STILLWATER, Okla. - A nearly three-hour weather delay forced both teams to stay in their locker rooms as lighting strikes and pouring rain dominated the skies at Boone Pickens Stadium. There was even speculation that the game may be called as the delay hit the two-hour mark, but when the teams came back out to play, Arizona State's fine performance in the first half continued and resulted in its most well-rounded performance in conference play.
The Sun Devils (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) posted 21 points in the second half en route to a 42-21 win over Oklahoma State (3-6, 0-6) to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2021, as well as their first league victory in 2024.
“You’d be lying if you said it didn’t feel good,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “We never talk about stuff like this, but when you reach a milestone because of putting in the work, you’ve got to cherish it. The guys in the locker room have changed the culture of this program in 22 months. The guys who chose to be here took a program and completely flipped it from where it was.”
The Cowboys' kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the second half was wiped off the board due to a holding penalty straight out of the delay, and the momentum shifted to the Sun Devils shortly after. Even though the visitors punted on their first drive of the second half, Arizona State proceeded to score three straight touchdowns. Dillingham said that not much motivating took place during the extended halftime, as the player-led culture shined during that time and manifested in the Sun Devils expanding their lead with each and every drive.
“I didn’t talk to the guys for like an hour and a half,” Dillingham recalled. “We got them some food, and we got away from them. The coaches kind of put together a second-half game plan based on the film that we were watching, but those guys love football. The group we’ve brought together are just really special kids, and that’s exciting because this is bowl-eligible with four games left, and they’re playing with house money now.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and the rest of the players took advantage of the extra time. With food being delivered to the locker rooms, they replenished and watched the first half film to see what they could improve on. It wasn’t just a few players either, as the entire team stuck together throughout the two and a half hours.
“We didn’t know how long it was going to take, so we were just chilling,” Leavitt explained. “We were all in there watching film and talking about adjustments and keeping everyone on the same page. We were all in the same room, so we would all highlight something about each other and what we saw.”
Leavitt missed ASU’s loss to Cincinnati two weeks ago due to a rib injury and came back in this game without skipping a beat. He passed for over 300 yards for the first time in his career, finishing the game with 304 yards and three touchdown passes, completing 20-29 passes. He also rushed seven times for five yards, twisting and turning on scrambles and moving the chains as he has all season long.
“He balled out,” Dillingham noted. “I’ve coached some athletic quarterbacks in my career, and that was one of the most impressive plays I’ve seen. Breaking three tackles, and he didn’t get us to a first down, but he got us to a situation where we could go for it on fourth down, which we were good at tonight.”
Senior running back Cam Skattebo had another stellar performance this year and finished with 274 all-purpose yards, 153 of them on the ground and 121 through the air, scoring one rushing touchdown and two receiving ones. According to Dillingham, Skattebo and Leavitt battle each other for the ball in every play in the huddle, which is just one of the many examples of the duo’s love for the game and their ambitious spirits.
“They’re both ultra competitors,” Dillingham recognized. “They both yell at each other all game, and they have dissertations sometimes in the backfield. But they’re so competitive, and that’s what you want. When two of the guys that touch the ball the most for you want the ball all the time, you’re going to be successful.”
In the first seven games of the season, sophomore running back Kyson Brown carried the ball for a total of 14 times. He doubled his total on the season, receiving 15 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Dillingham mentioned this week, heading into the game, that he wanted to get Brown more touches, and he took full advantage of every opportunity. Dillingham appreciated much of what he saw from the young running back in a room full of veterans.
“I told him we’re getting him more touches,” Dillingham remarked. “15 touches and two touchdowns later, here we are. He got those touches and finished runs like a 200-pound back should, and that was the part that I was most impressed with. We all know he’s fast and can make some explosive plays, but he’s also big. The fact that he lowered his shoulder and finished runs was awesome to see, especially from a young guy and from a kid who works the way he works.”
Third-down conversions on both sides of the ball on the road have been a struggle for the Sun Devils on the road, but a new leaf was turned this weekend. ASU went 10-for-16 on third down and 2-for-2 on fourth down while holding Oklahoma State to 3-for-11 on third down and 2-for-3 on fourth down. The Cowboys punted the ball four times in the second half, and their star running back, Ollie Gordon, tallied just 25 yards on 11 carries.
Junior safety Myles Rowser was among the leaders on the defense that assisted in the low conversion rates, as most of the third downs were obvious passing downs. With the defensive line holding the Cowboys to just 84 rushing yards on the night, the secondary was stout, with junior LT Welch leading the way with four pass breakups. The hosts' passing game could not compensate for the difficulties of the ground attack.
“Third down has been something we’ve harped on recently,” Rowser commented. “During practice, third down has been a really big sequence for us, so we wanted to keep everything in front of us. We kept it simple and what we were comfortable with, and we stopped them.”
ASU’s road woes came because of the middle segment, which started with four minutes left in the first quarter and ended about the same time in the second. The Cowboys scored 14 of their 21 points in the second quarter, but the defense held strong in that period and kept the energy levels up that had been lacking in recent weeks.
The Sun Devils will take on UCF at home next week, who beat Arizona 56-12 this week. ASU would like to achieve more than the minimum number of wins in postseason play, but it is not looking ahead past what should be one of the more challenging Big 12 contests of the year.
“I think we focused more on just one play at a time,” Dillingham expressed. “There was a period of time where we were getting some penalties that were hurting us, and I probably pulled our guys back too much. We have a team that’s aggressive and loves hitting. They love the game of football, and I think they played like it again. I think they played with that edge again, and we’re going to need that next week.”
Dillingham harped on the team's energy throughout the bye week and felt that the team was in a much better position than before the bye. The buy-in from the team has always been there, but a win like this, with the degree of effort exhibited, can lift a team up higher and higher.
“I think the belief comes with the work and the sacrifice,” Dillingham professed. “When you invest that much and care, it just means a little more. I also think we got the right guys that want to just win and like each other. When you have that combination, you’re going to have more positive moments than bad moments.”
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