TEMPE, Ariz., — After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, ASU stormed back and leads Arizona 21-17 at halftime in Sun Devil Stadium.
The Wildcats took control early on, putting together an 80-yard scoring drive that ran 5:19 off the clock and was capped by a Keola Antolin 1-yard touchdown run.
Antolin’s touchdown was set up by a 48-yard completion from Nick Foles – 22-for-30 for 232 yards and a score – to Juron Criner that took the Wildcats to the ASU 1-yard line. Criner finished the half with five catches for 80 yards.
ASU looked poised to answer back as the Sun Devils drove from their own 19 to the Arizona 29. But on 1st-and-10, Arizona cornerback Shaquille Richardson picked off ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler on the Wildcats 10 and returned the interception to the Sun Devils 49-yard line.
Arizona took advantage of the miscue as freshman Ka’Deem Carey — 49 rushing yards on five caries and 21 receiving yards on two catches – capped a 5-play, 49-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown catch.
Osweiler and the Sun Devils finally got on the board with 2:00 left in the first quarter thanks to a Cameron Marshall 2-yard touchdown run. ASU wide receiver Gerell Robinson caught three balls for 57 yards on the drive and has six catches for 104 yards at the half.
On the ensuing drive Arizona had a chance to stretch the lead to 17-7 with a 49-yard field goal from John Bonano, but the kick hit the left upright and missed.
After the missed field goal ASU took over from its own 32 and drove 68 yards to tie things up at 14. Robinson, who became the first ASU wideout to go over 1,000 yards in a season since Derek Hagan did it in 2005, caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Osweiler in the corner of the end zone.
On the Wildcats’ next possession Arizona drove down to the ASU 10 and gave Bonano another chance to give the Wildcats the lead with a 27-yard field goal.
But Bonano missed again, and the Sun Devils turned the mistake into seven points behind a 22-yard touchdown run from Marshall with 4:29 left in the half.
While Marshall punched it in, it was Osweiler who set up the score by finding Aaron Pflugrad for 58 yards on 2nd-and-10 from the ASU 20. Osweiler finished the half 15-for-28 for 237 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
After ASU scored 21 unanswered points, Arizona salvaged a field goal as Bonano finally connected from 43 yards out with two seconds on the clock. ASU will receive the ball to start the third quarter.
