Arizona Kids Help Missouri Beat Arizona State

Kent Kiefer and Damon Mays, hometown kids who got away from Arizona State, combined on two touchdown pass plays in the second quarter Saturday to lead Missouri to a 30-9 upset of the 21st-ranked Sun Devils.

Kiefer, a senior from Tempe, Ariz., passed for 279 yards as Missouri (2-2) beat a Pacific 10 team for the first time at home since 1974.

Mays, a senior wide receiver from Phoenix, caught five Kiefer passes for 108 yards, one a 61-yard scoring play off a flea-flicker in the second quarter. Mays’ other scoring catch was a 10-yarder that gave Missouri a 17-3 lead in the opening seconds of the second quarter.

It was the Tigers’ first victory over a ranked opponent since a 10-0 upset of Oklahoma in 1983.

The loss was made even worse for Arizona State (2-1) when quarterback Paul Justin separated his left shoulder in the third quarter. Justin was hurt when sacked for the fourth time. He fumbled on the play, stalling an 84-yard drive that had reached Missouri’s eight yard-line.

Michael Jones carried for two yards and Missouri’s first touchdown, capping a 75-yard drive after the opening kickoff.

Arizona State’s Mike Richey and Missouri’s Jeff Jacke exchanged first-quarter field goals of 49 yards and 22 yards, respectively.

Missouri stretched the lead to 17-3 on Mays’ first touchdown catch, finishing an 80-yard drive in which Kiefer completed five of six passes.

Richey kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 17-6, but Missouri secured the victory on the first play after the kickoff. Jones took a handoff and pitched it back to Kiefer, who found Mays open for the touchdown.

Sophomore Kurt Lasher took over for Arizona State after Justin was hurt. The Sun Devils dominated the third quarter but were held to Richey’s third field goal, a 21-yarder.

The victory removed some of the sting from a 58-7 loss last week against Indiana.

Kiefer finished with 20 completions in 33 tries, helping Missouri avenge a 19-3 loss at Arizona State last year.

Missouri could have led by even more at halftime had not Darren Woodson sacked Kiefer for a 10-yard loss on the final play. Missouri failed to get into the end zone after Maurice Benson intercepted a Justin pass and returned it 75 yards.

Kiefer’s passing accounted for all but 20 of Missouri’s 244 yards in the first half.