TEMPE — Cardae Mack ran for 159 yards and four touchdowns to lead Arizona State to a 28-17 victory over Kansas State on Saturday.

Mack, who carried 26 times, scored on a 12-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the Sun Devils ahead to stay, then scored from 11 yards on a direct snap to make it 28-17 with 6:23 remaining.

Jake Fette guided the Sun Devils (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) on the two scoring drives late in the game. Fette, a freshman seeing his first significant game action, was Arizona State’s third quarterback of the game, replacing an injured Mikey Keene and an ineffective Cutter Boley.

Julian Hugo's fourth-down sack of Jacob Knuth helped Arizona State run the clock down under two minutes.

Knuth threw a touchdown pass and ran for another for Kansas State (4-3, 1-3). Knuth, a fifth-year senior, was making his first career start for the Wildcats with Avery Johnson sidelined with an upper-body injury. He was 26 of 41 for 194 yards passing.

Keene also got the nod for the first time for Arizona State, and connected with Reed Harris for 51 yards on its first play. Harris finished with six catches for 147 yards.

Keene threw for 160 yards in the first half before leaving with an apparent leg injury. Keene was hurt in the final minute of the first half when Kansas State’s Darien Whitaker Jr. rolled into him after a completed pass, and the senior was helped off the field.

Boley, who had started the Sun Devils’ previous six games before being benched last week at Texas Tech, replaced Keene, but was just 1 of 5 for seven yards and was booed by the home crowd.

Fette had attempted just two passes this season before Saturday, but helped the Sun Devils rally. He was 3 of 6 for 45 yards.

The takeaway

Kansas State: The Wildcats missed Johnson’s versatility and experience, though Knuth performed creditably and didn't turn the ball over.

Arizona State: After allowing 50-plus points in the last two Big 12 games, the Sun Devils’ defense held Kansas State to just 4 of 14 on third down.

QB quandary

Fette made some key throws while Mack carried the load late in the game for the Sun Devils, and he likely earned a chance to start next week.

Up next

Kansas State: At Colorado on Saturday.

Arizona State: At No. 2 BYU on Saturday.

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