Tag: Arizona State Sun Devils

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Houston rides QB Conner Weigman to road upset of No. 24 Arizona State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Conner Weigman completed 14 consecutive passes at one point and rushed for a career-high 111 yards and two touchdowns to lead Houston to a 24-16 victory Saturday over No. 24 Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

The Cougars (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) and Sun Devils (5-3, 3-2) met for the first time as conference opponents, and Houston’s win marked the first time the school had beaten a ranked team on the road since 2017, when it beat then-No. 17 South Florida.

Weigman completed 17 of 22 pass attempts for 201 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions. His rushing total was produced on a team-high 21 attempts.

The Sun Devils suffered their first loss in Tempe with Sam Leavitt as the starting quarterback, snapping an 11-game run.

Leavitt’s top target, receiver Jordan Tyson, did not play because of a hamstring injury, and Leavitt himself was forced to the locker room during Arizona State’s first possession to undergo concussion protocol.

When he returned, the Sun Devils trailed 10-0.

Leavitt exited again with 7:15 remaining in the game due to an undisclosed injury. His backup, Jeff Sims, engineered a scoring possession that ended with his 27-yard touchdown pass to Chamon Metayer with 5:12 left that cut the lead to 24-16.

After Houston was forced to punt, Arizona State gained possession at its 5-yard line with 2:08 left. But Sims had three incomplete passes and the Sun Devils turned the ball over on downs at their 11.

Weigman’s 50-yard run up the middle helped set up an Ethan Sanchez 26-yard field goal to give Houston a 3-0 after the first possession of the game. He capped the next drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

One of the 14 consecutive successful pass attempts for Weigman was a 7-yard connection with Tanner Koziol that put Houston ahead 17-0 with 10:10 left in the third quarter.

Weigman then scored his second touchdown run from one yard, increasing the lead to 24-0 with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter.

Arizona State cut the lead to 24-6 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Leavitt to Cameron Harpole with 13:56 left in the game. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Jesus Gomez, who missed two attempts earlier in the game, nailed a 47-yard field goal that cut the lead to 24-9 with 11:24 left.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) and Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2) battle for a passed ball during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah’s ground attack too strong for No. 21 Arizona State

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Quarterback Devon Dampier totaled 224 yards on offense and ran for three touchdowns to lead Utah to a 42-10 victory over No. 21 Arizona State on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

The Utes (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) earned their first home victory over a Big 12 opponent since joining the league last season. Led by 120 yards on 10 carries from Dampier, Utah racked up 276 rushing yards and ran for six touchdowns against the Sun Devils, the most in a single game for the Utes since running for six scores in a 52-7 win over Stanford in 2021.

Arizona State (4-2, 2-1) saw an eight-game winning streak in Big 12 play come to an end in the absence of starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. Jeff Sims got the start after Leavitt sat out with a right foot injury. Sims totaled 176 yards on offense, completing 18 of 38 passes for 124 yards and gaining 52 yards on 21 carries.

Dampier, who rushed for touchdowns of 12, 24 and 9 yards, also was 7-of-12 passing for 104 yards.

Utah literally ran away from Arizona State in the first half. The Utes racked up 183 yards and three touchdowns on the ground by halftime while averaging 7.6 yards per carry.

Dampier scored Utah’s first two touchdowns on the ground. He cut off-tackle and sprinted 12 yards into the end zone to cap off the Utes’ opening 14-play, 75-yard drive. Early in the second quarter, Dampier faked a handoff and raced 24 yards to put Utah up 14-3.

Arizona State’s only first-half points came via Jesus Gomez’s 38-yard field goal. The Sun Devils tried to make it a one-score game on a 29-yard attempt from Gomez late in the second quarter. Jackson Bennee leapt over the line and blocked the field goal to keep Utah’s 11-point cushion intact.

NaQuari Rogers ran 22 yards to punctuate the ensuing drive and extend the Utes’ lead to 21-3 going into halftime.

The Sun Devils had an advantage in first half time of possession, holding the ball nearly 18 minutes. That didn’t translate to offensive success. Arizona State averaged just 3.1 yards per play over the first two quarters.

Rogers’ second touchdown, a 2-yard run off an extended option pitch, put Utah ahead 28-3 early in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson (13) throws the balll upfield against the Samford Bulldogs during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson to test aerial attack vs. Arizona State

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Defending Big 12 champion Arizona State kicks off conference play Saturday night on the road against Baylor in Waco, Texas.

The Bears (2-1) and Sun Devils (2-1) play each other for the first time since 1990, a nonconference game won by Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

Baylor features a high-powered offense led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson and running back Bryson Washington. Robertson already has 1,070 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes through three games.

Washington has recorded back-to-back 100-yard games and has carried the ball a combined 52 times in that stretch. He had a pair of touchdowns Baylor’s wins over No. 17 SMU and Samford.

The Bears trailed 38-24 halfway through the fourth quarter in Dallas at SMU before Robertson threw touchdown passes to Josh Cameron and Kobe Prentice to force overtime. The 21-yard TD to Prentice came with 34 seconds left in regulation.

“I think any time when you’re starting to learn your team and guys are playing well, you want to feature the stuff that’s going good,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said this week. “So I think that’s going on right now.”

Arizona State opened the season with a No. 11 national ranking. But a loss to Mississippi State on the road in Week 2 knocked the Sun Devils out of the Top 25 before they bounced back last weekend with a win over Texas State.

The Sun Devils entered the season with Sam Leavitt rated as one of the top returning quarterbacks in the nation. Leavitt got off to a bit of a slow start, but has a top target in wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who has 24 of his team’s 50 total receptions and 314 of the team’s 527 receiving yards.

Tyson also has four touchdown catches this season.

“We’re a really creative team that plays within the system,” Leavitt told AZCentral.com. “That’s the player I am, I kind of need to be free flowing in a lot of ways while playing within the system.”

Raleek Brown is averaging 8.3 yards per carry and leads the Sun Devils in rushing with 292 yards.

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) scores a rushing touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 15 Arizona State owns Big 12 title game with rout of No. 16 Iowa State

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Bo Skattebo rushed for 170 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as No. 15 Arizona State clinched a College Football Playoff spot with a 45-19 rout of No. 16 Iowa State on Saturday in the Big 12 title game at Arlington, Texas.

Skattebo rushed for two scores and also had a receiving touchdown for the Sun Devils (11-2), who won their sixth consecutive game. Sam Leavitt completed 12 of 17 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score for Arizona State.

Sun Devils star receiver Jordyn Tyson (left arm) missed the game but Xavier Guillory stepped up to make two touchdown catches.

The Sun Devils, who were picked to finish last as a newcomer in the 16-team Big 12, are hoping to land a first-round bye in the 12-team playoff. The conference was on the outside of the four byes as of Tuesday’s unveiling but the Atlantic Coast Conference title game result could provide an opening if Clemson defeats SMU.

Rocco Becht completed 21 of 35 passes for 214 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Cyclones (10-3), who saw their chances from a playoff spot come to an end. Jaylin Noel and Carson Hansen caught touchdown passes and Jayden Higgins had seven catches for 115 yards.

Skattebo ripped off a 28-yard gain on the first offensive play to set the tone. He later had runs of 42 and 53 yards and also scored on a 33-yard reception.

Skattebo scored on a 3-yard run to give the Sun Devils a 17-10 lead with 10:49 left in the first half. He had the 42-yard run on that drive.

Late in the half, the Sun Devils were back in their own end when Skattebo broke loose on the 53-yard scamper. He also ended the drive by scoring from the 2 to give Arizona State a 14-point lead with 27 seconds to go.

Iowa State’s chances of rallying disintegrated in the third quarter as Abu Sama twice lost fumbles and Becht was intercepted by Keith Abney II.

The Sun Devils scored on short drives of 43, 26 and 38 yards to put the game away.

Leavitt tossed touchdown passes of 8 and 21 yards to Guillory in a span of 71 seconds to make it 38-10. And Skattebo caught the short pass from Leavitt and turned it into a 33-yard score with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

Becht tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Noel with 7:27 left in the contest.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) celebrates with quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Big 12 championship game capsule: Arizona State vs. Iowa State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Big 12 championship game
Arizona State (10-2) vs. Iowa State (10-2)
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at Noon ET
Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium
TV: ABC
Early line: Arizona State -1.5 (FanDuel)

What’s at stake:
Where Arizona State is in the standings on Tuesday will determine if the Sun Devils are facing a must-win situation as the Big 12 very well could be a one-bid league. Arizona State has been a scorching-hot team down the stretch and probably doesn’t want to leave its fate to the committee in hopes of getting an at-large bid.

Iowa State has recorded the first 10-win season in school history and didn’t secure its spot until BYU defeated Houston late Saturday night in Provo, Utah. The Cyclones badly want to win this game to ensure they are part of the field as they clearly will get passed over if they are a three-loss squad.

How they got here:
Big 12 newcomer Arizona State was picked to finish last in the 16-team league, proving that those involved in the balloting aren’t a group of geniuses. The Sun Devils lost to Texas Tech in Week 4 and their only other setback (to Cincinnati) came when quarterback Sam Leavitt (rib) was sidelined. Arizona State roared to the finish with five straight wins, including a 49-7 road trampling over Arizona on Saturday.

Iowa State beat rival Iowa on Sept. 7 and shut out Houston three weeks later as part of a 7-0 start. But consecutive losses to Texas Tech and Kansas knocked the Cyclones out of the CFP Top 25, making a berth feel like a long shot. Yet Iowa State recovered with three straight victories, including a must-win affair with Kansas State on Saturday before receiving the help it needed from BYU to gain the conference title game berth over Colorado.

Names to know:
–Arizona State
QB Sam Leavitt
Has put together a surprisingly good season with 2,444 yards and 21 touchdowns against five interceptions. He has three passing scores in four of his five games since returning from the injury.

RB Cam Skattebo
Tough guy is the face of Arizona State’s rise with 1,398 yards and 17 TDs on the ground along with 35 catches for 468 yards and two scores.

WR Jordyn Tyson
Collected 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 scores, accumulating 444 of the yards over the past three games.

–Iowa State
QB Rocco Becht
Has 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions while throwing for 3,021 yards, joining Brock Purdy — the former Mr. Irrelevant — as the lone Iowa State quarterbacks to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season twice.

WR Jayden Higgins
Has 80 catches for 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns while he and teammate Jaylin Noel (1,013) are the first duo to top 1,000 receiving yards in the same season in school history.

CB Jontez Williams
Those four interceptions lead a unit that allowed 21 or fewer points on eight occasions.

Xs and Os:
Arizona State has taken to smashing the not-any-good label and has been the best team in the Big 12 in November. Second-year coach Kenny Dillingham had just three wins in his first season and now has the Sun Devils being that team others don’t want to face.

Iowa State had won nine games in a season on just three occasions prior to this season but now has a chance to win 11 or more this season. The Cyclones won’t scare anyone on the overall talent spectrum but the late-season exploits point to a team that is about to play itself into the playoffs.

Prediction:
Iowa State 19, Arizona State 17

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Jacurri Brown (11) dives for a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Arizona State scores late to win seesaw affair vs. UCF

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Sam Leavitt completed three touchdown passes, two of them to Jordyn Tyson, in Arizona State’s 35-31 victory over UCF on Saturday in a Big 12 game at Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) improved to 5-0 at home this season.

The Sun Devils played without leading rusher Cam Skattebo, who suffered a shoulder injury last week at Oklahoma State. Skattebo entering this weekend’s games third in the Big 12 with 1,001 yards on 173 carries. Kyson Brown started in Skattebo’s place and rushed 18 times for a career-high 73 yards.

Leavitt completed 16 of 25 pass attempts for 161 yards, and Tyson finished with seven catches for 99 yards.

RJ Harvey, the Big 12’s leading rusher, finished with 127 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns for the Knights (4-6, 2-5).

Redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk, UCF’s fourth starting quarterback this season, made his first start on the road and was 24-of-34 for 229 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

The game had five lead changes, four in the second half. The scoring alternated between Harvey’s two rushing touchdowns and Leavitt connecting with Tyson twice.

Leavitt’s 13-yard completion to Tyson provided the final score with 4:55 left in the game.

UCF was stopped on a loss of downs on its 33 with 3:24 left when Harvey was taken down one yard short of a first down.

Arizona State was able to wind the clock down to just 5 seconds before turning the ball over on downs at the UCF 22. The game ended on an 11-yard pass from Rizk to Jarrad Baker.

Rizk completed all eight of his passes for 54 yards in UCF’s opening drive, capped with an 8-yard touchdown run.

The Sun Devils tied the game at 7 when Montana Warren returned a blocked punt by Martell Hughes 48 yards.

It was Arizona State’s first blocked-punt return for a score since 2017.

UCF increased the lead to 17-7 lead on a 6-yard run by backup quarterback Jacurri Brown on a designed run play.

Arizona State scored two touchdowns within 9 seconds of each other to take a 21-17 lead into halftime. A 4-yard scoring strike from Leavitt to Chamon Metayer was followed by an interception returned 9 yards for a touchdown by Laterrance Welch with 47 seconds left before halftime.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back Ben Roberts (13) pressures Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Arizona State home, determined to deal Kansas fifth straight loss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas and Arizona State bid for their first Big 12 victory of the season at the other’s expense when the teams meet in Tempe, Ariz.

It is also the first time the programs will play each other.

The Jayhawks (1-4, 0-2 Big 12) dropped their fourth straight decision with a 38-27 setback to TCU at home last Saturday.

Arizona State (3-1, 0-1) did not play last week after losing 30-22 at Texas Tech on Sept. 21.

The Sun Devils play their first Big 12 game in front of their home crowd against a Kansas team that has lost its four games by a combined 24 points.

The Jayhawks held a lead in the fourth quarter of three of those defeats.

“They’re the same team that was predicted to potentially win the league to start the season,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “They’ve had two end of the first halves where they’ve turned the football over and the opponent has gotten seven points to essentially end the first half, which is the difference in two of their games (against) Illinois and UNLV.”

Dillingham noted that Kansas’ turnover margin of minus-0.8 — including minus-1.5 on the road — as a significant reason for the Jayhawks’ struggles.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold said the Jayhawks are “extremely, extremely down” after their difficult start to the season.

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Leipold said. “I mean, if they’re not, you’re not a competitor. You put all this time in, we talk about emphasis and things, and we’re not making it happen.

“It starts with the head coach. I’m not getting it up for this program and for this fan base.”

Kansas’ strength is its running game, which averages 226.0 rushing yards per game, ranking third in the Big 12 and 15th nationally.

The Jayhawks are led by senior Devin Neal, who has rushed 86 times for 513 yards and four touchdowns.

Daniel Hishaw Jr., another experienced back who is a fourth-year junior, has 38 rushes for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, a transfer from Michigan State, has completed 65 of 110 passes for 855 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has rushed 39 times for 180 yards and four scores.

–Field Level Media

ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) looks for a receiver during a game against Wyoming at Mountain America Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024, in Tempe.

Transfer QBs clash as Mississippi State visits Arizona State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Arizona State and Mississippi State are both coming off impressive season-opening home victories and productive performances by their starting quarterbacks.

The Sun Devils and Bulldogs will meet for the first time on Saturday in Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, a Michigan State transfer, completed 14 of 22 passes for 258 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 48-7 rout of Wyoming.

Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen, who transferred from Baylor, passed for 247 yards while completing 15 of 20 pass attempts with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 56-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, did not throw deep often against Wyoming in his first collegiate start. He averaged 11.7 yards per completion.

The Sun Devils ran the ball 49 times compared to Leavitt’s 22 attempts.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters Monday that he is not “playing scared” with Leavitt despite the limited number of passes, including very few of long distance.

“On the second possession, we chucked it deep and he threw a great ball, so we’re not playing scared with him,” Dillingham said. “Moral of the story, we’re going to be aggressive with him.”

Leavitt (47 yards on eight carries) was part of a balanced rushing attack that included Cam Skattebo’s 49 yards on 11 rushes and DeCarlos Brooks’ 47 yards on six carries.

The performance of Shapen, a senior, against Eastern Kentucky helped Jeff Lebby to win his first game as a head coach after he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCF (2019), Ole Miss (2020-21) and Oklahoma (2022-23).

“I’m just thankful for this opportunity at a new place at Mississippi State, and I know a lot of other guys feel that way,” said Shapen, who threw for more than 5,500 yards in three seasons at Baylor.

Mississippi State’s defense had four takeaways against Eastern Kentucky, including a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown by Elijah Cannon.

Arizona State’s defense returned an interception and a fumble recovery for touchdowns against the Cowboys.

“What I see is a group from Arizona State that played with a ton of confidence, a ton of energy,” Lebby said. “There was great excitement inside their stadium, and we’ve got a great challenge on our hands.”

–Field Level Media

ASU Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) carries the ball against the Colorado Buffaloes at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on October 7, 2023.

Arizona State kicks off first Big 12 season vs. Wyoming

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Arizona State struggled through consecutive 3-9 seasons before entering its first season in the Big 12.

The Sun Devils will look to get this campaign off to a good start when they play host to Wyoming on Saturday night in Tempe, Ariz.

Kenny Dillingham resided over the second three-win season in his first campaign. The Arizona State coach wants to see improvement everywhere in the program.

“We want to get better,” he said. “We want to grow every single day. There’s not a win total. There’s not a goal like that. It’s just be the very best we can be at everything we do.”

The Sun Devils took a lot of severe hits last season. Fresno State of the Mountain West pounded them 29-0 and they lost Pac-12 games by 52 points to Utah and 36 apiece to Oregon and Arizona.

Promising quarterback Jaden Rashada opened the season as the starter but sustained a knee injury and played in just three games. He then underwent thumb surgery on his throwing hand and missed spring drills.

Then in late April, Rashada transferred to Georgia.

Before the departure, Sam Leavitt had transferred in from Michigan State. Leavitt outdueled Jeff Sims — a former starter at Georgia Tech and Nebraska — for the starting gig despite throwing just 23 collegiate passes.

Arizona State will look to take pressure off Leavitt by depending on Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 788 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Defensively, free safety Shamari Simmons is back after leading the Sun Devils with 73 tackles last season.

Arizona State and Wyoming are playing for the first time since 1977 when both schools were members of the Western Athletic Conference. The Sun Devils hold a 9-6 edge in a series that began in 1951.

The Cowboys went 9-4 last season under now-retired coach Craig Bohl. One of their victories was over Texas Tech of the Big 12.

Wyoming promoted defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel to head coach. Sawvel said he’s unsure what to make of the Sun Devils.

“Opening games are really hard when you don’t know how people are going to use their players,” Sawvel said. “And that’s in traditional opening games. Now you add all the transfer elements to it.”

Quarterback Evan Svoboda, who started one game last season, is now the main man. He once starred at Red Mountain High in Mesa, Ariz., which is located approximately 20 miles east of the site of Saturday’s game in the Phoenix suburbs.

“If Evan Svoboda plays the way we hope that he can and that his potential could allow, we could become extremely good,” Sawvel said

Linebacker Shea Suiaunoa is Wyoming’s top defender. He ranked second on the squad with 93 tackles last season.

–Field Level Media