SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 23, 2012
Arizona State 37, Utah 7: Taylor Kelly threw three first-half touchdown passes as Arizona State rolled over visiting Utah in Pac-12 Conference play.
Kelly connected with Rashad Ross for a 38-yard score, Marion Grice on a 10-yard TD strike and Cameron Marshall on a 13-yard touchdown as Arizona State (3-1) won its conference opener. Kelly finished with 326 yards passing, completing 19 of 26 attempts, before enjoying the rest of the rout from the sidelines early in the third quarter.
Utah (2-2, 0-2) entered the contest with its defense ranked 15th in nation -- allowing 268.7 yards per game -- but the Sun Devils had racked up 347 yards by the half and held a 31-7 lead. The Sun Devils scored on their first three drives, all on seven plays or fewer and finished with 512 total yards of offense.
Marshall added a 1-yard rushing touchdown, the 33rd of his career, to move him ahead of J.R. Redmond for third place in Sun Devils' history. Grice scored his sixth touchdown of the year to make it 21-0 in the 1st quarter.
John White returned from an ankle injury for the Utes but had no success, gaining just 18 yards on 14 carries. Utah's lone score was a 2-yard pass from Jon Hays to Karl Williams.
Game notebook: Arizona State didn't turn the ball over all game and didn't punt in the first half. ...Kelvin York replaced White and picked up 63 yards on a 91-yard Utah scoring drive. He finished with 86 yards on 13 carries. ...The Utes will get a week off before playing USC at home Oct. 4.