’re doing.”