Bowl-Bound Sun Devils Ground Out 34-20 Win

Mike Williams, who lost his starting job five games into the season, ran for a career-high 162 yards and four touchdowns and Arizona State scored the last 21 points and defeated Arizona, 34-20, in a Pacific 10 Conference game Friday.

“It’s just a great feeling to get the ball over and over again and get in the rhythm of the game,” said Williams, who had 40 carries. “It’s kind of hard when you’re second- or third-string.”

The Sun Devils (8-5, 5-3 Pac-10) clinched at least a tie for third place in the Pac-10 and a probable berth to the Sun Bowl.

Arizona (4-8, 1-7) lost its 11th consecutive Pac-10 home game. The Wildcats were coming off an upset victory at California, which came four days after 41 players met with President Peter Likins to complain about what they felt was verbal abuse from Coach John Mackovic.

“We have a lot of young players on this team,” said Mackovic, who has three years left on his contract. “We’ll have a good group of young players on the field, and we’ll have a good nucleus of seniors.”

Williams, a junior tailback starting because Cornell Canidate was sidelined with a shoulder injury, scored on runs of five, four, eight and four yards.

A year ago, when Arizona won at Tempe, the Wildcats danced on the logo of Sun Devil mascot Sparky, igniting a shoving and shouting match.

There were no such incidents Saturday

“Coach [Dirk Koetter] said we were going to come out here, we’re going to dominate and be the better team, and we’re going to win with class,” Williams said.

Terrell Suggs sacked Johnson twice to give him 22 for the season, extending his NCAA record. The old mark was 17, set by Dwight Freeney of Syracuse in 2000.

The unofficial record is 24 1/2 by Zeke Gadson of Pittsburgh in 1987.

Suggs, a junior, has not decided whether to return for next season.