Marcus Hardison a bright spot for ASU in loss to Oregon State

Big scoring plays by the Oregon State Beavers had ASU coach Todd Graham steaming over his defensive unit throughout a 35-27 loss on Saturday. The Sun Devils coach might have found promise, however, in the play of defensive lineman Marcus Hardison.

The senior who hardly played last season got a hit on Beavs quarterback Sean Mannion in the middle of the second quarter, and linebacker Antonio Longino scooped up a fumbled ball to take it 36 yards for a score. The play gave Arizona State a 10-point lead going into halftime and was a pleasant (albeit brief) turnaround after the two big Oregon State plays in the first quarter gave coach Mike Riley's club an early 14-3 lead.

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Arizona State's offense would sputter and score three points in the second half while giving up seven points on a pick-six late in the game. But Graham can be proud of Hardison, who had three tackles for loss, two of which were sacks.