ASU Football: Three favorite plays from the win over UNLV

Following Arizona State’s 37-10 win over UNLV to improve to 2-0 on the season, House of Sparky wanted to share our three favorite plays from Week 2.

Hill’s Trickery on the Daniyel Ngata 13-yard Touchdown

This design had to be included. Offensive Coordinator Zak Hill has shown no fear in adding trick plays to his game plans during the first two weeks. Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall took the direct snap in a Sparky Formation type look. However, also in the backfield was Rachaad White, Case Hatch and Ngata.

As Pearsall gives the initial handoff to White, Hatch and Ngata each give a counter like step. White heads to his left to give the ball to Ngata, Hatch runs out to be the lead blocker, which he’s been great at thus far. Left guard LaDarius Henderson pulls and sets the edge on the line of scrimmage. Andre Johnson, the lone receiver split out wide, does the same at the second level showing the team’s blocking skills from that group once again. Ngata shows his vision at following the blocks and accelerating through the hole.

Butler’s Clean-up Sack in the Third Quarter

The Sun Devil defense still hasn’t produced a ton of organic pass rush thus far. Nevertheless, Darien Butler has become a weapon for defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce to use in more drawn up looks.

Butler earned the sack in the box score, but he had help from his team. There’s only three defensive linemen in on this play; Michael Matus, Tautala Pesefea and Shannon Forman. Pesefea and Forman crash to their left, while Matus loops around to the open gap up the middle. He doesn’t get to Doug Brumfield, but forces him to step into Forman and Butler, who won his rep against the right tackle for his second sack of the game.

Big run from Daniels on a Designed Play

Jayden Daniels run all over the place on Saturday night, collecting a new career-high 125 rushing yards. Most of those were from scrambles and finding space on passing plays. This 22-yard gain was on a read option.

Daniels keeps on the read. Hatch does a great job letting the linebacker crash on White, and getting to the second level setting the block on the cornerback to spring Daniels into the open field.