Arizona State Sun Devils Fall Short Against Cincinnati Bearcats

In a week 8 showdown, the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Cincinnati Bearcats faced off in a game that saw both teams entering with identical records of 5-2. The contest concluded with the Bearcats securing a 24-14 victory over the Sun Devils at Nippert Stadium, witnessed by an attendance of 38,007 fans.

Game Highlights

The Arizona State offense managed to accumulate a total of 346 yards, with significant contributions coming from their rushing attack which accounted for 191 yards. Cam Skattebo led the ground game with 75 yards on 17 carries and found the end zone twice, showcasing his ability to break through tackles and keep drives alive. Quarterback Jeff Sims also made notable contributions both through the air and on the ground; he passed for 155 yards completing half of his attempts and added another dimension to his team's offense with 53 rushing yards.

On special teams, Kanyon Floyd had a busy day punting four times for an average of over forty-two yards per punt, managing to pin Cincinnati inside their twenty-yard line three times without conceding any return yardage. However, despite these efforts and having possession for over twenty-five minutes, Arizona State struggled in converting their opportunities into points as evidenced by missing two field goal attempts which could have narrowed the scoring gap.

Defensive Efforts

Defensively, Arizona State showed resilience by limiting Cincinnati's scoring opportunities in crucial moments. The defense tallied one sack and seven tackles for loss among seventy-seven combined tackles but was unable to force turnovers which might have shifted momentum in their favor. Keith Abney II stood out by intercepting a pass alongside contributing five combined tackles including one tackle for loss.

Despite these individual performances and holding Cincinnati scoreless in two quarters (the third quarter where ASU scored seven points), it wasn't enough to overcome early deficits established in part due to penalties that resulted in first downs for Cincinnati along with strategic use of timeouts that allowed them regroup at critical junctures.

Looking ahead, Arizona State will aim to bounce back when they visit Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 2nd at 1:00 PM EDT. Fans can catch this upcoming game live as ASU seeks redemption after this setback against Cincinnati.

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