SUN DEVILS BEAT BUFFS
Arizona State rallies, outscores Colorado 24-3 in last quarter
Colorado blows a 27-17 lead and loses 41-30 at Arizona State.
TEMPE, ARIZ.» Sun Devil Stadium has never been kind to the Colorado football team.
This one was especially painful, however.
CU dropped two touchdowns early and then coughed up three 10-point leads in failing to get its first-ever victory against Arizona State on its home turf, falling 4130 on Saturday night.
The Buffaloes (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) fell to 0-5 all time against the Sun Devils (5-4, 4-2) at this stadium, although this was the first time the Buffs came within 19 points.
Still one win away from bowl eligibility, the Buffs led most of the night but could not hold off a late push by the Sun Devils.
Eno Benjamin’s 19-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes, 33 seconds to play put ASU on top for good. Manny Wilkins added a 1yard touchdown in the final minute for the Sun Devils.
ASU outscored the Buffs 24-3 in the fourth quarter.
This may have been a much different outcome for the Buffs had they executed their plays early.
In fact, the Buffs could have built a 21-0 lead.
On the opening drive, sophomore quarterback Steven Montez missed a throw to wide-open Phillip Lindsay on a wheel route for what would have been an easy touchdown. On the next play, Montez was off the mark to Jay Macintyre at the goal line. The Buffs settled for a 34-yard field goal by James Stefanou.
On their next possession, the Buffs had a great play call on a flea flicker, with Montez hitting wide-open Shay Fields in stride. Fields dropped what would have been a 76-yard touchdown and the Buffs wound up punting.
On the third possession, Devin Ross dropped what would have been a 44-yard touchdown in the end zone. The Buffs did eventually score on that drive, with Lindsay running in from 6 yards out. But instead of leading 21-0, it was just 10-0.
Lindsay’s second touchdown run, from 1 yard out, gave the Buffs a 17-7 lead with 1:07 to play in the first half.
ASU, however, needed just 54 seconds to go 77 yards for a touchdown just before the break, cutting the CU lead to 17-14
The Sun Devils then recovered the ensuing kickoff, a short kick that hit off a couple of Buffs. Brandon Ruiz’s 55-yard field-goal attempt on the next play was no good, however.
After a bad final minute of the first half, the Buffs came out with a strong third quarter, increasing their lead to 27-17.
Stefanou and ASU’S Ruiz traded field goals — Stefanou’s a personal-best 53-yarder — before the Buffs finally connected on a big play.
Montez hit Fields in stride down the right side for a 54-yard touchdown pass with 4:55 to play in the third quarter to put the Buffs ahead by 10 points. ASU didn’t waste much time in erasing that deficit. Ruiz nailed a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut CU’S lead to 27-20.
Six plays later, ASU’S Khaylan Thomas blocked an Alex Kinney punt to set up the Sun Devils’ offense at the CU 40-yard line.
Just seven plays later, Demario Richard scored on a 5-yard run to tie the game at 27-27.
CU responded with another Stefanou field goal, but ASU found the end zone again.
Benjamin powered his way through the CU defense for a 19yard touchdown run — the first score of the freshman’s career. That gave the Sun Devils their first lead of the night, 34-30, with 5:33 to play. CU never recovered from there.