The Arizona State football team is showing no after effects of last week's loss to Notre Dame, as the Sun Devils lead Colorado 47-6 at halftime.
The Sun Devils have outgained the Buffaloes 392-95 in the first half. Arizona State has been balanced on offense and stout on defense throughout the first half.
The Sun Devils started fast on the opening drive of the game, as Taylor Kelly found Jaelen Strong for a 69-yard touchdown pass to put Arizona State up 7-0 less than 90 seconds into the game.
After a Colorado three-and-out, Arizona State went 37 yards in five plays for their second score of the game. This time it was Marion Grice who found the endzone on an eight-yard run and a two-point conversion put the Sun Devils up 15-0 less than five minutes into the first quarter.
The Arizona State defense held the Buffaloes to -3 total yards on its first two possessions and on Colorado's third possession, Lloyd Carrington intercepted his first pass as a Sun Devil and took it back to the Colorado 15 yard-line.
Grice capped the drive off with his second score of the game, this time from one yard out to put the Sun Devils up 25-0.
On Colorado's fourth possession, true freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau saw his first action of the season, replacing starter Connor Wood.
Liufau led the Buffaloes on an 80-yard drive and found Nelson Spruce for a 10-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to get Colorado on the board.
In the first half, Arizona State found some unlikely offense in senior Davon Coleman. The defensive lineman caught a one-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter operating from the fullback position. Shortly after, he brought the heat on Liufau for an intentional grounding safety.
Taylor Kelly is 9-for-19 with 233 yards and two touchdown passes in the first half. Marion Grice has gained 88 yards (a season high) on the ground on 13 carries and Arizona State as a team has 159 rushing yards. Jaelen Strong leads all Arizona State wide receivers with 109 yards on three catches (his fifth consecutive 100 yard game).
The Arizona State defense has held Colorado to just 94 total yards in the first half. Colorado standout receiver Paul Richardson was held without a catch in the opening 30 minutes.
Freshman kicker Zane Gonzales has gone 3-for-3 in the first half, hitting field goals of 26, 41 and 20 yards respectively.