Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics
After Math: Arizona State
Sep 07, 2015 | Football
Each Monday, 12th Man Productions' Will Johnson will take you inside the numbers of the last football game with "After Math".
With the Aggies holding a 14-7 halftime lead on Saturday against 15th-ranked Arizona State, John Chavis stood in front of his defense…and a whiteboard.
Chief was brief. And brimming with confidence.
He made one quick correction on assignments, then had three stern messages for his players.
First, and maybe foremost, they hadn't produced a turnover yet.
Secondly, he felt like the Aggies were dominating up front, and it was making the Sun Devils hesitant to throw.
And finally, he boisterously stated that the Arizona State possession to start the second half was the 'most important of the game'.
It's interesting how things turn out.
The Aggies got a defensive stop to begin the third quarter, only to see the offense throw an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive. Then the Aggies got into the takeaway business – on the next snap – when Daeshon Hall stripped ASU QB Mike Bercovici and Shaan Washington recovered.
Later in the third quarter, Donovan Wilson forced a fumble that Noel Ellis pounced on. This came only three plays after another Sun Devil interception.
Sometimes it's about when you get them. The Aggies forced two turnovers almost immediately after Arizona State registered a takeaway, basically squelching any momentum that came from them.
"Had to have 'em," stated Chavis, back in that same locker room only this time with a victory in hand. "They were big in the game. You don't win ballgames like we did tonight without taking the ball away."
A&M averaged only one turnover per game last season, and failed to get multiple turnovers in 10 of 13 contests. And, again, it's not just that they essentially doubled the per-game output from 2014, they did it in a timely fashion. The takeaways came a crucial points.
Look back to the victory at No. 3 Auburn last November. A&M got three turnovers and scored on a special teams play. That goes a long way in toppling a ranked foe. And after Christian Kirk housed a punt return in the second quarter, the two second-half takeaways gave the Ags all the big plays they needed.
"They're huge. They're game-changers," says Kevin Sumlin. "I thought in the middle part of the game when our offense wasn't clicking while our defense was playing pretty good, our special teams really kept the field position manageable."
Stellar punter Drew Kaser helped in the matter, averaging 52.8 yards per punt.
Through it all, it's easy to notice what the Aggies did up front. Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall combined for six sacks. Chavis was right when he felt his unit was in control of the line of scrimmage.
A&M ended with 14 tackles for lost yardage, and nine sacks. A year ago, the defense averaged 5.8 tackles for loss, and 2.8 sacks per contest.
But, as much as it seemed like a Garrett and Hall show, both Sumlin and Chavis wanted to put the spotlight on the back end as well.
"Donovan Wilson, Justin Evans and Armani Watts were all over the field," said Sumlin, with an impressed look on his face. "Those three guys are fast, they're physical and they're confident."
The top three tacklers on Saturday all came from the secondary. Watts (10 tackles), Evans (9) and Wilson (8) led the way. It's not uncommon for defensive backs to have a high tackle total, but that usually means an opposing offense got through the first line of defense and broke off chunks of yardage. Not on this night. Especially in the case of Evans and Wilson.
Arizona State only averaged 4.8 yards on plays in which Evans made a tackle. The Sun Devils totaled negative three yards on the 8 snaps in which Wilson made a stop.
On offense, Sumlin stated there is room for improvement. The ground game only went for 4 yards per rush. Passing, as a team, just a completion percentage of 54.3. A far cry from last year's 64.6.
But, Arizona State returned most of a defense that spent most of 2014 in opponents' backfields. The Aggies still managed to outgain the Sun Devils 425-291 in total yardage.
What does it all add up to?
A second straight season-opening win that has pundits across the country talking about the Aggies. Last year, a 24-point pasting of South Carolina, this time a 21-point pull away from Arizona State.
It felt like elation was the order after the opener in 2014. Even-keel is more the manner after Saturday.
"It's one game," said Chavis in the postgame locker room. "All we've done is win one game, and that's not what we've worked all summer for."
A sturdy statement from the one called Chief.
One that is paramount to the Aggies moving forward.
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
DL
/ Football
P
/ Football
WR
/ FootballLB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballDB
/ FootballThe Aggie Football Hour (Ep 8)
Wednesday, October 22
The Pulse #12.7 | Put The Ball Down
Wednesday, October 22
LSU Game Week Media Availability: Dalton Brooks
Tuesday, October 21
LSU Game Week Media Availability: Terry Bussey
Tuesday, October 21
