TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Manny Wilkins threw three touchdown passes to N’Keal Harry and Arizona State beat Utah 38-20 on Saturday, knocking the No. 16 Utes out of sole possession of first place in Pac-12 South.
The Utes (6-3, 4-3 Pac-12) lost quarterback Tyler Huntley to an apparent shoulder or arm injury in the third quarter.
The loss snapped Utah’s four-game winning streak and dropped the Utes into a first-place tie with Arizona in the clogged Pac-12 South. USC was a half-game back and played Oregon State later Saturday. Arizona State (5-4, 3-3), with consecutive victories over USC and Utah, also is a half-game out.
Huntley was injured when he was hit while forcing a throw with 5:33 left in the third quarter. Freshman Jason Shelly replaced him and the offense struggled after that.
Harry, considered one of the top receivers in the country, caught nine passes for 161 yards, including TD catches of three, 23 and 61 yards. His three TD catches were a career high.
Wilkins completed 19 of 24 for 285 yards and three scores with one interception. Eno Benjamin rushed for 175 yards, including a 44-yard TD run that sealed the victory with 4:12 to play.
Arizona State gained 536 yards against a Utah defense that had been ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12
The Sun Devils took a quick 14-0 lead.
They went 75 yards in 11 plays in their first possession, Benjamin scoring on a six-yard run.
The Utes were moving after the subsequent kickoff when Huntley threw deep to Jaylen Dixon. But the ball bounced off of Dixon’s chest at the goal line and into the hands of Arizona State’s Aashari Croswell, who returned the interception 47 yards. Six plays later, Wilkins threw three yards to Harry and it was 14-0 with 5:09 left in the first quarter.
Utah reeled off 17 consecutive points to take the lead. The Utes went 80 yards in 11 plays for the go-ahead score, Huntley throwing a five-yard TD pass to Samson Nacua to put Utah up 17-14 with 2:15 left in the half.
But the advantage was short-lived.
Wilkins gained 16 yards on the ground and threw a 19-yard pass to Brandon Aijuk to set up a 23-yard touchdown pass to Harry and the Sun Devils were back on top 21-17 with 1:01 left in the half. The six-play, 77-yard drive used up just 1:14.
After Matt Gay’s 31-yard field goal cut the Arizona State lead to 21-20 in the third quarter, Wilkins teamed with Harry for his biggest gain of the day. Harry broke open over the middle of the field, caught the pass and raced downfield, tackled just as the ball crossed the goal line and the Sun Devils lead 28-20.
Harry took a short pass and reversed the field for a 35-yard gain moments later to set up Brandon Ruiz’s 21-yard field goal that made it 31-20 with 10:27 to play.
THE TAKEAWAY
Utah came in as the team to beat in the Pac-12 South and is in trouble from here on out, especially with its quarterback injured.
Arizona State, with big-play offensive players Harry, Benjamin and Wilkins, can put together a late-season push for that Pac-12 South title that someone has to win.
UP NEXT
Utah: Hosts Oregon next Saturday
Arizona State: Hosts UCLA next Saturday.
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