Arizona State suffered their first loss of the Herm Edwards era, and of the season, against San Diego State Saturday night. The Sun Devils fell to the Aztecs 28-21 in a game that seemed to be rather drawn out.
ASU was ranked 23rd going into the Pac-12 After Dark game and had been proving to be an exciting team to watch until everything seemed to deteriorate in San Diego.
The Sun Devil offense wasn’t getting much done, as they went completely scoreless from the middle of the second quarter all the way to the end of the fourth quarter.
The Aztecs were a team that ASU shouldn’t have had too much trouble beating, but weak performances on both sides of the ball seemed to say otherwise.
Here’s how our Arizona State prospects faired in week three.
QB Manny Wilkins
Week 3 Stats vs. SDSU: 31/46, 341 PY, 2 TD
Wilkins game against the Aztecs mirrored his game against Michigan State the week before. The quarterback put up similar stats, thriving in some plays and deteriorating in others. One thing that’s remained constant within the start of the season is that Wilkins goes full quarters, and more, without putting any points on the board.
The stats may look pretty, but they can be deceiving. Like the Michigan State game, Wilkins went nearly half the game without being able to drive his offense down the field for a touchdown.
The Sun Devils were saved by a field goal against Michigan State, but there was nothing saving their game against the Aztecs. Wilkins has a great connection with N’Keal Harry, as we’ve seen throughout numerous games, and it needs to be utilized more. He put up a decent game, but he needs to work out the kinks to survive the rest of the season.
Grade vs. SDSU: B-
Draft Stock: 6th Round
WR N’Keal Harry
Week 3 Stats vs. SDSU: 9 REC, 86 YDS, 1 TD
Harry had a similar game at SDSU as he had against Michigan State, and this can be attributed to the play of Wilkins. The two have a great connection on the field, but Harry can’t put up the great numbers he’s capable of without his quarterback being on his A-game.
Nonetheless, Harry remains, arguably, the best player on the team. What he accomplishes on the field is crucial to nearly every Sun Devil win, and it’s easy to see that looking game to game. He played a good game against the Aztecs that had the potential to be better given the play of Wilkins.
Grade vs. SDSU: B+
Draft Stock: Late 1st Round
RB Eno Benjamin
Week 3 Stats vs. SDSU: 21 RUSH YDS, 44 REC YDS
Benjamin had a pretty good game against SDSU. He’s emerged as a top player for the Sun Devils within these first three games of the season. He led the team in rushing yards, gaining just a few over Wilkins.
The running back helped tack on some receiving yards, finishing a little bit behind Harry. Benjamin led the team in rushing against Michigan State as well, almost putting up the same numbers. He’s finding his role within the Sun Devil offense and it’s paying off for ASU.
Grade vs. SDSU: B+
Draft Stock: 6th – 7th Round
DB Chase Lucas
Week 3 Stats vs. SDSU: 8 TOT, 6 SOLO
Greatly increasing his game from last week’s home game, Lucas helped lead the Sun Devil defense against the Aztecs. Lucas and S Jalen Harvey teamed up to stop some of the forces for SDSU.
Lucas and Harvey have established a front for ASU’s defense and have led the team throughout the first three games of the season. Their efforts don’t go unseen, but they turned out to not be enough in Saturday night’s game. Lucas has started to create himself on the field and he has the potential to be a key part of the defense going forward with the season.
Grade vs. SDSU: B-
Draft Stock: 6th – 7th Round
LB Jay Jay Wilson
Week 3 Stats vs. SDSU: 6 TOT, 4 SOLO
Jay Jay Wilson is slowly getting back into the swing of things after appearing in his first game against Michigan State since his suspension. His game against the Spartans was sub-par, recording one TOT.
He was able to put up more numbers against the Aztecs as he’s still getting acclimated to his new head coach. Wilson helped stop the run of RB Juwan Washington and RB Chase Jasmin, who turned out to be a problem for ASU.
Grade vs. SDSU: B-
Draft Stock: 6th – 7th Round
LB Koron Crump
Week 3 Stats vs. SDSU: 3 TOT, 2 SOLO
Crump has been nursing an ACL injury that he suffered last year. He’s been slowly coming into play, but it’s evident that he’s not trying to push it too much. He didn’t go out on the defense against Michigan State but finally saw some time Saturday night.
The linebacker was able to help with the stoppage against the Aztecs, which is a promising sign for a player that’s trying to come back from an ACL tear. He seems like he has a little ways to go, but he’s showing good progress on and off the field.
Grade vs. SDSU: B-
Draft Stock: 6th – 7th Round