Sept 14, 2003

Final Stats

By MEL REISNER
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Andrew Walter threw for 277 yards and Riccardo Stewart returned an interception 18 yards for a decisive score as No. 16 Arizona State survived another uncomfortably close game, beating Utah State 26-16 Saturday night.

Utah State (0-3) made it interesting in the fourth quarter, when Travis Cox passed for 153 of his 308 yards and threw an 11-yard scoring pass to David Fiefia.

But the Sun Devils (2-0) got untracked when it counted, driving 46 yards late in the game to keep the Aggies at bay.

The Aggies appeared to have scored a 30-yard return in the final minute when Kenny Coleman picked up a fumble by Barry Tolli and reached the end zone, but the play was negated by a holding penalty - one the Aggies' 12 for 101 yards.

For the second straight weekend, Arizona State needed a big defensive effort to offset a sputtering offense. Stewart also had a sack and made a touchdown-saving tackle on Fiefia that slowed, but did not stop, Utah State's last scoring drive. Defensive end Jimmy Verdon had three of the Sun Devils' seven sacks and the Sun Devils picked off three passes.

Last week, R.J. Oliver scored on a 100-yard interception return against Northern Arizona.

Walter had scoring passes of 44 and 15 yards to Fulton, and Randy Hill scored on a 1-yard run.

Utah State tight end Chris Cooley, who set a career high with eight catches, scored on a 6-yard run after a lateral pass, but couldn't prevent the Aggies from falling to 1-38 against ranked teams.

Arizona State, embarrassed by its 27-point offensive output in a win over Division I-AA opponent Northern Arizona last week, scored on the third play this time when Fulton got behind the coverage, caught Walter's pass on the 20 and ran in untouched 1:07 into the game.

The extra-point try failed, starting a mistake-prone stretch in which three of Arizona State's next five possessions ended on lost fumbles - the last when linebacker Robert Watts jarred the ball loose from Loren Wade at the goal line and it rolled through the end zone.

It took Josh Golden's 24-yard punt return to the Aggies 27 to set up Arizona State's next score - a four-play drive capped by three straight carries for 14 yards by Hill.

Utah State responded by driving 58 yards to Cooley's TD and forced a three-and-out by the Sun Devils on their next possession.

But Stewart changed the momentum when he stepped in front of a pass into the flat and returned it untouched to send the Sun Devils to a 19-7 lead with 4:34 left in the second quarter.