Arizona State vs. UCLA: Game Grades, Analysis for the Sun Devils and Bruins

After a disappointing opening month of the season that featured deflating losses to Texas A&M and USC, Arizona State notched a huge and potentially season-saving 38-23 victory over No. 7 UCLA Saturday night.

The Sun Devils (3-2) got a big performance from Mike Bercovici and pressured UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen to spring the surprising upset.

Here are the game grades from Arizona State's big 15-point victory. 

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B	B
Run Offense	C-	B
Pass Defense	B	B
Run Defense	A	A+
Special Teams	A-	A-
Coaching	A	A

Arizona State Sun Devils Grade Analysis

Pass Offense

Bercovici was coming off a miserable performance against USC, when he barely completed 50 percent of his passes for 272 yards and an interception. 

He was much better against a UCLA pass defense that ranked 21st nationally coming into the week. Bercovici threw for 142 yards and a touchdown in the first half before finishing the game with 273 passing yards and two touchdowns. He distributed the ball efficiently among seven receivers, four of whom had more than 40 yards receiving. 

Run Offense

It was tough sledding in the first half against the Bruins, who only allowed the Sun Devils to run for 58 yards before the break.

But Demario Richard got going in the third quarter after a quiet first half, when he ran for just 39 yards. The sophomore running back had 34 rushing yards in the third quarter and finished with 79 yards on the day. He led a ground game that totaled 192 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries Saturday night. 

Pass Defense

Arizona State's pass defense faced a stiff challenge in UCLA's Rosen, the 18-year-old freshman quarterback who played like a Heisman-candidate quarterback in September. But in the first half, the Sun Devils limited the Bruins' passing attack to 160 yards, generating great pressure (two sacks) while coming up with a pivotal interception late in the second quarter.

Rosen found a rhythm late in the second quarter, which carried over to the third quarter, but overall, the Sun Devils did an excellent job against the young signal-caller. Rosen completed just 55 percent of his passes Saturday night. 

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Run Defense

The run defense has been a strength for Arizona State this season, and that certainly was the case against UCLA. The Sun Devils needed their front seven to play well against Paul Perkins, who entered Week 5 as one of the hottest running backs in the country. But on Saturday, Perkins averaged just 3.5 yards on 18 carries, as UCLA could only manage 62 rushing yards against Arizona State. 

Special Teams

It looked like Arizona State's special teams were in for a rough night when Zane Gonzalez missed a 44-yard field goal on the second drive, but that wasn't foreshadowing a bad night. Tim White got the Sun Devils back on track when he ripped off a 63-yard kickoff return late in the first quarter and a 47-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.

Gonzalez bounced back with field goals of 31 and 25 yards, and punter Matt Haack was incredible, averaging 43.1 yards on eight punts. 

Coaching

Todd Graham and the Arizona State coaching staff knew that they couldn't hold back after last week's humiliating loss to USC. The Sun Devils came in with an aggressive plan and executed it well. That was on full display when Arizona State attempted a fumblerooski midway through the second quarter, and even though the play actually lost yards, it showcased the chances the staff was willing to take.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C+	C+
Run Offense	F	F
Pass Defense	C-	C-
Run Defense	B-	C-
Special Teams	C	D
Coaching	C	F

UCLA Bruins Grade Analysis

Pass Offense

Rosen has been an absolute revelation for UCLA so far this season, but he struggled out of the gate against Arizona State Saturday night. The Sun Devils sent a variety of blitzes at the freshman quarterback, and the Bruins' veteran offensive line had trouble with the pressure. UCLA gave up two sacks and Rosen threw a bad interception in the first half.

But momentum switched in the second half. The offensive line gave Rosen time, and he delivered even when things broke down. Rosen only completed 55 percent of his passes, but he still threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. 

Run Offense

Perkins came into the game ranking 10th nationally with 514 rushing yards through Week 4, but the Bruins had a hard time opening any lanes for their star running back in the first half. Perkins was bottled up entirely, gaining just 23 yards on 12 carries through two quarters. 

The UCLA ground game found its legs in the third quarter, as Perkins found a number of holes as the Bruins rallied. But those holes closed quickly, as the Sun Devils limited UCLA to just 62 total rushing yards. 

Pass Defense

The Bruins defense has been decimated by injuries this season as five starters have missed legitimate time, but that hasn't stopped the secondary from producing at a high level. Coming into Saturday's contest with Arizona State, UCLA had allowed an average of 163.3 yards per game through the air. 

The Sun Devils didn't have a problem moving the ball through the air, however. Bercovici was efficient, throwing for 273 yards and two touchdowns (against just one interception) versus the Bruins. 

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Run Defense

The Bruins surrendered an incredible 353 rushing yards in last week's 56-30 victory over Arizona, so that was a big point of emphasis heading into the Arizona State game. 

UCLA's front seven was much better against the Sun Devils, specifically in the first half when it only allowed 58 rushing yards. Things started to break down a bit in the third quarter when Bercovici broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run.

Late in the fourth quarter, when the Bruins desperately needed a stop, Arizona State flexed its muscle and ran the ball with ease. 

Special Teams

Special teams was a bit of a mixed bag on Saturday night. 

Ka'imi Fairbairn made the most of his limited time, drilling his only field-goal attempt from 53 yards out in the first half. But that was overshadowed by some lackluster punting from Matt Mengel and Adam Searl, who combined to average just 37.2 yards on nine punts. No explosive plays in the return game while allowing big plays to Arizona State's White brought the Bruins' grade down considerably. 

Coaching

It was clear early in the second half that Jim Mora was being thoroughly outcoached by Graham and Co., and that feeling was only enhanced as the Bruins failed to close the gap on Arizona State late in the game.

But Mora's decision down the stretch to take a safety and give the Sun Devils an eight-point lead and possession of the ball late in the fourth quarter was one of the most puzzling coaching decisions in recent memory, and his explanation of that decision is, quite possibly, more puzzling.

The Bruins couldn't stop Arizona State's running game by that point anyway, but it was still a logic from the UCLA coach that's just hard to follow.