Arizona State overcame a 17-hour travel delay to get to Orlando, Fla., and defeat UCF 26-13 to become bowl eligible on Saturday night.
Arizona State (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) was forced to arrive less than four hours before kickoff because of a nationwide ground stoppage of flights by the FAA on Friday.
The true freshman duo of quarterback Jake Fette and running back Cardae Mack was productive for Arizona State.
Fette completed 21 of 36 pass attempts for 196 yards and Mack gained 111 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown.
The Sun Devils won their first true road game of the season and achieved consecutive victories for the first time this season.
UCF (5-5, 3-4) has lost four of its last six games after a 3-1 start.
The Knights mustered only 311 yards of total offense, including only 159 in the first half when Arizona State took a 16-7 lead.
Both teams were forced to punt on their first two possessions before Arizona State took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Marquis Gillis on the first play of the second quarter.
After UCF’s Will Stone missed a 34-yard field goal attempt, Arizona State’s Carson Smith converted the first of four field goals on the day later in the second. His first successful attempt was good from 51 yards out.
UCF finally put together a touchdown drive that culminated with Landen Chambers’ 2-yard run with 1:53 left in the second quarter that cut the lead to 10-7.
Following a 41-yard field goal by Smith with 43 seconds remaining in the half, UCF decided to try to put together a scoring drive, but quarterback Alonza Barnett III fumbled and Arizona State’s Albert Smith III recovered at the UCF 19.
Smith then converted a 28-yard field goal to close the half.
There was no scoring in the third quarter, but the Sun Devils put together a 14-play, 81-yard drive that took 7:16 and ended with Mack’s 8-yard touchdown run that put Arizona State ahead 23-7 with 13:39 left.
Smith made his fourth field goal with 5:06 remaining.
UCF cut the lead to 26-13 on a 40-yard pass from Barnett to Tyren Hornes with 2:12 left. A 2-point conversion pass by Barnett was incomplete and an ensuing onside kick attempt failed.
ASU’s Reed Harris caught seven passes for 80 yards.
Josh Derry hauled in seven passes for 137 yards to lead the Knights.
–Field Level Media
