Falk's three TD passes carry Washington State past Arizona State

[October 24, 2016]  Washington State quarterback Luke Falk threw for three touchdowns, Robert Taylor returned a kick return 100 yards, and the Cougars held on to win their fifth consecutive game with a 37-32 victory at Arizona State on Saturday night in Tempe, Ariz.

WSU (5-2, 4-0 Pac-12) remained tied with Washington atop the Pac-12 North as the league's only teams unbeaten in league play.

Falk completed 42 of 53 passes for 398 yards, with his third touchdown pass being a 52-yarder to receiver Gabe Marks for a 37-21 lead with 13:27 left in the game.

But Arizona State (5-3, 2-3) responded about two minutes later with receiver Tim White's 70-yard punt return for a touchdown, plus a two-point conversion. The Sun Devils climbed within 37-32 on a 29-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez with 4:36 to go.

Washington State then gained three first downs and was able to run out the clock.

Arizona State played most of the game without starting quarterback Manny Wilkins, who left in the first quarter with a shoulder stinger. He started the scoring with a 3-yard run, during which he hurdled a defender around left end.

His replacement, freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole, who began camp as the fourth-stringer before injuries hit the position, completed 7 of 16 passes for 86 yards, and the Devils often used running backs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard in direct-snap formations.

Taylor's score came in the second quarter after the Sun Devils took a 14-3 lead on Ballage's 52-yard burst off a direct snap. Taylor took the kick a few yards deep in the end zone, spun away from tacklers and tip-toed down the left sideline for the third 100-yard return in school history.

Marks caught eight passes for 107 yards. Wide receiver River Cracraft had seven receptions, joining Marks as the only teammates in Pac-12 history with at least 200 career catches.

ASU sacked Falk seven times, and he was favoring his left arm late in the game, but he didn't miss any time.

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