TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State built a 17-0 halftime lead and held off Colorado’s second-half push to secure a 20-10 victory Saturday night at Mountain America Stadium. The Sun Devils improved to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12, moving within one win of bowl eligibility. Colorado fell to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12.
Freshman quarterback Jake Fette contributed to both Arizona State touchdowns, catching a one-yard pass from running back Cardae Mack and throwing a 34-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Reed Harris. The Sun Devils paired those plays with a defense that kept the Buffaloes scoreless before halftime.
Arizona State entered the game looking for consistency after an uneven first eight games. The Sun Devils had followed Mack’s four-touchdown performance in a victory against Kansas State with a 27-20 loss at BYU.
Colorado arrived at 3-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play after snapping a five-game losing streak with a 27-24 overtime victory against Kansas State. The Buffaloes could not carry that offensive momentum into the first half against Arizona State.
Kicker Carson Smith opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal. Arizona State extended its lead in the second quarter when Mack took a direct snap on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line and found Fette in the end zone to finish a 10-play, 66-yard drive.
Colorado struggled to sustain possessions against Arizona State’s pressure. A 24-yard sack of quarterback Isaac Wilson on fourth down ended one opportunity and gave the Sun Devils possession at Colorado’s 42-yard line.
Arizona State capitalized despite an illegal-formation penalty that left the offense facing third-and-14. Fette connected with Harris for a 34-yard touchdown, and Smith’s extra point made it 17-0.
Colorado’s defense tightened after halftime, holding Arizona State scoreless in the third quarter and allowing just three points in the second half. Linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron led the Buffaloes with a career-high 18 tackles, including 10 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Sun Devils cornerback Ashton Stamps intercepted Wilson with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter, but Arizona State could not turn the takeaway into points. Colorado closed the period with a 39-yard field goal by Elliott Arnold, cutting the deficit to 17-3.
Early in the fourth quarter, Fette found Harris for a 58-yard gain to Colorado’s four-yard line. The Buffaloes held near the goal line, forcing the Sun Devils to settle for Smith’s 21-yard field goal and a 20-3 advantage.
Colorado answered on its next possession. After a holding penalty, Wilson connected with wide receiver Joseph Williams for 48 yards to reach Arizona State territory.
An Arizona State roughing-the-kicker penalty on a missed field-goal attempt extended Colorado’s drive. Wilson then found Williams for a seven-yard touchdown, and the extra point cut the lead to 20-10 with 8:14 remaining.
Williams finished with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. His 48-yard reception was Colorado’s longest completed pass of the game and helped set up the touchdown that capped the 10-play, 75-yard possession.
After forcing an Arizona State punt, Colorado had another opportunity to close the gap. The Sun Devils stopped the Buffaloes on fourth-and-15 near midfield with 2:43 left, ending their final possession.
Arizona State scored just three points after halftime, but its early touchdowns and late defensive stop secured the victory. Harris finished with four catches for 103 yards, including the touchdown and the 58-yard reception that set up Smith’s fourth-quarter field goal.
UP NEXT:
Arizona State travels to University of Central Florida (UCF) on Saturday, Nov. 14th, TBD
Colorado returns home to face Houston on Friday, Nov. 13 at 8:15 pm MST
