TEMPE – A shorthanded Sun Devil Football program provided plenty of heart but came up short on the scoreboard on Saturday, falling to the No. 19 Fresno State Bulldogs, 31-20, at the 2018 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl in the team's final game of the season.
 
Eno Benjamin set the single-season Sun Devil rushing record, finishing with 118 yards and a touchdown on 23 total carries. The sophomore running back finished the season as the Pac-12 rushing champion with 1,642 rushing yards – the first Sun Devil in history to lead the Pac-12 in rushing – passing Woody Green's 1972 school record of 1,565 rushing yards. 
 
It was a school-record ninth game this season for Benjamin with over 100 total rushing yards. Brandon Aiyuk had an impressive start, finishing with 193 all-purpose yards (61 receiving, 115 kickoff return, 17 punt return) and had a career-best nine catches in the contest. 

Manny Wilkins went over 3,000 passing yards on the season, giving ASU a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000 yard receiver for the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years. Wilkins joins Andrew Walter (2002-04) and Taylor Kelly (2012-13) as the only other quarterback in ASU history to have consecutive 3,000-yard seasons in their career.
 
ASU managed 20 points against a team that had only allowed 13.7 points per game this season and had not allowed an opponent to score 20 points in five consecutive game heading into today's game.
 
The Sun Devils (7-6) entered the game missing numerous pivotal pieces on both offense and defense with at least nine players who had played prominent roles this season not in action. Additionally, ASU lost starting cornerback Kobe Williams and starting offensive lineman Casey Tucker early in Saturday's contest as well. Despite the depleted roster, the Sun Devils remained competitive throughout.
 
Darien Butler led a solid defensive effort with a career-high 10 tackles as the Sun Devils forced two interceptions against a team that had three all season and limited the Bulldogs (12-2) to just 24 offensive points. 
 
After an explosive first half that saw both teams combine for 34 points, the defenses stepped to the plate down the stretch – especially the formidable Fresno State defense that had mean among the most defensive units in the country this season. 
 
ASU managed just 63 yards in the second half while the Bulldogs used a couple huge plays to outscore ASU 14-3 in the final 30 minutes of action while letting the defense do what it has done best all season. 
 
Things got off to an inauspicious start for the Devils, who fell into an early 10-0 hole to the Bulldogs midway through the first quarter following a 70-yard pick six by FSU defensive back Anthoula Kelly.
 
The Sun Devils responded in kind, however, driving 65 yards on nine methodic plays to get on the board on Wilkin's three-yard pop pass to Kyle Williams. 
 
ASU would take its first lead of the game on the same drive the Benjamin set his school record as the sophomore picked up 41 of ASU's 58 yards, culminating in his 16^thrushing touchdown of the season to make it 14-10. 
 
The Bulldogs didn't roll over following the score, quickly driving into ASU territory and reclaiming the lead before the Sun Devils essentially ran out the clock with their longest drive by plays of the season (17), taking over seven minutes off the clock before Brandon Ruiz's 20-yard field goal to end the first half. The 17 points were the most an opponent had given up in a first half this season. 
 
The Sun Devils will look ahead to this Wednesday for the Early Signing Period as the Sun Devils will unveil the majority of their 2019 recruiting class.