SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Arizona State University football team scored 20 unanswered points to escape the Alamodome with a 32-28 victory over the scrappy UTSA Roadrunners on Friday evening in San Antonio.
The Sun Devils outscored UTSA, 17-0, in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown from Kalen Ballage out of the Sparky formation with 3:15 remaining in regulation while the defense held serve for the entire fourth quarter and shut out the Roadrunners to come away with the win.
After a shaky start to the game, quarterback Manny Wilkins competed 11-of-19 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns with no picks over the final 33 minutes of play. He became the first quarterback since Jeff Krohn in 2000 to earn a victory in each of his first three career starts. Wilkins finished 15-of-31 for 264 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
N'Keal Harry became the only Sun Devil outside of D.J. Foster to score in each of his first three career starts as a true freshman, finishing the game with five grabs for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Demario Richard was workman-like again, carrying the rock 22 times for 95 yards while Ballage added 65 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. Zane Gonzalez posted the sixth four-field goal game of his career, including a pair of career long 54-yarders.
The Sun Devil defense showed up when it needed too, shaking off two rough drives at the start of each half and overcoming two touchdowns coming on the short field after a pair of muffed punts from the ASU special teams unit. The defense closed the game with four three-and-outs on UTSA's final five drives and didn't allow the Roadrunners into Sun Devil territory outside of the first drive in the second half, logging 10 tackles for loss and four sacks in the effort.
The Roadrunners extended their lead to 28-12 midway through the third quarter, taking advantage of the second muffled punt of the game by the Sun Devil special team unit to stake their largest lead of the game.
The defense buckled in from there, however, forcing four consecutive three-and-outs as the offense did its part in scoring 20 unanswered points.
After the third and fourth field goals of Gonzalez's night, Wilkins found Fred Gammage behind the Roadrunner defense for a 45-yard bomb to cut the UTSA lead to 28-25 with 11:40 left in regulation.
Two drives later, the Sun Devils took the ball 58 yards on nine plays and found paydirt on Ballage's two-yard rush to go ahead for the first time since a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.
The defense did its part on UTSA's last gasp, looking to end the game on a J'Marcus Rhodes interception that was ruled out of bounds before securing things by forcing a turnover on downs.
The 16-point comeback win was the largest road deficit comeback win since a 45-42 victory at Oregon in 2002, a game that ASU trailed by 21.
BIGGEST COMEBACKS FOR @FOOTBALLASU (1996-PRESENT)
22- ASU 39, @San Diego State 28 (Sept. 14, 2002)/ASU trailed 22-0 in the second quarter
21- ASU 45, @Oregon 42 (Oct. 19, 2002)/ASU trailed 21-0 9:15 left in the second quarter
21- ASU 42, @UCLA 34 (Oct. 12, 1996)/ASU Trailed 28-7 in the first quarter
19- ASU 44, Oregon State 24 (Sept. 22, 2007)/ASU trailed 19-0 6:20 in the first
17- ASU 27, Washington 17 (Nov. 14, 2015)/ASU trailed 17-0 with 8:20 left in first half
17- ASU 55, UCLA 34 (Nov. 26, 2010)/ASU Trailed 17-0 with 2:33 in the first
16- ASU 32, @Texas-San Antonio 28 (Sept. 16, 2016)/ASU trailed 28-12 8:20 in third period
Zane Gonzalez was the lone bright spot for the Sun Devils early in the game, striking on two of two field goal attempts of 54 yards in the first half. The kicks marked a new career long for the senior, who is now 3-for-3 from over 50 yards this season, and the only FBS player to kick more than one 50-yarder on the season.
The Sun Devils, however, struggled to get into sync on offense for much of the first half as UTSA used a methodical 11-play, six-minute drive on their first possession of the game to take an early 7-3 lead.
The Roadrunners would take advantage of a special teams gaffe later in the quarter, recovering a muffed Sun Devil punt in the red zone and turning it into a touchdown three plays later to go up 14-3.
The Devils would finally get the mojo back late in the half, driving 91 yards in the just over three minutes as Harry came down with an incredible one-handed catch in the back of the end zone with three seconds remaining in the quarter to bring ASU back with 14-12 after a failed two-point conversion.
NCAA CAREER FIELD GOALS
1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida St. 2009-12, 88
2. Billy Bennett, Georgia 2000-03, 87
3. Kai Forbath, UCLA 2007-10, 85 (Pac-12 Record)
4. Leigh Tiffin, Alabama 2006-09, 83
5. Zane Gonzales, Arizona State, 2013-16, 81
LONGEST FIELD GOALS IN ASU HISTORY
55, Luis Zendejas vs. Oregon State (Nov. 6, 1982)
54, Zane Gonzalez at Texas-San Antonio (Sept. 16, 2016)
54, Zane Gonzalez at Texas-San Antonio (Sept. 16, 2016)
54, Luis Zendejas vs. Oklahoma/Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1, 1983)
53, Zane Gonzalez vs. Northern Arizona (Sept. 3, 2016)
53, Thomas Weber at Arizona (Dec. 2, 2010)
**Zane Gonzalez had two 54-yard field goals at UTSA.
The Sun Devils return to action at home next week in the Pac-12 home opener against California, scheduled for a 7 p.m. PT kickoff on ESPN2.
The Sun Devils outscored UTSA, 17-0, in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown from Kalen Ballage out of the Sparky formation with 3:15 remaining in regulation while the defense held serve for the entire fourth quarter and shut out the Roadrunners to come away with the win.
After a shaky start to the game, quarterback Manny Wilkins competed 11-of-19 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns with no picks over the final 33 minutes of play. He became the first quarterback since Jeff Krohn in 2000 to earn a victory in each of his first three career starts. Wilkins finished 15-of-31 for 264 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
N'Keal Harry became the only Sun Devil outside of D.J. Foster to score in each of his first three career starts as a true freshman, finishing the game with five grabs for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Demario Richard was workman-like again, carrying the rock 22 times for 95 yards while Ballage added 65 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. Zane Gonzalez posted the sixth four-field goal game of his career, including a pair of career long 54-yarders.
The Sun Devil defense showed up when it needed too, shaking off two rough drives at the start of each half and overcoming two touchdowns coming on the short field after a pair of muffed punts from the ASU special teams unit. The defense closed the game with four three-and-outs on UTSA's final five drives and didn't allow the Roadrunners into Sun Devil territory outside of the first drive in the second half, logging 10 tackles for loss and four sacks in the effort.
The Roadrunners extended their lead to 28-12 midway through the third quarter, taking advantage of the second muffled punt of the game by the Sun Devil special team unit to stake their largest lead of the game.
The defense buckled in from there, however, forcing four consecutive three-and-outs as the offense did its part in scoring 20 unanswered points.
After the third and fourth field goals of Gonzalez's night, Wilkins found Fred Gammage behind the Roadrunner defense for a 45-yard bomb to cut the UTSA lead to 28-25 with 11:40 left in regulation.
Two drives later, the Sun Devils took the ball 58 yards on nine plays and found paydirt on Ballage's two-yard rush to go ahead for the first time since a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.
The defense did its part on UTSA's last gasp, looking to end the game on a J'Marcus Rhodes interception that was ruled out of bounds before securing things by forcing a turnover on downs.
The 16-point comeback win was the largest road deficit comeback win since a 45-42 victory at Oregon in 2002, a game that ASU trailed by 21.
BIGGEST COMEBACKS FOR @FOOTBALLASU (1996-PRESENT)
22- ASU 39, @San Diego State 28 (Sept. 14, 2002)/ASU trailed 22-0 in the second quarter
21- ASU 45, @Oregon 42 (Oct. 19, 2002)/ASU trailed 21-0 9:15 left in the second quarter
21- ASU 42, @UCLA 34 (Oct. 12, 1996)/ASU Trailed 28-7 in the first quarter
19- ASU 44, Oregon State 24 (Sept. 22, 2007)/ASU trailed 19-0 6:20 in the first
17- ASU 27, Washington 17 (Nov. 14, 2015)/ASU trailed 17-0 with 8:20 left in first half
17- ASU 55, UCLA 34 (Nov. 26, 2010)/ASU Trailed 17-0 with 2:33 in the first
16- ASU 32, @Texas-San Antonio 28 (Sept. 16, 2016)/ASU trailed 28-12 8:20 in third period
Zane Gonzalez was the lone bright spot for the Sun Devils early in the game, striking on two of two field goal attempts of 54 yards in the first half. The kicks marked a new career long for the senior, who is now 3-for-3 from over 50 yards this season, and the only FBS player to kick more than one 50-yarder on the season.
The Sun Devils, however, struggled to get into sync on offense for much of the first half as UTSA used a methodical 11-play, six-minute drive on their first possession of the game to take an early 7-3 lead.
The Roadrunners would take advantage of a special teams gaffe later in the quarter, recovering a muffed Sun Devil punt in the red zone and turning it into a touchdown three plays later to go up 14-3.
The Devils would finally get the mojo back late in the half, driving 91 yards in the just over three minutes as Harry came down with an incredible one-handed catch in the back of the end zone with three seconds remaining in the quarter to bring ASU back with 14-12 after a failed two-point conversion.
NCAA CAREER FIELD GOALS
1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida St. 2009-12, 88
2. Billy Bennett, Georgia 2000-03, 87
3. Kai Forbath, UCLA 2007-10, 85 (Pac-12 Record)
4. Leigh Tiffin, Alabama 2006-09, 83
5. Zane Gonzales, Arizona State, 2013-16, 81
LONGEST FIELD GOALS IN ASU HISTORY
55, Luis Zendejas vs. Oregon State (Nov. 6, 1982)
54, Zane Gonzalez at Texas-San Antonio (Sept. 16, 2016)
54, Zane Gonzalez at Texas-San Antonio (Sept. 16, 2016)
54, Luis Zendejas vs. Oklahoma/Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1, 1983)
53, Zane Gonzalez vs. Northern Arizona (Sept. 3, 2016)
53, Thomas Weber at Arizona (Dec. 2, 2010)
**Zane Gonzalez had two 54-yard field goals at UTSA.
The Sun Devils return to action at home next week in the Pac-12 home opener against California, scheduled for a 7 p.m. PT kickoff on ESPN2.