Sun Devil Fall Short In Defensive Battle in Las Vegas Bowl

LAS VEGAS – Sun Devil Football was unable to overcome a two-score halftime deficit, falling to the Wisconsin Badgers, 20-13, on Thursday evening to conclude the 2021 season at the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. 
 
In one of just two bowl games in the 2021 bowl season not part of the College Football Playoffs featuring two Top-20 defenses, the game played according to form with the two squads combining for just 513 total yards offense and neither team recording more than 300 yards. Wisconsin got 90 of its 294 total yards of offense on its final 18-play drive that wound the last 9:47 off the clock in a one-score game. 
 
Jayden Daniels finished 11-of-21 for 159 yards and adding 40 yards on the ground in the effort. Ricky Pearsall had four catches for 65 yards.
 
The Sun Devil defense did its part to keep ASU in reach after giving up touchdowns on Wisconsin's opening two drives, holding the Badgers to just six points and 100 yards on the next six Badger drives to have ASU within 20-13 late in the fourth quarter. But Wisconsin was able to get the big plays in needed on its final drive of the game to run the clock out and put the game away.
 
Timarcus Davis had a career-high nine tackles and added his first career interception with half a tackle for loss to lead the Sun Devil defense. 
THE TURNING POINT
At the end of the day, the Sun Devils fell into an early 14-3 hole after throwing a pick on the first drive of the game that the Badgers quickly turned to seven points. After getting a field goal, Wisconsin again marched down the field to drop ASU behind by two scores early – a deficit ASU was unable to overcome against the FBS's No. 1 defense. 
THE FINAL STRAW
Trailing 20-13, ASU pinned Wisconsin in its own 3-yard line with 9:47 left to play. On 3rd-and-12 from the UW 24-yard line, the Badgers found a wide open receiver near midfield despite Graham Mertz getting cracked on the throw by Stanley Lambert. The first down conversion gave the Badgers some room to work as they methodically picked away at the depleted ASU defense and ran all 9:47 off the clock, running the game out inside of the Devil 10-yard line. 

NOTABLES

• This was the third time this season that ASU held an opponent scoreless in the second half (UNLV/UCLA). That was the most since ASU did so four times in 2007.
• ASU has held opponents to less than 30 points in 30 of 43 games under Herm Edwards, notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of 43 previous games dating back to a span from 2013-17.
• ASU had rushed for at least 100 yards as a team in 16 straight games entering tonight before having the streak ended by the nation's top-ranked run defense (60 yards). It was the longest streak of rushing for over 100 yards as a team since the last 10 games of 1995 and the first 11 of 1996 - a 21-game stretch over two seasons.
• The Sun Devils were the only team in the FBS to not allow a 50-yard play this season, extending its active streak of games without a 50-yard play allowed to an FBS leading 15 games on Thursday.
• ASU held opponents to 400 yards or less in 11 of 13 games this season, including tonight. Under Herm Edwards, ASU has held opponents to the 400 or less mark for total offensive yards on 25 occasions over 43 games (58.1 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
ASU relied on Daniels' improvisation and legs to drive into Wisconsin territory on its second drive of the game, settling for a 38-yard Cristian Zendejas field goal. However, the drive was bookended by a pair of Badger touchdowns as ASU fell into an early 14-3 hole. 
 
Second Quarter 
The Sun Devils got another Zendejas field goal to make it a one-score game but two Wisconsin fields goals capped off the half to send ASU into the locker room trailing 20-6.
 
Third Quarter
For the first time in the game, the Sun Devils forced Wisconsin to punt on its opening drive of the game and responded with a pivotal drive that started with D.J. Taylor's 18-yard punt return to set ASU up with solid field position. A pair of Daniels rushes for 16 yards was followed by a huge Ricky Pearsall jump ball reception to the Wisconsin 10-yard line. Daniels took the Devils to the three with a rush around the left end, setting up a three-yard Daniyel Ngata touchdown to bring ASU back within a touchdown following the 5-play, 64-yard scoring drive. B.J. Green picked up his second straight third-down sack to force a three-and-out following the ASU score as ASU stymied the Badger offense to -7 total yards in the frame to head into the final quarter down 20-13.
 
Fourth Quarter
Trailing 20-13, ASU pinned Wisconsin in its own 3-yard line with 9:47 left to play. On 3rd-and-12 from the UW 24-yard line, the Badgers found a wide open receiver near midfield despite Graham Mertz getting cracked on the throw by Stanley Lambert. The first down conversion gave the Badgers some room to work as they methodically picked away at the depleted ASU defense and ran all 9:47 off the clock, running the game out inside of the Devil 10-yard line.