Oct 6, 2013
On Saturday night the Fighting Irish and the Sun Devils both traveled to Texas to play in front of a crowd 80,000 strong in Cowboys Stadium.
Last year Notre Dame ended their season by “competing” in the championship game against Alabama; this year the Fighting Irish have struggled and are still looking for a statement win. It is ASU who entered the game ranked #22 and looking to improve to 4-1 on the season.
Last week ASU head coach Todd Graham said of his Quarterback Taylor Kelly “There were some things we did last week that we want to focus on. One of the big things was his ability to hurt people with his legs.” Early in the game Taylor Kelly did just that, the young quarterback finished the game with another 300+ passing performance. It was ASU’s offensive line that struggled though out the game and allowed Kelly to be sacked for a loss repeatedly. Despite Kelly’s efforts the Sun Devils would fall to the Fighting Irish 37-34.
ASU kept the game close from first whistle to last but did not have an answer for the Tyler Rees, TJ Jones connection.
ASU secondary allowed TJ Jones to finish with 135 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions and allowed Tyler Reese to throw three touchdowns to three different receivers. ASU’s front seven also struggled to stop the Fighting Irish rushing attack. Notre Dame running backs Cam Daniels and George Atkinson rushed for a combined 136 yards on the night.
ASU’s Osahon Irabor was the lone star on defense this night. Early in the fourth quarter Irabor stepped in front of a pass from Tyler Rees and returned the interception for a touchdown. This defensive touchdown was a breath of life back in to the Devils team but the Notre Dame defense would prove to be too much to handle and ASU would never re-take the lead.
Following this loss it seems likely that ASU will drop out of the NCAA rankings. The Devils needed this win to remain competitive in the PAC 12.
Todd Graham and this young team had their eyes set on the Rose Bowl but now this goal seems out of reach. The Sun Devils should be able to win next week against Colorado, their next big test will be in two weeks against #15 Washington.
James Green
James is a freelance writer who frequently works in the tech field. To keep himself sane he takes a break from tech and security and watches sports... ok, he mostly works to fund his love of sports. On off days James can be found in baseball, football, basketball or hockey stadiums cheering for all Arizona sports teams and his beloved Green Bay Packers.
