Arizona State (5-2, 3-1 Pac 12) put up 21 points in the first quarter. It was so much for the Sun Devils, they did it again in the second quarter. At halftime on the road, Arizona State leads Washington State (4-4, 2-3 Pac 12) 42-14 and is well on their way to another win to become bowl eligible.
Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly is off to a great start, having completed 14 of 18 pass attempts for 193 yards and four touchdowns. He has spread the football around well, completing passes to eight different receivers in the first half. Kelly has also added two rushing touchdowns and 71 rushing yards, while Marion Grice leads the Sun Devils with 83 rushing yards.
The offense for Arizona State has been locked in from t he start. At halftime, Arizona State has converted five out of six third-down conversions and they already have 20 first downs.
This game has quickly turned in to a mismatch, with Washington State having shown signs of improvement this season but clearly not ready to take things to the next level with the team Mike Leach has assembled right now. Arizona State has scored at least 50 points in each of their last two games, and that will likely extend to three games in the second half.
Barring a monumental upset in the second half, Arizona State is on pace to maintain the pole position in the Pac 12 South. Arizona State has Utah on the road next week. The Utes have already upset Stanford on their home field this season, so Arizona State certainly cannot take the game for granted, but the offense the Sun Devils are playing with right now is playing on a completely different level when you look around the Pac 12 South. UCLA may have the next best offense, but they have been weakened in recent weeks as well.
The margin of error for Arizona State is minimal, so picking up a win tonight is critical. They should feel pretty comfortable in the second half.