Arizona State Sun Devils Football: Victory Over Washington State Relieves Fans

Arizona State’s 42-0 win over Washington State on Saturday came with mixed emotions for the Sun Devils and their fans.

The Sun Devils’ (4-4, 2-3 Pac-10) win over the Cougars (1-8, 0-6) provided ASU fans with both relief and frustration.

After last week’s embarrassing loss on the road at Cal, it had to be a relief for the Sun Devils to get back in the win column.

“We needed a win,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson told The State Press. “We don’t have much room for error to accomplish the goal we want, which is to go to a bowl game.” 

In order to go to a bowl, the Sun Devils will need to win three of their remaining four games. A very difficult task, but Saturday’s win will certainly help.

While the win may have been a relief, it was also frustrating as ASU fans finally saw what this team is capable of.

ASU played its most complete game of the season and did not beat themselves; a rarity for the 2010 Sun Devils. 

Only penalized five times for 35 yards, they only turned the ball over once while forcing three turnovers.

The defense produced just the second shutout since Erickson’s tenure began in Tempe, and quarterback Steven Threet returned from his concussion with a great performance.

Threet was 26-32 for 300 yards and three touchdowns.

If ASU fans want to get excited about the future, either a freshman or a sophomore scored all six touchdowns.

The Sun Devils will look to build upon this win next week as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the USC Trojans (5-3, 2-3 Pac-10) who are coming off a 53-32 loss to the then No. 2 ranked Oregon Ducks.