ATLANTA - In a blockbuster showdown that’ll flood sports discourse for days and weeks to come, Arizona State fell short in double overtime to No. Texas 39-31 in heart-breaking fashion in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Many Sun Devil newcomers made an impact in the last game of an unforgettable 2024 season. Here’s our detailed report.
Offense
As such, nearly every week during this campaign, there’s no better place to begin than Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt. The first-year starter climbed the quarterback hierarchy in college football, finishing with the second-best efficiency rating of any Big 12 quarterback. He made headlines leading up to the Peach Bowl clash against the Longhorns, “I’m going to go prove why I’m the better quarterback. That’s how I feel since Day 1. So, I’m going to go put everybody on the map.”
While his performance didn’t necessarily prove him superior to Texas’s junior quarterback Quinn Ewers, Leavitt put together a formidable showing, completing a season-high 24 passes on 46 attempts for 222 yards in the air. He often relied on his legs and scrambled out of the pocket, rushing for a net 60 yards on 13 carries.
The Longhorns made life difficult for Leavitt however, as the New Year’s Day clash marked just the second time in 2024 that he failed to tally a touchdown. Texas’s defensive back Andrew Makuba’s interception in the second overtime period ended the season for ASU and its young signal caller.
“I just feel like it was red zone stuff,” Leavitt said. “We moved the ball pretty effectively, actually, and we just needed to convert in the red zone. I take accountability for a lot of stuff that happened. Just going back, I just want to understand that red zone things happen so fast, and you have to be so precise. So that's one thing I'm going to carry over into next year.”
In the absence of redshirt sophomore Jordyn Tyson, the wide receiver room was yearning for his teammates to rise for the occasion similar to the Big 12 Championship. On Wednesday, when the Sun Devils had their backs against the wall down 16 points in the fourth quarter, senior wide receiver and Penn State transfer Malik McClain found space on a trick play as improbable passer running back Cam Skattebo found him for a 42-yard touchdown. The play was a surprise to anyone watching as that moment ignited the eventual comeback that saw ASU send the contest into overtime. It was also a play that showcased the wide receiver’s potential, who redshirted this year but could prove to be a valuable weapon in ASU's aerial attack in 2025.
Tight end Chamon Metayer has proven a reliable option for Leavitt all season, averaging over 2.3 completions per game in 2024. In the Peach Bowl, he corralled three onto his tally for 16 yards. However, the Texas defense was draped all over the Colorado transfer, causing him to haul in less than half of his eight targets.
The offensive line for ASU worked wonders in the second half. Hawaii transfer and starter Josh Atkins at left tackle played an integral role in opening up the running game, as the unit improved from 3.8 yards per play in the first half to 6.6 in the second half.
Defense
When facing a star-studded offensive line with two players [Kelvin Banks] and [Cameron Williams] who’ll likely be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, it’s clear to see why the Sun Devils found trouble pressuring Ewers with consistency. Although he was sacked three times, more often than not, the Texas quarterback found plenty of time in the pocket to pick apart the defense as he completed 20-30 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns. Newcomer defensive end, redshirt junior Justin Wodtly earned 0.5 sacks in the contest.
A majority of ASU’s defensive resolve showed when locking down the Longhorns' rushing attack. Texas’s only two defeats came at the hands of Georgia, where they combined for a mere 60 rushing yards overall in both contests. Defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s side held them to just 53 yards on the ground, generating five tackles-for-loss on the ground for a loss of seven yards.
Newcomers across the defensive unit contributed to this outstanding feat. Defensive tackle and Louisville transfer Jeff Clark had one tackle for loss, while junior linebacker and Arkansas transfer Jordan Crook posted 1.5 tackles for loss.
The secondary had itself an eventful day for the Maroon and Gold. In the absence of graduate nickel back Shamari Simmons for the first half of the Peach Bowl due to a targeting suspension awarded in the Big 12 Championship, redshirt freshman Montana Warren earned the start and faced the ebbs and flows of facing a high-octane offense. Warren struggled early on and yielded the first touchdown for Texas, a 23-yard pass. Warren, like the rest of the defense, settled down later that afternoon.
Cornerback and Washington State transfer junior Javan Robinson was oftentimes faced the tall task of covering wide receiver Mathew Golden. The Texas wideout tallied even grabs for 149 yards and a touchdown, including one where he beat Robinson down the sideline. Nonetheless, Robinson answered back tenfold, coming down with a contested interception during ASU’s fourth-quarter comeback that sent Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a frenzy.
Special Teams
The Sun Devils certainly lost the special teams battle in the first half, as Longhorn returner senior Silas Bolden scored a 75-yard punt return in the first quarter, stretching their advantage to 11 points early on. Redshirt freshman kicker Carston Kieffer’s second-quarter field goal attempt was blocked by 6-foot-6 defensive tackle Ethan Burke with 11 seconds to spare in the first half. Kieffer did rebound, converting his other two field goal attempts in the first quarter from 39 yards and the third quarter from 36 out. He also found the uprights on a high-pressure PAT in the first overtime period. Sophomore Ian Hershey had five kickoffs where one of them went out of bounds, and none of the other four went for touchbacks.
“I mean, the punt return killed us early,” Head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “That got us behind two scores early, but then from then out, it was -- we never really didn't have control of the game.”
True freshman punter Kanyon Floyd averaged 40 yards on three punts.
Newcomer Participation List
QB Sam Leavitt
WR Malik McClain
WR Jake Smith
TE Chamon Metayer
TE Cameron Harpole
TE Markeston Douglas
TE Coleson Arends
OL Josh Atkins
OL Ben Coleman
OL Joey Su’a
OL Terrell Kim
DL Jeff Clark
DL Jacob Kongaika
DL J.P. Deeter
DL Zac Swanson
DL Justin Wodtly
LB Jordan Crook
LB Keyshaun Elliot
LB Zyrus Fiaseu
DB Xavion Alford
DB Myles Rowser
DB Javan Robinson
DB Montana Warren
DB Rodney Bimage Jr.
DB Kamari Wilson
DB Kyan McDonald
K Carston Kieffer
P Kanyon Floyd
LS Tyler Wigglesworth
True freshmen who exceeded four game appearances and were unable to redshirt in 2024:
P Kanyon Floyd
LB Martell Hughes
DB Kyan McDonald
True freshmen who recorded four or fewer game appearances (during the regular season) and did redshirt the 2024 season:
OL Terrell Kim (four games)
DL Albert Smith III (four games)
DB Rodney Bimage Jr. (three games)
RB Jason Brown (one game)
DB Tony Luis-Nkuba (one game)
DB Plas Johnson (one game)
True freshmen who haven’t appeared in any games during the 2024 season:
OL Champ Westbrooks
OL Semisi Tonga
WR Zechariah Sample
TE Jayden Fortier
TE James Giggey
DL Salesi Manu
DL Ramar Williams
DB Chris Johnson II
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