Sept 8, 2001
By MEL REISNER
AP Sports Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. - Jeff Krohn passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns in just over three quarters, and Arizona State beat San Diego State 38-7 Saturday night in Dirk Koetter's debut as coach of the Sun Devils.
Krohn, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship last year while starting nine games, was 27-of-35 without an interception. He threw two scoring passes to Donnie O'Neal and one each to Mike Karney and Shaun McDonald.
Mike Barth made a 38-yard field goal in the first half, and Emmanuel Franklin set a school record with a 100-yard interception return for the Sun Devils' final touchdown with 7:44 to play.
The Aztecs (0-2), who lost their 11th straight to a Pac-10 opponent, got a 10-yard TD run from Garric Simmons with 2:51 remaining.
Koetter, 26-10 in three previous seasons with Boise State, inherited a team with 51 returning lettermen but a tradition of conservative offense that got coach Bruce Snyder fired before an Aloha Bowl loss left the Sun Devils 6-6 last season.
This year's squad lived up to its coach's reputation for imaginative plays, but the defense had a big role in the win as well.
The Sun Devils held the Aztecs to 86 yards rushing and 188 total yards, recording five sacks and forcing two turnovers.
Terrell Suggs had two sacks, a deflection and a forced fumble. Franklin and R.J. Oliver, freshmen starters at cornerback, acquitted themselves well against Aztec receivers J.R. Tolver, Jeff Webb and Derrick Lewis.
The Aztecs had just 21 yards at halftime, giving Arizona State time to overcome its unfamiliarity with its complicated offensive scheme.
Karney caught a 7-yard pass, his first career reception, for Arizona State's first score late in the first quarter.
Krohn gave the Sun Devils a 17-0 halftime lead with a 42-yard strike to O'Neal with 2:09 left in the second quarter.
The quarterback passed 5 yards to McDonald with 8:15 to go in the third and found O'Neal alone in the corner for a 31-0 lead with 12:34 left in the game.
The Aztecs found something to exploit inside in the second half, when Larry Ned had 70 of his 88 yards rushing, but Franklin ended their hopes of getting back into the contest when he picked off a pass by Adam Hall at the goal line and ran it all the way back.
Franklin broke the Arizona State record for an interception return (95 yards by Nathan LaDuke against Oregon State in 1990) and became the seventh Pac-10 player to have a 100-yard return. The last was Deltha O'Neal of California against Oregon in 1999.