Taylor Kelly led the Sun Devils to 25 points in the first quarter vs Colorado

Tempe, AZ – There is no question the Sun Devil football team attacked and dominated the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium, cruising to victory 54-13.

As mentioned in the DieHard Storyline beforehand, this was a possible “trap game” for ASU, coming off four consecutive tough opponents. The Devils needed to avoid a letdown, win convincingly and make a statement.

Here’s how things played out against the Buffaloes on Frank Kush Field…

Hungry ASU Defense Ready to Make Statement (They Did)

“The bad news for Colorado QB Connor Wood is that he’ll be facing a battle-tested ASU front seven who hope to catch up on sacks after under-performing in ASU’s first 5 games. In order to put away what should be an over-matched Buffalo offense, ASU will have to be more assignment sound and better at tackling tonight.” – DieHard Storyline

After four tough weeks in the trenches, the Sun Devil defense got to spread their wings and feast on an inferior opponent. ASU held the Buffs to 268 total yards, which included 169 passing and 99 on the ground. Just as important, the Sun Devil defense forced 4 turnovers (3 picks and a fumble). Overall, the tackling was much better and ASU got a boost from the return of Jaxon Hood.

ASU’s front 7 bounced back after a rough showing against Notre Dame

The Buffs Might Have a Few Tricks up Their Sleeve (Never Had a Chance)

“Coach MacIntyre and staff will likely pull out plenty of tricks tonight while looking for their first signature win of the season. Also, this could very well be the proverbial “trap game” for ASU.” – DieHard Storyline

The Buffs didn’t really get anything going on offense, so there was never an opportunity for them to attempt any trick plays. ASU put this one away early and added a trick play of their own on a 2 point conversion by Mike Bercovici after the second Sun Devil touchdown. Also, any ideas of a “trap game” flew out the window as ASU led 25-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Strong and Foster will Lead Sun Devils (Strong Yes, Foster No)

“The saving grace for ASU is that the Buffs play primarily man-to-man coverage with their corners which should allow for another big game from WR Jaelen Strong. Getting the ball in the flat to speedier play-makers like DJ Foster should be the difference in this ball game. ASU found a ton of success with the screen pass against the Buffaloes last season. Expect more of the same tonight.” – DieHard Storyline

Strong had an impact immediately on the first ASU drive when he caught a quick slant and exploded through the Colorado defense for a 69 yard touchdown. He finished the night with only 3 catches, but once again eclipsed the 100 yard marker with 109 total yards. The Devils tried to get Foster involved but didn’t have much success. He only had one catch for 5 yards and six carries for 18 yards rushing. ASU will need more from DJ this week against Washington.

Overall, there was once again a heavy dose of Marion Grice which is always a good thing.

Marion Grice scores one of his 2 touchdowns against Colorado

The Colorado game came at the perfect time for the Sun Devils. They were able to gain some confidence back on both offense and defense. Players like Jaxon Hood and Marcus Ball are getting healthier as each week passes, and the ASU offense is hitting full stride again.

The Washington game on Saturday will be a tough battle, and ASU has some much needed momentum heading into homecoming weekend against the Huskies.