Arizona State Football: 3 takeaways from dominant win over Stanford

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Oct 8, 2021; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back DeAndre Pierce (2) returns a lateral after an interception and sheds the tackle of Stanford Cardinal tight end Bradley Archer (87) for a touchdown during the second half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The defense deserves a ton of credit

After the first quarter, it felt like Friday night’s game was going to be a shootout. The Sun Devils were up 14-7 and both teams were having no trouble moving the ball, but that quickly changed as Arizona State’s defense stepped up and put the clamps on Stanford through the final three quarters.

Sure, Tanner McKee put up some passing yards, finishing with 356 yards, but after his first-quarter touchdown, he wasn’t nearly as effective. Along with his 356 yards, he also threw three touchdowns after going through the first five weeks of the season with no picks. How’s that for defense?

Antonio Pierce deserves major props for adjusting and holding McKee to 7.9 yards per attempt and keeping him out of the end zone in the final three quarters. He was also sacked five times and he was probably seeing ghosts in the final 45 minutes.

Plus, that run defense did a number on Stanford and the otherwise red-hot Nathaniel Peat. The Sun Devils had just 13 yards on 20 carries.

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