Heading into Manhattan, Kansas, as 7.5-point underdogs against No. 16-ranked Kansas State, ASU found itself in a familiar position, one that head coach Kenny Dillingham implied he and the team relish in. Yet, the game against the Wildcats would arguably be their biggest challenge to date, aiming to beat a Big 12 powerhouse in their own stadium, a venue that they have yet to lose at in 2024.
ASU (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) though continued its magical season with a 24-14 win over Kansas State (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) 24-14, marking the second time this year the Sun Devils have played a ranked team and prevailed, previously beating then-No. 16 Utah.
Following a 21-0 halftime lead and an early third quarter 24-0 edge, a lost fumble led to the host's first touchdown, the first of back-to-back drives where Kansas State found the end zone. Conversely, after that turnover, Arizona State was shut out on the scoreboard the rest of the night, punting the ball on the next three possessions. However, a missed field goal attempt by the Wildcats and a late interception determined the final score.
“The guys and their competitive spirit were the main factors,” Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “They didn’t even want us to be picked on College GameDay. These guys just battle and they fight, there’s no quit in them. This is a special group, and everybody should embrace that, no question about it.”
Tonight’s game adds to the chaos that has been the Big 12 conference. Every week, it seems as if a ranked team either falls to an unranked team or comes close to it, and underdog teams like ASU thrive off of that. Being counted out, a narrative that has existed since July’s Media Preseason Poll, which has ASU finishing last in the 16-team conference, is a mentality that Dillingham wants his team to inherit for the rest of the season.
“We made a statement that we’re a good football team,” Dillingham noted. “You can look at the records, but in every game you play in the Big 12, you never know who can win. All I know is that we beat two top-20 teams, one at home and one on the road. It means a lot to these guys to come in with that chip on their shoulder today and do something that really nobody thought we could do.”
While the offense struggled to score in the second half, the defense responded, holding Kansas State to 14 points despite yielding 304 yards in the last two quarters. For the fifth straight week, the Sun Devils picked off the opposing quarterback, but tonight, they did so twice for the first time since their other win over a top-25 team against Utah.
“It feels good, but we’re moving on,” junior safety Xavion Alford mentioned. “It’s a staple win for the program, but we’ve seen a lot of motivation out there today. Before the game, a lot of people wrote us off with no respect for our names. On this team, all we do is work, trust each other, and push each other to the highest limit.”
Alford secured the first interception of the game off a ball tipped by graduate nickel back Shamari Simmons, who iced the game with a pick of his own in the endzone on Kansas State’s final attempt to score. Additionally, the Sun Devils also forced a fumble in the first half, with junior safety Myles Rowser punching the ball out and keeping the game’s momentum solely on ASU’s side.
“We got takeaways, and we finally knocked the ball out,” Dillingham stated. “We’ve done it all the weeks in practice, we’ve emphasized it’s going to change the game, and it showed up today. The fun thing was the reaction from the players. The buy-in is there, and it’s real. These kids believe in what we’re doing and in each other.”
“We knew we had to start fast,” Alford remarked. “We’re in their place, and momentum is a real thing. We wanted to come in and make it our place and do everything we had to do to start the game fast. We wanted them to know every time you play ASU, it’s gonna be a battle.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt continued the torrid trajectory he's been on, throwing for three touchdown passes for the third game in a row. He impressed in the statement win, completing 21-34 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns adding 42 rushing yards along with countless scramble yards. While there were a couple of instances where he showed his youth, his ability to keep plays alive allowed his receivers to get open, and he found them.
“I’ve never said it on air before, but I think I’m one of the best in the nation,” Leavitt expressed. “Definitely the best freshman in the nation. I’m just trying to get better every single week out here.”
There were multiple instances late in the game on crucial third downs where this was on display, and plenty more throughout the game to his favorite receiver, redshirt sophomore Jordyn Tyson. Tyson had a career-high 176 receiving yards on 12 catches, corralling two of Leavitt’s three touchdown passes.
“They put in the work,” Dillingham recognized. “Every ball that Sam throws to JT, they connect after the rep. I’m watching film with Sam, and JT asks to hop in with us. They’ve got a bond, they both care, they both want to be great, and they’re both competitive. I couldn’t be prouder of these guys.”
Outside of Tyson, only two other receivers caught a pass from Leavitt, showing Tyson’s ability to keep finding ways to get open and for Leavitt to find him and get him the ball. While defenses try their best to prepare for the barrage of targets to Tyson, the duo continues to find a way to connect all game long.
“I think it’s the standard of the room,” Dillingham explained. “Coach Arroyo (offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo) does a phenomenal job schematically, Coach Ward and the command he has for those guys to play a lot of snaps, and then you gotta credit JT for the ability to learn all those spots. You can’t play all those spots and move around like that if you’re not putting in the time to actually learn where to be, and that’s the effort.”
“He (Sam) just knows what looks are coming because he’s in the film room so much,” Tyson mentioned. “He knows when the ball is coming to me, so when it does, I just happen to be open, and he puts it on me. After every single rep or play call that’s designed for me, we talk about it every time.”
With senior running back Cam Skattebo returning from a shoulder injury, he struggled early in the game, racking up just 25 rushing yards in the first quarter. Because Kansas State was holding strong on the line, this forced offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo to switch his game plan to more play-action and screen passes, which opened up the passing game and also allowed Skattebo to finish with 73 rushing yards. Skattebo did, however, tally 117 all-purpose yards, achieving the century mark in that category in 12 of 21 games as a Sun Devil, including seven games this season.
“They’re a run-pressure defense,” Dillingham commented. “A lot of their early down pressures are not to stop the pass but to stop the run. They were successful in some of those, so we knew we had to combat that with play actions and screen passes. So I thought Coach Arroyo did a phenomenal job keeping them off balance.”
The Sun Devils have consistently improved on third-down conversions, going 9-for-15 tonight. Effective play calling and execution combined with Leavitt's natural talent and ability to scramble around the pocket and find open receivers down the field allowed the Sun Devils to convert, and Dillingham felt it displayed how much Leavitt has grown over the season and how he’ll continue his progression.
“We pass protected well,” Dillingham remarked. “I keep saying it, Sam’s really good. We should be really happy that we have him for two to three more years. Sam’s going to play on Sundays, and there’s zero doubt in my mind. The sky’s the limit, and I think he’s going to be the face of Sun Devil football.”
ASU kept its Big 12 championship hopes alive, controlling their own destiny following currently No. 6 BYU’s 17-13 loss to Kansas, as the Sun Devils are set to host the Cougars on Saturday. Dillingham expects a sold-out crowd in Mountain America Stadium in a likely top-25 matchup on Arizona State’s senior day and Homecoming game.
“The city should be fired up,” Dillingham voiced. “We should be sold out for this BYU game. People should be talking about ASU. They should be talking about this team, not just on a local stage but on a national stage. People should be fired up about your Sun Devils right now and be there next Saturday.
“It’s going to be what the kids say ‘lit.’”
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