Four Positives from ASU's Week 1 Win

The Running Game

Before this game, the last time fans saw ASU football was when Cam Skattebo was having a fantastic game against the Texas Longhorns. Skattebo declared for the NFL Draft, and many fans were wondering who could be the next featured running back.

Well, Kyson Brown answered those questions after an excellent showing in Week 1. Kyson ran the rock 7 times and gained 73 yards, which is an average of 10.4 yards per carry. Not only is this a very good yards per carry number, but Brown played with a good physical edge, as he broke several NAU Lumberjack tackles.

Not only was Brown an amazing runner for ASU, but he was also very effective and efficient in the receiving game. Brown's receiving numbers were similar to his running numbers, as he caught 6 passes for a total of 72 yards. Brown's dual-threat ability as a player is a trait that future ASU opponents will have to look out for.

Kyson was not the only great runner for ASU, as the Sun Devils' own Quarterback, Sam Leavitt, had 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

One of the highlights of the night was when Leavitt ran for a 52-yard TD. Leavitt showed great vision and quickness on the play. It was a play that got major cheers and reactions from the crowd.

Besides Leavitt and Kyson Brown, Raleek Brown also made some nice plays in the running game. He scored the first TD of the season for ASU and had a total of 38 yards on 5 carries, which is 7.6 yards per carry.

The Defense

ASU's Defense played very well at all three levels in Week 1. The Lumberjacks had trouble running the ball, as ASU's Defensive Line and linebacking core played great in run defense. There were several times when NAU tried to run the ball on third down, but could not due to the Sun Devils' stout run defense.

The secondary was also great. Even though they had no interceptions, they were able to get some key deflections. They only held NAU to a total of 242 passing yards, which is very impressive.

Combining both of the elements of secondary and defensive line, ASU Cornerback, Ketih Abney II, had a key sack. Abney II made the sack on a third down. NAU was driving down the field, so it seemed like they could get a touchdown. However, Abney's sack took the chance of getting a touchdown off the board for NAU, so they only got a field goal.

In conclusion, ASU had a lot of great factors from their Week 1 victory that should get fans excited for the rest of the season.

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