Cardae Mack's career night powers Sun Devils to big win over Kansas State

TEMPE- The Arizona State Sun Devils bounced back with a 28-17 win over the Kansas State Wildcats at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The big question heading into Saturday's game was how the Sun Devils would bounce back after a tough showing at Texas Tech last weekend. One takeaway was how the team responded, bringing intensity on both ends of the field as they navigated a rollercoaster season.

"I thought we played way better.... At the beginning and end of the game we played pretty good football.... the whole vibe felt different," head coach Kenny Dillingham said postgame.

Arizona State opened the afternoon with Mikey Keene at quarterback. He threw for 160 yards and completed 10 of 20 passes before leaving in the second quarter with an injury.

Freshman running back Cardae Mack made history for the football program, becoming the first freshman to score four touchdowns in a game since Demario Richard in 2014 and the first to record four rushing touchdowns since Leon Burton in 1955.

When asked about the accomplishment in the postgame, Mack told reporters, "It's a blessing. It's honestly a blessing."

When Dillingham was asked whether he sees similarities between Mack and current New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, he told Aya Abdeen of Echo from the Buttes, "Their contact balance and their swipe move. … He's got a long way to go."

Cutter Boley, the season-opening starter, took over briefly before Dillingham let freshman Jake Fette lead the offense for the rest of the game. The Sun Devils were impressed with how Fette guided them to the win.

After Mack scored his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon, he celebrated with his teammates and high-fived Fette.

Together, Mack and Fette are becoming the future faces of Sun Devil football.

"We just wanted some energy," Dillingham said when asked about putting Fette in the game. "We felt like there was a lull, and you could see what the guys on the sideline (were) like. We're a team that we can't get into those lulls, right? We can be suffocated by them at times.

"So I thought Jake...Jake's got that look in his eye. Jake's got the swagger, the confidence when he moves around. So I think we just wanted the spark there with Jake."

Asked about updates on Keene's injury, Dillingham said he anticipates Fette to get the starting nod against the No. 2-ranked BYU Cougars in Provo on October 31, depending on Keene’s status.

"Yes, he (Fette) will be the guy next week," Dillingham said. "I mean, we'll see what happens with Mikey [Keene], and we haven't got all that setback. So, maybe I spoke too soon, but I would anticipate that."

The Sun Devils' defense stepped up crucially throughout the game, looking aggressive and focused.

When asked about Arizona State's defensive contributions, junior linebacker Martell Hughes said, "Just trust. Trust in the guys around you."

As the Sun Devils prepare to travel to Provo, Utah, to face No. 2-ranked Cougars, who lost to the UCF Knights in double overtime, Dillingham encourages the team to focus on themselves and take a game-by-game approach.

"People have said a lot of things about this team... I think they just feel a little bit disrespected," Dillingham said when being asked about the disrespect. "And you know, it's fair. It's not a false disrespect. It's real. We've earned that...Now we've got to respond."