ASU rallies for 35-31 win over Kansas

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) -- They’d just pulled off the thrilling last-second win. The historic Victory Bell was rolled onto the field, waiting to be rung.

“Where’s Sam? Hold up, wait for Sam!”

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State’s redshirt freshman quarterback, wasn’t around. He was off doing interviews for the television broadcast. So instead, Cam Skattebo had the honor of ringing the bell four times, symbolizing each of the team’s wins so far this year.

Leavitt missed his chance to ring the bell on Saturday night, but he’ll likely have plenty of chances in the future.

ASU’s young gunslinger threw a touchdown pass—his fourth of the night—with just 20 seconds left to complete the Sun Devils’ 35-31 comeback win over Kansas. On a night that tied the program record for hottest temperature at kickoff, it was Leavitt’s cool performance under pressure that helped secure the win and solidified his standing as a team leader and the program’s future.

Along the way, the Leavitt and the Sun Devils had to overcome a slew of costly penalties and self-inflicted errors. But when it mattered most, the team rose to meet the moment.

“We played an ugly game, ugh,” said ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham. “But we played so hard. We played with passion, and we made the plays in the fourth quarter.”

The victory improved ASU to 4-1 on the season, a win total that exceeded the program’s tally in both of the last two seasons.

The Activation

“We played this game today with an absolute passion.” - Kenny Dillingham

The Game Flow

At 107 degrees, there had never been a hotter game in Sun Devil history than Saturday. Yet despite the heat, a sold-out crowd was on hand to take in this key Big 12 matchup.

After a sluggish start in their last game against Texas Tech, the Sun Devil offense hit the ground running. Leavitt took center stage, moving the chains twice with his legs before hitting Xavier Guillory with a well-thrown 28-yard touchdown pass.

“The backside safety was keying (Raleek Brown), so I came off of it,” said Leavitt of the play. “We were going to have a Y-cross. I just thought, ‘If he has eyes on (Brown), I’m going to go to (Guillory). When I took my eyes to (Guillory), he ended up winning, so I let the ball go, and he ended up making a play.”

On their first possession, Kansas also wasted little time in moving down the field. The Jayhawks converted three third downs on the drive, which was capped by a 22-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalon Daniels.

Following the fast starts, both defenses buckled down to force quick punts on the next three drives before Kansas was able to break through. Keyed by a conversion on third-and-16, the Jayhawks moved to the ASU 30 when a coverage bust allowed Daniels to find a wide open Quentin Skinner for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.

Now trailing, ASU rode the legs of Skattebo three straight times to get into Jayhawk territory. A bad drop by DeCarlos Brooks proved costly, as the drive soon stalled in the redzone, and Ian Hershey’s field goal attempt was blocked. That prompted a change, as Dillingham inserted Carston Kieffer into the placekicker role.

“Kicks were too low,” said Dillingham. “We had two kicks blocked this year because we’re not getting lift on our kicks.”

Kansas appeared on their way to another score as Daniels began the next drive with a 29-yard completion, but the Sun Devil defense was eventually able to force a punt.

The ensuing Sun Devil drive looked to come to a quick end, but a fake punt caught the Jayhawks by surprise. Punter Kanyon Floyd found defensive end Clayton Smith for 15 yards to keep the drive alive.

“We practiced it all week,” Dillingham said of the fake. “We knew it was going to be there if we got a certain look. We got the look.”

The momentum was short-lived, as Jordyn Tyson was stripped of the ball two plays later, with Kansas’ Mello Dotson both forcing and recovering the fumble.

With their backs to the wall, the Sun Devil defense was able to force and three-and-out and give the offense a last minute chance at points before the half. Melquan Stovall gave those hopes a large boost with a 36-yard punt return, and Kansas defenders furthered the cause with defensive holding and pass interference penalties. As the clock ticked under 30 seconds, Leavitt found tight end Chamon Metayer for a 20-yard touchdown to tie the game at halftime.

Kansas opened the second half with an efficient drive that quickly moved into ASU’s redzone. An apparent incomplete third-down pass, in which the ball was dislodged by a hard hit, was reviewed for targeting, and ASU linebacker Keyshaun Elliott was ejected as a result. Yet even with the fresh set of downs, Kansas could not get past the Sun Devil defense and had to settle for a short field goal to take a 17-14 lead.

In response, ASU leaned on the running of Skattebo and Raleek Brown to march down the field. With the Sun Devils poised to score, Leavitt found an open Tyson on a slant near the goal line. But the ball bounced off Tyson’s hands into the air, where it was intercepted by Devin Dye, ending the threat in stunning fashion.

“A bad play,” Tyson said. “I really don’t try to think about it too much. I try to get to the next play.”

The ASU defense was able to force a three-and-out following the turnover, capped by a sack by Clayton Smith on third down. That sack backed the Jayhawks up enough that their punt was fair caught by Stovall at the Kansas 48. The drive was in peril after a failed end around lost 11 yards and an apparent third-and-18 conversion was negated by offsetting penalties. But Tyson found some redemption with a catch to pick up the first down on the redone down. A few plays later, Skattebo ran it in from a yard out to give ASU a 21-17 lead.

The lead was short-lived.

Kansas was bailed out with a defensive pass interference call on a third-and-13, and Devin Neal was able to find open ground for a 31-yard touchdown run a few plays later.

Once again, ASU leaned on the Skattebo and Leavitt ground attack to get into Kansas territory. Facing on a third down from the Jayhawks’ 31-yard line, Leavitt found Tyson for a score.

“A couple plays earlier with a couple mistakes, but why would I ever lose faith (in Tyson)?” Leavitt said. “I see the way he comes to practice every single day and puts in the work, and he keeps killing.”

With just over six minutes left, Kansas took the field looking to regain the lead. On a third-and-7, ASU’s Myles Rowser jumped offsides. But rather than let the play transpire, the officials blew the play dead. However, some players did not hear the whistle. Clayton Smith laid a hit on Daniels as he threw a pass, drawing a flag for targeting. Upon review, the call was upheld, Smith was the second Sun Devil ejected, and Kansas received a new set of downs.

“They were both continuing to play the game because they didn’t hear the whistle,” Dillingham said. “Usually you play a defensive offside, but they blew it dead.”

Four plays later, Daniels hit Skinner for a 34-yard touchdown.

ASU took over, down three points, with 2:04 left on the clock. With three timeouts and the two-minute warning, the Sun Devils had the whole playbook available. That included relying on the hard running of Skattebo.

“We kept Skat fresh for the end of the game,” Dillingham said. “When we got to 11 minutes left, I said, ‘Hey, this is Skat time.’”

On the second play of the drive, Skattebo reeled off a 39-yard run. Skattebo and Leavitt then traded off runs, moving the ball to the 3-yard line with 20 seconds left. After seven straight runs to get them on the doorstep, Leavitt then dropped back to pass, finding Tyson again for the game-winning touchdown pass.

“Good job by our guys just executing,” Dillingham said of the final drive. “We just played the next play. We didn’t get rattled. We didn’t waver. We just responded.”

A Kansas Hail Mary attempt was soon knocked to the turf, and the celebrations in Tempe began.

The Critical Moments

It was just his fifth start at the college level. His team trailed late in a critical game. But Sam Leavitt remained calm.

“It was nothing new. We just fell back on our training,” Leavitt said.

With veteran savvy, and aided by the bullish runs of Skattebo, Leavitt’s Sun Devils marched down towards victory. With a win in sight, Leavitt was going to go to his favorite target, despite the struggles from earlier in the night.

“There’s a reason you’re in the game, it’s because we trust you,” Dillingham said of Tyson. “The trust never wavered.”

Working from the right slot, Tyson ran, dug his feet in the turf, then made a break to the corner of the endzone as Leavitt lofted a fade ball. For Tyson, the moment was the culmination of learning from Hines Ward, the former Super Bowl MVP and ASU’s wide receivers coach.

“He’s taught me so much in the short time he’s been here,” Tyson said. “On that touchdown, he’s been preaching, ‘Dig, dig, dig, dig.’ I dug. What happens? Touchdown. It’s everything.”

The Offense

Coming off an uneven performance in the loss to Texas Tech, in which he had some of the proverbial “freshman moments,” Leavitt wrote a few things on his whiteboard. Among them was Be calm in the pocket. Against Kansas, he remained cool on the scorching night.

“Sam has unbelievable poise,” Dillingham said. “The dude’s mindset is a professional mindset. He prepares every week like a pro.”

The numbers weren’t overwhelming. He completed 14 of 24 throws for 157 yards and four touchdowns and one interception. But he played his best in the most critical moments, and following the advice of his whiteboard led to better footwork and a more accurate performance.

“He’s getting better, and better, and better, and better,” said Dillingham. “Today, he just did what we had to do. There were some things we’d like to have back earlier in the game, but when the game was on the line, he showed up.”

He also continued to make big plays with his feet, tallying 77 yards on 10 carries. Of his 10 rushes, eight went for first downs.

“It wouldn’t say it was part of the gameplan, it was just run the play, and do what it gives you,” Leavitt said of his running. “I had the looks and had the opportunities in those moments to go make the plays with my legs, so I did that.”

After the Texas Tech loss, there was scrutiny surrounding the passing game and it’s lack of big plays through four games. Strengthening their chemistry between Leavitt and his receivers was a focus over the week off, and it paid dividends on Saturday.

“It comes from putting the work in during practice,” Leavitt said. “We’ve been harping on it all week, just playing catch.”

Tyson’s breakout night was a byproduct of that work, as he led the team with six catches and 76 yards. The rapport between Leavitt and Tyson had been evident since spring practices, but it was Tyson’s ability to put his mistakes behind him that earned him a game ball from his head coach.

“That’s what the program is about,” Dillingham said. “The program is about the response. Talk about a bad beginning of the game. He was about as upset as you could possibly be. The fact that he could regather himself and go execute and finish with a positive attitude is everything that we’re trying to build here.”

The rest of the pass catches had limited impacts in the passing game. Guillory had the opening touchdown but later had a costly drop. Troy Omeire (six yards) and Jake Smith (four) were the only other receivers to catch passes, as running backs Cam Skattebo and Raleek Brown each caught a pair.

The offensive line had a terrific night in bouncing back from a rough showing against Texas Tech. On the ground, they opened holes for a run game that put up 313 yards, averaged seven yards-per-carry, and had 12 runs of 10 or more yards. Leavitt was not sacked, and Kansas did not register a quarterback hurry.

One of the key catalysts in the win was the turnaround on third downs. After failing to convert any of their four third downs in the first half, the Sun Devils converted all six in the second half. It was simply a matter of execution.

“Nothing changed. We caught the ball. We handed it to Skat,” Dillingham said. “This wasn’t much of a chess match. It was our players versus their players.”

The offense remains a work in progress and will need to get more players involved in the passing game, but making tweaks after a 35-point, 485-yard showing is not a bad place to be in after five games.

The Defense

Some key numbers were bad.

411 yards allowed. Seven of 13 third downs converted. Fourteen points given up in the fourth quarter. No turnovers generated. Two key players ejected for targeting.

It was ugly. But it was just enough to get the job done.

For much of the game, ASU’s defense played well. Then third down would come around, and a key lapse of bad penalty would keep the Jayhawk offense on the field.

“Stopping the run on first and second down, we did a really nice job,” Dillingham. “We had them to third down I couldn’t tell you the number of times, and we bailed them out with a penalty or we didn’t match zone coverage that was supposed to be matched.”

ASU had been among the better FBS teams in not allowing big plays, but Kansas generated nine passing plays of 15 or more yards and four runs of at least 10 yards.

“We’re just shooting ourselves in the foot, and we got to clean that up,” Dillingham said.

While it was arguably the worst showing for the defense in a season of mostly solid play, they were helped by a raucous home crowd that brough the noise in key moments.

“It was definitely rocking tonight,” Alford said. “(The fans) don’t know how much of a difference they make in there. That was a great college football environment.”

The Top 3

Here are three Sun Devil players who stood out against Kansas.

RB Cam Skattebo: The heart and soul of the team made the big plays when the team needed him the most.

WR Jordyn Tyson: Battled through early mistakes to make the plays in the clutch.

QB Sam Leavitt: The young gunslinger grew up tonight.

The Question: Can they make some noise in the Big 12 race?

One thing is for certain through five weeks: The Big 12 is wide open.

Arizona State is a program in the midst of a rebuild, on and off the field. Dillingham and staff have worked to improve the talent level of the roster while also overhauling the culture of the program. It remains a work in progress.

With a 4-1 record and seven games to go, a bowl berth is well within their grasp. That alone would put the rebuild ahead of schedule. But can they take it a step further and make some noise by perhaps making a run at a spot in the conference title game?

That may be a bit too ambitious in 2024, but one aspect of this team gives them a chance in a conference being defined by parity: They fight back.

ASU teams in recent years have shown a tendency to fold or let mistakes snowball. These 2024 Sun Devils, while flawed in all three phases of the game, have shown that while they may take a punch or two, they will get off the mat and hit back. The ability to face and overcome adversity is something that Dillingham and his staff have prioritized since taking over in Tempe, and those efforts are starting to blossom.

Such was the case again Saturday, and it just may prove to be the most impactful development of the season.

“You never looked in a guys eyes and worried,” Dillingham said. “You never felt a panic.”

The Next Step

It will be a short week for the Sun Devils. They host the rival Utah Utes (4-1, 1-1) on Friday evening, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

The Utes will be coming off a bye following a loss to Arizona that knocked them down eight spots in this week’s AP poll to No. 18.

Dillingham is not a fan of the way the schedule broke out. “I don’t know how we got a schedule where we have six days, and they have a bye week, but it’s possibly the worst scenario you could ever have.”

All eyes will be on the status of Utah star quarterback Cam Rising, who has missed the last three games with a finger injury.

The Extra Points

• A group of about 25 ASU players had a scary moment earlier in the day at the team hotel when they were stuck in an elevator for about 20 minutes. Alford joked that it was some team bonding time, while Leavitt lamented the close quarters. “We got some big boys,” he quipped.
• As a result of the targeting penalties, Elliott and Smith will have to sit out the first half of Friday’s game against Utah. Elliott, a key team leader, wears the helmet communication for the Sun Devils. Zyrus Fiaseu will take those duties over while Elliott is sidelined.

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