All week long the Sun Devils talked about keeping Stanford running back Bryce Love in check in order to assure an ASU victory when the two teams met Thursday night at Sun Devil Stadium.

Last year, the Cardinal back ran for 307 yards and Stanford won by 10 points.

So the Sun Devils said their chances of winning this year’s battle hinged on that factor. They were wrong.

Love, who has been slowed much of the season with an ankle injury, managed just 21 yards on 11 carries but it was No. 24 Stanford squeaking past the Sun Devils 20-13  in a nationally televised Pac-12 contest.

Each of the Sun Devils’ four losses have come by a touchdown.

“I despise losing. I hate losing more than anything,” said an emotional quarterback Manny Wilkins. “I’m sick and tired of coming in here and saying we’re one play away. We got to fix it.”

The Sun Devils (3-4, 1-3) dug themselves a 14-point hole, giving up a pair of touchdown in the third quarter. As has been the pattern in practically every other game, they battled back to give themselves a chance, only to have time run out.

A 10-yard touchdown run by Wilkins with 7:50 to play made it a one-score deficit once again.

ASU got the ball back for the final time at its own 15 with 2:20 to play. It got as far as the Stanford 20 before Wilkins tossed a short pass in the flat to Eno Benjamin who was tackled in bounds at the 13. Time ran out before the Sun Devils could line up for another play.

“If I had a formula for winning these games I’d feed it to them,” head coach Herm Edwards said. “I like the effort. They play hard. They’re never out of it. These kids keep coming. All four games have ended the same way – with a thud.”

It was a battle of field goals through the first half with the teams knotted at 6 early in the third quarter. 

Stanford’s go-ahead touchdown came on a 28-yard scoring toss from K.J. Costello to JJ Arcega-Whiteside with 7:55 left in the third. That capped off an eight-play drive that covered 75 yards.

ASU didn’t do much with its next possession. The Cardinal got the ball back and scored again, this time needing just seven plays, the drive ending with a 1-yard run by Cameron Scarlett that made it 20-6. That lead would hold up.

Edwards was most upset about the turnovers and penalties which led to his team’s demise. ASU came into the contest with just two turnovers in its first six games – fewest of any team in the country. The Sun Devils had three in the contest – two interceptions and a fumble.

ASU equaled its season turnover total in the first half and both led to points although the Cardinal settled for field goals of 21 and 31 yards by Jet Toner.

ASU managed the first points, those coming on a 34-yard field goal by Brandon Ruiz. The Sun Devils had marched the ball down to the Cardinal 16 before the drive stalled on a failed third-down pass.

Stanford drew even with 4:43 left in the half when Toner converted his first try. The Cardinal got the ball when Wilkins fumbled after a 7-yard scramble and Thomas Booker jumped on the loose ball at the ASU 34. 

That fumble came one play after Wilkins was leveled after going out of bounds on a scramble down the visitor’s sideline.

Wilkins took the blame for the loss citing his mistakes.

“I just pride myself on taking care of the football, so two turnovers on my part is completely inexcusable. I’m beating myself up over that,” he said. “This is on me.”

The Sun Devils had seven penalties for 86 yards while Stanford had five for 60 yards. Two were pass-interference calls that came on back-to-back plays and led to the first Stanford field goal.

The second Stanford field goal came on the last play of the first half after Sean Barton picked off a pass by ASU receiver N’Keal Harry who had taken the pitch from Benjamin.

“Our errors were our biggest opponent,” Edwards said. “We had turnovers, penalties and dropped balls. You can’t have those and beat a team like Stanford.”

Benjamin, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in four of six previous games, was also held in check. He totaled just 38 yards on 11 tries but didn’t have many opportunities once the Sun Devils had to abandon the running game facing a two-score deficit.

ASU had 437 total yards. Wilkins was 26-for-43 passing for 353 yards with one interception.

Stanford tallied 358 yards with Costello throwing for 231. The Cardinal rushed for 127 yards, with Scarlett’s 54 leading the team.

ASU, which has now lost four of its last five games, is on the road next Saturday against USC. Stanford faces Washington State next week.

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