Arizona State Falls Short in Cactus Bowl; Loses to West Virginia 43-42

By Francisco Romero

West Virginia was supposed to run the whole game, not! Instead quarterback Skyler Howard completed 28-of-15 passes and threw for 532 yards and 5 touchdowns to beat the Sun Devils 43-42 in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.

Howard also set a new Cactus Bowl record for passing yardage, breaking Drew Bledsoe of Washington State’s record of 476 yards set in 1992 vs. Utah.

ASU’s quarterback Mike Bercovici did damage of his own, but was not enough. Bercovici finished the game with 418 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Both teams had a slow start in the first quarter as it ended 9-3 in favor of the Mountaineers; the second quarter was much different with more scoring from both teams, the half finished 22-18 with West Virginia ahead.

In the fourth quarter with West Virginia leading 36-35, Bercovici completed a 58 yard-pass to Gary Chambers to take a 41-36 lead, but instead of going for a two-point conversion, ASU decided to go for the extra point and took 42-36 lead.

It turned out to be a decision that cost the game for the Sun Devils.

With 2:19 to go in the game, the Mountaineers scored a touchdown on a 10-play, 75-yard drive, to take a 43-42 lead that they never relinquished.

The Sun Devils lost the football on downs on their last possession.

ASU’s D.J. Foster had five catches for 40 yards on Saturday. He recorded a reception in all 53 games of his ASU career, the longest streak in Pac-12 history.

With four touchdown passes on the night, quarterback Mike Bercovici moved into second place on the school’s list for points responsible for in a season with 216.

WVU’s 43-42 victory over Arizona State in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl is the team’s first bowl victory since the 2012 Orange Bowl.

ASU drops to 3-2 in bowl games since Todd Graham arrived in Tempe. Graham is now 5-3 all-time in bowl games as a head coach.