ASU football won its first-ever game in program history over Texas State 31-28, persevering through adversity which started from the first second to the last.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Trying to get things started on the right foot, Arizona State was in panic mode with nearly two fumbles from wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and running back Cam Skattebo on back-to-back plays.
Texas State quarterback Jordan McCloud and the rest of his team looked to control the tempo and pace of the game before the Sun Devils answered back before halftime to tie the game, 21-21. ASU shored up its defensive mistakes and held the Bobcats to just seven points in the second half, giving them the opportunity to go on to win 31-28 in San Marcos, Tex.
In the most back-and-forth game Arizona State has been a part of this season, the win was sweet but for 22 Sun Devils who were born in Texas, this victory was even sweeter.
Out of the whole ASU roster, wide receivers Jordyn Tyson, Troy Omeire, Kaleb Black, Derek Eusebio and Korbin Hendrix, defensive backs Xavion Alford, Chris Johnson II, Montana Warren, Joseph McGinnis II, Ja’Mori Williams, Tony-Louis Nkuba, Rodney Bimage Jr. and Keith Abney II, defensive linemen Clayton Smith, J.P. Deeter, C.J. Fite and Prince Dorbah, running backs Kyson Brown and Alton McCaskill, linebacker Jordan Crook, offensive lineman Josh Atkins and tight end Cameron Harpole are all players from the “Lone Star State” who represent the maroon and gold in Tempe.
Even though they had the energy and drive to perform back home in front of friends and family, there was supposedly noise coming from Texas State that they had the edge in the matchup, fueling a fire inside each and every Sun Devil.
“Credit to them, they gave a good game but it was a lot of talk about them just feeling like they were better than us. We took that as disrespect,” Alford said postgame. “We got a lot of Texas guys on the roster and coming home, we brought it. We had to make sure we had people in the stands and we wanted to make sure we brought it. It really doesn’t matter where we play, we try to play the same brand of football no matter where we are. It was good to come home, get a win and leave on a plane with a W.”
Alford, a Pearland native who went to Shadow Creek High School in Texas, accumulated seven tackles and snagged an important interception in the fourth quarter with Texas State threatening to score late. After transferring from USC last season, this is Alford’s first official year playing for ASU since he was forced to sit out in 2023 due to the NCAA’s two-time transfer rules. He started out at Texas, moved to USC and is currently at Arizona State.
Receiving a long break off the back of a midweek game, Arizona State won’t be back in action until Sept. 21 when they return to Texas and begin its Big 12 Conference schedule against Texas Tech.
With the momentum sky-high off with starting the season 3-0, the Sun Devils will look to rest up and have a chip on their shoulder to continue proving doubters wrong.
ASU’s second-half defense comes up clutch, Sun Devils prevail past Texas State 31-28
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
