Arizona State Football: 3 takeaways from Las Vegas Bowl loss to Fresno State

1. Ronnie Rivers carried the Fresno State offense in the Las Vegas Bowl

Looking at how well the Fresno State running game worked in the Las Vegas Bowl, it is hard to believe that the Bulldogs featured the nation’s No. 96 rushing offense in the regular season. With McMaryion playing below his potential at quarterback, the Fresno State offense leaned heavily on Rivers. And the sophomore responded with a huge game.

Rivers busted off a 68-yard touchdown run that was the fourth-longest rushing score in Las Vegas Bowl history. The Bulldogs back finished the day with 212 yards on 24 rushing attempts. Rivers busted off the long touchdown for the go-ahead score, and a second shorter scoring run for the insurance points that proved icing on the cake in the 11-point victory.

Rivers proved valuable in the passing game as well, as he caught four of McMaryion’s throws for 33 receiving yards. The 245-yard performance earned Rivers player-of-the-game honors, as the Bulldogs set a new benchmark with their first 12-win season in school history. He also outdueled Arizona State’s star tailback Eno Benjamin in the process, as he outgained his counterpart by nearly 100 yards.

When the stage got bigger this year, Rivers stepped up to the occasion. After scoring the winning touchdown in the Mountain West championship game in Boise, Rivers used the Las Vegas Bowl as a platform to set himself up as a running back to watch in 2019.