TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Garret Rangel found a wide-open Brennan Presley on a 16-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter and Oklahoma State stymied Arizona State defensively for a 27-15 win on Saturday night.
The Cowboys (2-0) overcame one of the hottest games in Arizona State history — 104 degrees at kickoff — with a bruising defensive game that gave the offense a short field all night.
Oklahoma State had an interception and forced Arizona State to turn it over on downs three times — the last one from the Sun Devils' 33-yard line in the fourth quarter.
Rangel, the Cowboys' third quarterback of the night, then caught Arizona State clogging up the middle and floated a pass to Presley, who had no one within 15 yards of him. Gunnar Gundy earlier found De’Zhaun Stribling on a 3-yard touchdown on a slant after Arizona State turned it over on downs near midfield.
The Sun Devils (1-1) labored offensively for the second straight week, finishing with 277 total yards. Freshman Jaden Rashada had some good moments early, some shaky ones later to finish with 167 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-29 passing with an interception.
The future Big 12 foes had some shaky moments against FCS opponents in their openers.
The Cowboys used three quarterbacks against Central Arkansas and took a while to get an offensive flow going, needing a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away 27-13.
Arizona State was sharp in the first half of coach Kenny Dillingham's debut, building a 21-7 lead. A weather delay of more than two hours derailed the Sun Devils' mojo and and they had to hold on for a 24-21 win over Southern Utah.
Defenses controlled the game early on a hot night in the desert before the offenses found some cracks.
Arizona State played without one starting tackle against Oklahoma State and lost another in the first quarter. The Sun Devils still had some offensive success, putting together two first-half scoring drives.
Cam Skattebo capped the first by scoring on a 13-run run on a direct snap. Rashada then pulled in Oklahoma State's defense with a play-action fake, leaving Elijah Badger wide open for a 65-yard touchdown to put Arizona State up 15-6 after a 2-point conversion.
The Cowboys took advantage of a short field to tie it at 7-all on Ollie Gordon's 2-yard TD run. Alex Hale's 52-yard field goal pulled the Cowboys within 15-10 at halftime.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys still have some kinks to work out offensively, not to mention settle on a quarterback, but their defense led the way on a sizzling night in the desert.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils' offensive deficiencies against Southern Utah the previous week were exposed even more against a physical FBS school like Oklahoma State.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State: hosts South Alabama next Saturday.
Arizona State: hosts Fresno State next Saturday.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
