No Love for Buffaloes
With the 53-13 victory, Arizona State improves to 5-0 all-time against Colorado, with all contests being played this decade. The Sun Devils have outscored the Buffaloes 206-61 over those five games.
Protect This House
With the victory, ASU moves to 4-0 at home this year and 8-2 under Todd Graham with three home games remaining (Washington, Oregon State and Arizona). ASU has gone undefeated at home just once in the past 16 seasons (1997-2012), when it was 6-0 in 2004.
Home Field Advantage
After 10 games under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils have averaged 45.8 points per game at home, including a 63-point performance against NAU in 2012 and a 62-point performance this season against USC. The lowest score the Devils have recorded at home under Graham is 21 against Oregon last season.
Moving the Sticks, and Vise-Versa
ASU entered the game tied for seventh in the nation in fewest offensive three-and-outs (14-of-74 for 19 percent, an average of 2.8 per game). Against CU, the Sun Devils had two three-and-outs on 12 drives, moving the season total to 16-of-86 drives going three-and-out. On defense, however, Arizona State forced Colorado to six three-and-outs on 12 drives. On the season the Sun Devils have forced opponents to 36 three-and-outs on 87 drives.
He’s Streaking
With 134 yards against the Buffaloes, Marion Grice has increased his streak to eight games with 100+ all-purpose yards. His streak has him tied for third place in the nation with Kadeem Carey of Arizona. Antonio Andrews from Western Kentucky possesses the longest streak at 19-straight games. It only took two quarters for Grice to rush for 88 yards and break his season-high and the Devils’ season-high for rushing yards, previously set at 84.
The Grice Zone
Over his past nine games, Marion Grice has found the end zone 21 times (15 rushing, six receiving), and has scored at least one touchdown in each of those contests. Grice has 15 touchdowns in six games this season (10 rushing, five receiving) and came into the game averaging 15.6 points a game by himself. Grice is steadily closing in on the Pac-12 record for touchdowns in a season, 28, held by Stanford’s Toby Gerhert in 2009.
The Force is Strong
Jaelen Strong has amassed 42 receptions on the year, with 28 (66.7 percent) of them going for first downs. With 109 receiving yards against Colorado, aided by a career-long 69-yard touchdown reception, Strong has now eclipsed 100 yards receiving in five consecutive games.
Sun Devils are Explosive
ASU coaches define an explosive play as a pass completion of 16-plus yards or a rush of 12-plus yards. Against Colorado, Arizona State had 12-such explosive plays (seven pass, five rush), eight of which were made by Marion Grice and Jaelen Strong. Strong leads the team with 20 explosive receiving plays. The leading receiver for the Sun Devils over the entire 13 games last season had 18 explosive plays, a figure Strong took six games to break.
Strike First
With Jaelen Strong’s 69-yard touchdown reception on the first drive of the game, Arizona State has now scored first in 16 of the 19 games with Todd Graham at the helm, and are 4-1 in such contests this season. The Sun Devils are now 11-5 in the Todd Graham era when getting on the scoreboard first.
Start Strong
By outscoring Colorado 25-0 in the first quarter, ASU has now outscored opponents 194-89 in the first quarter under Todd Graham. Possibly even more impressive, the Sun Devils are 10-0 in such contests. Prior to this game, Arizona State had scored 24 points in its first five games combined in the first quarter, and the 25 points were the most scored in the first quarter since scoring 28 against Stanford on Sept. 28, 2002. ASU has shut out four of its six opponents in the first quarter this season.
Take Your Time
With a comfortable lead coming out the first half, the Devils put in many second-string players and slowed things down—but, they didn’t stop scoring. In its first drive to start the second half, ASU put together a scoring drive that took 7:04 off the clock, the longest in terms of time taken off the clock under the Todd Graham era. It ended with a one-yard R.J. Robinson touchdown.
Make ‘Em Pay
ASU has significantly improved at scoring after creating turnovers. The Sun Devils improved their turnover advantage to +7 on the season, and they have seven touchdowns off 14 opponent turnovers aided by two interceptions returned for touchdowns. ASU is outscoring opponents 68-28 on points off turnovers.
Two Will Do
The Sun Devils recorded a team safety in the second quarter after Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau was called for intentional grounding in the end zone to avoid a sack. The safety is the first for ASU since obtaining one against Oregon State on Nov. 3, 2012.
I’ll Take That Off Your Hands
Lloyd Carrington recorded his first interception as a Sun Devil in the first quarter which led to an ensuing Marion Grice one-yard touchdown run. Damarious Randall, after logging 17 tackles last week against Notre Dame, also recorded his first interception in an ASU uniform in the second quarter, leading to a 20-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal.
Defense Playing Offense
Davon Coleman, a listed defensive end on the depth chart, came in on the goal line and caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Kelly, his first-career touchdown reception coming on his first-career reception.
Firsts for Lots
R.J. Robinson found the end zone on a one-yard rush in the third quarter, his first-career touchdown.
In-Zane in the Membrane
Freshman Zane Gonzalez’s 41-yard field goal to put the Sun Devils up 37-6 in the second quarter was the longest of his career thus far.