Tag: Sun Devils

No. 25 Arizona State winning with backup QB, takes on struggling Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 25 Arizona State faces Colorado on Saturday in Boulder, Colo., riding a two-game winning streak under veteran backup quarterback Jeff Sims, while the Buffaloes look to the future with freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis.

Colorado (3-7, 1-6 Big 12) is assured of the second losing season in Deion Sanders’ three-year tenure as head coach following the 29-22 loss at West Virginia on Nov. 8.

A bright spot for the Buffaloes, who are on a three-game losing skid, was the play of Lewis in his first collegiate start against the Mountaineers.

He finished 22 of 35 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the ninth true freshman to start a game at quarterback for Colorado and the fifth since 2000.

The 299 passing yards were the second-most by a freshman in a starting debut, behind Sanders’ son, Shedeur Sanders, who passed for 510 yards against TCU in the 2023 season opener.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday that Lewis’ performance with Colorado is indicative of high-caliber recruits wanting to play for Deion Sanders at Colorado.

He defended Deion Sanders’ performance as head coach by saying, “You know, he’s won 300 percent more games this year than the year before he took over? That’s pretty good. I think he’s done a great job there.”

Colorado was 1-11 in 2022, the season before Deion Sanders was hired.

“I haven’t forgotten how to coach in a year,” Sanders said Tuesday in his weekly press conference. “A lot of these wonderful coaches out there that’s not winning haven’t forgotten how to coach.”

Sims, a redshirt senior formerly of Georgia Tech and Nebraska, has led Arizona State (7-3, 5-2) to wins over Iowa State and West Virginia after Sam Leavitt suffered a season-ending foot injury in a loss to Houston on Oct. 25.

Against Iowa State and West Virginia, Sims passed for 384 yards while completing 32 of 52 passes with four touchdowns and an interception.

He rushed for 309 yards on 46 carries, including a 228-yard performance on 29 rushes against Iowa State.

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) in action during the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Sam Leavitt sidelined for Arizona State’s title rematch with Iowa State

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The rematch of last season’s Big 12 championship game features two teams sliding downward in the conference race.

Defending champion Arizona State has lost two of its last three games and Iowa State has dropped three straight heading into Saturday’s clash in Ames, Iowa.

The Sun Devils clobbered the Cyclones 45-19 in last season’s conference title game to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. On Saturday, there’s not nearly as much at stake.

Arizona State (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) stands in a four-way tie for fifth place after losing 24-16 to visiting Houston last week.

The Sun Devils also will be without quarterback Sam Leavitt due to a right foot injury. The other time he sat out with this issue — Oct. 11 at Utah — Arizona State lost 42-10.

During the loss to Houston, Leavitt exited the game to be examined before returning and aggravating the foot again.

“Sam got re-tweaked there at the end,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “He got tweaked at the beginning and we sent him in to get some imaging.”

Sixth-year player Jeff Sims will start in place of Leavitt, who has passed for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions this season and fired three touchdown passes in last year’s Big 12 title game.

Sims has 32 touchdowns against 29 interceptions in a career that began with three seasons at Georgia Tech and one at Nebraska. This is his second season with the Sun Devils.

“I wasn’t really too shocked after what happened Saturday,” Sims said Tuesday upon learning he’d be starting. “I just kind of told myself, ‘Just be ready if you got to go.’ I prepare the same way, you know?”

Sims hit 18 of 38 passes for 124 yards and was sacked five times when he started against Utah. Still, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell views Sims as a dangerous threat.

“When you see a guy like Jeff that’s played a lot of really good football, it’s a unique challenge,” Campbell said.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones (5-3, 2-3) are in a tie for ninth after blowing a 14-point lead and losing 41-27 at home to then-No. 11 BYU.

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht was picked off a career-high three times. Overall, he has passed for 1,933 yards and 10 touchdowns against six interceptions.

In the middle of the program’s first three-game losing streak since 2022, Campbell is urging his squad to finish the season strong.

“I feel like we’re inches away from being the team we want to be,” Campbell said. “… You don’t see a team that’s quitting, you don’t see a team that’s not playing really hard. You see a team where there’s a couple moments where we’re trying to press the envelope, we’re making critical errors and we’ve got to be better.”

–Field Level Media

ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) scrambles away from Houston Cougars defensive lineman Eddie Walls III (90) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2025.

Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt (foot) out vs. Iowa State

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Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will miss Saturday’s rematch of last year’s Big 12 Conference championship game against Iowa State in Ames, a school spokesperson announced Tuesday.

Leavitt, who guided the Sun Devils over the Cyclones 45-19 in last year’s conference title game, left last Saturday’s loss to Houston twice due to an apparent foot injury. Coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters that Leavitt tweaked the same foot that kept him out of Arizona State’s loss to Utah earlier month.

“Sam got re-tweaked there at the end,” Dillingham said. “He got tweaked at the beginning and we sent him in to get some imaging. He wanted to go right back in, and I said, ‘No, you’re going to get imaging before you go back in, don’t care how you feel.’ Then he came back. Then at the end, he tweaked himself again, so we held him out.”

Before exiting in favor of senior Jeff Sims, Leavitt threw for 270 yards and one touchdown for the Sun Devils (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) in the 24-16 loss to the Cougars. Sims, who threw a TD pass in relief, will likely start Saturday against the Cyclones (5-3, 2-3). Against Utah on Oct. 11, Sims started in place of the injured Leavitt and completed 18 of 38 passes for 124 yards and was sacked five times.

This season, Leavitt has completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 300 yards and five scores.

The Sun Devils might also be standout without wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who has not practiced this week after missing the Houston matchup due a hamstring injury suffered Oct. 18 against Texas Tech. Tyson leads Arizona State with 57 catches for 628 yards and eight touchdowns.

Sun Devils running back Kyson Brown (ankle) and safety Xavion Alford (undisclosed) have been ruled out for Saturday’s game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond (15) is upended by Arizona State Sun Devils safety Adrian Wilson (6) in the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona State scores late touchdown to hand No. 7 Texas Tech first loss

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Sam Leavitt passed for a career-high 319 yards and a touchdown, running back Raleek Brown scored on a 1-yard run with 34 seconds left and Arizona State blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter before recovering for a 26-22 upset over No. 7 Texas Tech in a Big 12 game Saturday afternoon in Tempe, Ariz.

The Sun Devils went 75 yards in 1:26 for the winning score after Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond led the Red Raiders to a pair of touchdowns in the final 3:45 for a 22-19 lead.

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson had 10 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown as the defending Big 12 champion Sun Devils (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12) posted their first victory over an AP top-10 team since beating No. 6 Oregon 31-28 in 2019.
A pass interference penalty gave Arizona State the ball at the Texas Tech 2 with 40 seconds remaining, and Brown scored two plays later.

The Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1) played without starting quarterback Behren Morton, who aggravated a lower leg injury in a 42-17 victory over Kansas last week. They had never trailed in a game this season and had outscored their first six opponents by an average of 35.3 points a game.

Hammond completed 22 for 37 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his second career start.

Hammond scored on a 1-yard run with 3:45 remaining to cut the Red Raiders’ deficit to 19-14. Less than two minutes later, he followed his 12-yard scoring pass to Reggie Virgil with a two-point conversion run with 2:00 remaining.

Texas Tech reached the Arizona State 28-yard line with three seconds remaining, but Hammond’s pass to the deep left corner of the end zone was tipped and fell incomplete.

Texas Tech became the fifth undefeated FBS team to lose this weekend, joining Miami, Mississippi, UNLV and Memphis.

Jesus Gomez made all four field goal attempts for the Sun Devils. His 28-yarder to cap a 16-play, 69-yard drive made it 19-7 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

His 34-yarder with 1:43 remaining in the first quarter gave the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead and his 47-yarder one minute into the second quarter made it 6-0.

Hammond completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Coy Eakin with 5:57 remaining in the first half for a 7-6 lead after Texas Tech was set up when Leavitt’s long pass to Tyson on fourth-and-1 fell incomplete.

Gomez’s 26-yard field goal made it 9-7 at halftime.

Leavitt hit Tyson on a 2-yard score for a 16-7 lead, three plays after David Bailey was called for roughing the passer, negating a fourth-down incompletion that would have turned the ball over on downs.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears running back Bryson Washington (7) carries the ball as Arizona State Sun Devils safety Adrian Wilson (6) defends during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Jesus Gomez’s last-second FG lifts Arizona State over Baylor

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Jesus Gomez drilled a 43-yard field goal as time expired, sending Arizona State to a 27-24 win over Baylor on Saturday night in Waco, Texas.

Arizona State’s defense had three takeaways and kept one of the nation’s most prolific passers, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, relatively in check, but the game came down to the last offensive possession of the night, and the Sun Devils (3-1) made it count.

They drove 49 yards in 11 plays to set up Gomez for his fourth field goal of the night.

Gomez made field goals of 31, 21 and 33 yards before his game-winner, and quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 22 of 32 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. Leavitt was more effective at times with his legs than his arm, running for 62 yards and one score.

Baylor (2-2) tied the game at 24 with 1:52 to play, with Robertson connecting with tight end Michael Trigg for a 33-yard touchdown. That left Arizona State with plenty of time for one last shot to win.

Baylor converted a 4th-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, as Bryson Washington ran up the middle for 41 yards to set up the Bears at the Sun Devils’ 1-yard line. Two plays later, Robertson found Trigg for a touchdown pass with 9:02 left and Baylor up 17-16.

Washington finished with 111 yards on 17 carries.

Robertson, who came into the game with more than 1,070 passing yards over his first three games, completed 25 of his 39 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception.

The Sun Devils stripped Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron of the ball twice, recovering both fumbles, which led to a pair of field goals. A third-quarter interception of Robertson led to another field goal and a 16-10 lead.

After Baylor took its first lead of the game early in the fourth, Leavitt hooked up with his favorite target the last two seasons, Jordan Tyson, for a 19-yard score with 5:29 to play. Tyson had been held to just 21 receiving yards prior to the catch.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10 )looks downfield in the first quarter of the game between Arizona State Sun Devils and Texas State Bobcats. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Arizona State bounces back to defeat Texas State

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Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson had 105 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown, and the host Sun Devils beat the Texas State Bobcats 34-15 in a nonconference game Saturday.

Tyson had his 11th straight game with at least 60 yards receiving, extending the longest active streak in the FBS, and his 12 touchdown passes are tied with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith for the most in that span.

Raleek Brown had a career-high 144 yards rushing, including a 75-yard scoring burst, and Leavitt added 59 yards rushing and a touchdown run as Arizona State (2-1) bounced back from a last-minute 24-20 loss at Mississippi State last week that dropped them out of the AP Top 25. They opened the season at No. 11.

Tyson gave the Sun Devils a lead they never lost early in the second quarter, when he took a jump-pass from Leavitt, hurdled a defender at the 5-yard line along the left sideline and dove into the end zone to complete a 30-yard scoring play and break a 3-3 tie.

Quarterback Brad Jackson completed 25 of 36 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown and Beau Sparks had 10 receptions for 70 yards for the Bobcats (2-1).

Jackson scored on a 7-yard keeper on a fourth-down play that closed the deficit to 27-9 with 2:29 left in the third quarter, but Brown scored on the next play from scrimmage to put the Sun Devils back in control.

Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Evans capped a 14-play drive to make it 34-15 with 5:26 left.

Chamon Metayer had six receptions and a 27-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter for the defending Big 12 champion Sun Devils, who open conference play at Baylor next Saturday.

The Sun Devils outgained the Bobcats 433-303 and did not have a turnover after committing two — Leavitt interceptions — against Mississippi State. Arizona State turned one of the Bobcats’ two turnovers into a touchdown.

Sparks led the FBS with five touchdown receptions entering the game but his fumble led to Leavitt’s 1-yard run at 10:22 of the second quarter for a 17-3 lead that grew to 27-3 on Metayer’s score.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) runs the ball for first down during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Arizona State working on identity with Texas State gunning for upset

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Arizona State tumbled out of the AP Top 25 after losing at Mississippi State last week. The Sun Devils must turn their attention to a Texas State team that gave them trouble a year ago when they meet Saturday in Tempe, Ariz.

The Sun Devils (1-1) scored the final 10 points to hold off the Bobcats (2-0) for a 31-28 victory in San Marcos last season, the first meeting of the two schools. Arizona State was outgained but benefited from a plus-two turnover margin.

The 2024 Big 12 champion Sun Devils were running back Cam Skattebo’s team. Coach Kenny Dillingham said they are in the process of forging a new identity.

“Every team is a little bit different,” Dillingham said. “There’s a balance. We have to find it. I think we’re trending to figure us out.”

The Sun Devils had 251 yards rushing in the 24-20 loss to Mississippi State, with 100-yard games by Raleek Brown and Kanye Udoh. Quarterback Sam Leavitt was out of synch, however, going 10 for 22 for 82 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Mississippi State beat single coverage to score on a 58-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds remaining, while the Sun Devils struggled with offensive consistency. They are 4 for 24 on third-down conversions this season.

“We’re not playing just a middle-of-the-road team. This is a playoff team with a first-round quarterback and first-round receiver,” said Texas State coach G.J. Kinne, identifying NFL prospects Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.

“A big-time environment against a playoff team. We’re excited for the opportunity, for sure.”

Leavitt threw for 246 yards and a touchdown last year against the Bobcats, who have turned to redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Jackson this season.

Texas State beat UTSA 43-36 in the I-35 rivalry last week — the schools are 53 freeway miles apart — when Jackson threw for 286 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores.

Wide receiver Beau Sparks has been Jackson’s favorite target, with 12 receptions for 237 yards and an FBS-leading five touchdowns.

“The hardest thing about college football is to win, and capitalize on that win, and to stack weeks,” Texas State defensive end Kalil Alexander said. “Bring that energy into next week.”

Texas State is in its final season in the Sun Belt Conference before joining the Pac-12, from which Arizona State bolted in a mass exodus a year ago.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen (2) drops back to pass during the second quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Late 58-yard TD pass lifts Mississippi State past No. 12 Arizona State

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Blake Shapen tossed a 58-yard touchdown pass to Brenen Thompson with 30 seconds left to give Mississippi State a 24-20 victory over No. 12 Arizona State on Saturday night at Starkville, Miss.

The Mississippi State defense put together a stellar goal-line stand to hold Arizona State to a field goal before the big play in which Thompson found operating room and caught Shapen’s pass inside the 25-yard line and dashed into the end zone.

Hunter Washington intercepted Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt on the next play with 21 seconds left to seal it for the Bulldogs.

Shapen completed 19 of 33 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns for Mississippi State (2-0).

Thompson had six receptions for 133 yards and two scores and Anthony Evans III caught nine passes for 108 yards and one touchdown for the Bulldogs.

Raleek Brown rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries and Kanye Udoh had 105 yards and one score on 23 carries for Arizona State. Leavitt was 10-of-22 passing for just 82 yards and was intercepted twice. He also threw a touchdown pass to Jordyn Tyson.

The game was tied at 17 with 10:32 in the fourth quarter left when the Sun Devils took over at their 4-yard line and put together a 17-play, 95-yard drive that lasted eight minutes and 54 seconds.

Udoh got the Sun Devils out of the hole with consecutive runs of 11 and 12 yards. Arizona State later had second-and-3 from the Mississippi State 29-yard line and Brown broke loose up the middle for 26 yards with the Bulldogs’ DeAgo Brumfield making the touchdown-saving tackle.

The Bulldogs’ defense then stepped up. Udoh gained 2 yards to the 1 and then was stuffed for no gain on each of the next two plays.

Jesus Gomez entered to boot an 18-yard field goal with 1:38 left to give Arizona State its first lead of the night.

But Mississippi State answered with a five-play, 77-yard drive capped by Shapen’s throw to Thompson.

Arizona State received a 51-yard field goal from Gomez to end the first half and leave the Sun Devils with a 17-3 deficit.

Arizona State then opened the second half with a 75-yard drive in which all eight plays were on the ground with Udoh scoring from the 6.

The momentum continued and the Sun Devils knotted the score at 17 with 13:07 left in the game. The tying points came when Tyson made a diving catch of Leavitt’s throw on fourth-and-1.

Earlier, Shapen threw a 48-yard scoring pass to Evans on the game’s fourth play from scrimmage, and Kyle Ferrie tacked on a 37-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 17 when Shapen tossed a 47-yard touchdown pass to Thompson with 12:51 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) and offensive lineman Leif Fautanu (79) and quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrate during the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 4 Arizona State bids to continue stunning season vs. No. 5 Texas in Peach Bowl

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They weren’t expected to win their conference. They certainly weren’t expected to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Nonetheless, the fourth-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2) have a chance to earn perhaps the biggest win in program history when they battle fifth-seeded Texas (12-2) in a CFP quarterfinal on New Year’s Day at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

The winner will meet either top-seeded Oregon or No. 8 seed Ohio State in a semifinal game at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 in Arlington, Texas.

Projected last in the preseason Big 12 poll, Arizona State secured an automatic bid to its first CFP with a 45-19 drubbing of Iowa State in the conference championship on Dec. 7.

Despite the Sun Devils boasting 311 fewer all-time victories than the Longhorns, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham doesn’t see the matchup as David versus Goliath.

“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Dillingham said. “I would say this is a really good football team that was predicted to win a national championship versus the Big 12 champion. I’m excited to see our guys go out there and compete.”

Riding a six-game winning streak, Arizona State will have rested for 24 days by the time New Year’s Day rolls around, admittedly an obstacle Dillingham’s team will have to overcome.

“Not playing a game for 3 1/2 weeks is definitely a challenge,” Dillingham said. “Especially because we were playing our best football. … We really dominated the end of the season, in my opinion.”

Averaging 34.5 points per game, the Sun Devils’ offense is led by quarterback Sam Leavitt’s 2,663 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns, alongside running back Cam Skattebo’s 1,568 rushing yards and 19 scores.

An upstart Arizona State squad enters Wednesday’s game as nearly two-touchdown underdogs, much due to Texas’ stingy defense, which allows the second-fewest points per game in college football (13.3).

The Longhorns have slipped twice this season, to Georgia, first in a 30-15 home loss on Oct. 19, then in a 22-19 overtime defeat in the Southeastern Conference title game on Dec. 7.

Appearing in its second straight CFP, Texas pulled away from visiting Clemson in the opening round last Saturday to win 38-24. Now preparing for the Longhorns’ second all-time meeting with Arizona State (2007 Holiday Bowl), coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t take December football for granted.

“To be a part of this game is a fantastic honor,” Sarkisian said. “We’re really proud of the fact that we’ve gotten to this point. We obviously have a ton of respect for Arizona State and the job coach Dillingham has done. They’re a very good football team. We know how hard it is to win the Big 12.”

Last time out, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but the Longhorns shredded the Clemson defense with 292 rushing yards. Jaydon Blue ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, paired with Quintrevion Wisner’s 110 yards and two scores.

“We needed to run the ball to beat Clemson, and we’re going to need to run the football to keep advancing in these playoffs,” Sarkisian said. “That’s what playoff football is about. … There’s a lot that goes into the run game. It takes all 11 to run the ball.”

–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

Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 4 Arizona State

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4. Arizona State Sun Devils
11-2 (7-2 Big 12 regular season)

What’s next: First-round bye; vs. winner of No. 12 Clemson-No. 5 Texas at Peach Bowl, Jan. 1.

Head coach: Kenny Dillingham (Second season, 14-11 overall)

About Dillingham: A graduate of Arizona State and native Phoenician, Dillingham returned to Tempe in 2023 after five impressive seasons as an offensive coordinator, with stops at Memphis and Florida State alongside fellow former Sun Devils assistant Mike Norvell.

Resume
Highlighting a late-season push with six straight wins are Arizona State’s signature victories over fellow Top 25 teams Kansas State and BYU. The 24-14 and 28-23 wins followed a pattern of close calls through the Sun Devils’ season, with nine of their 12 regular-season games decided by 10 points or fewer — including the two losses at Texas Tech (30-22) and Cincinnati (24-14). They busted out of the trend of close calls with a dominant 45-19 shellacking of Iowa State in the Big 12 championship.

Postseason history
Arizona State’s last appearance in one of the postseason events that became part of the Bowl Championship Series and four-team Playoff era’s New Year’s Six predates either system. The 1996 Sun Devils came a possession away from a national championship with their Rose Bowl Game loss to Ohio State. This season’s Playoff is the closest Arizona State has come to returning to that high watermark since the 2013 team lost to Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game.

The road to Atlanta
Rest is the first order of business for Arizona State after a surprisingly lopsided win in the Big 12 title game. No. 5 Texas hosts Clemson on Dec. 21 and the winner meets the Sun Devils on Jan. 1 in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl.

Names to know
RB Cameron Skattebo
He shares a conference with the top Heisman Trophy contender (Colorado’s Travis Hunter) and a position with the other (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty), or else Skattebo might be in the conversation himself.

His 172.8 all-purpose yards per game in the regular season were second-most in the nation. He is only 74 yards shy of tying the conference single-season rushing record after putting up 170 yards in the Big 12 title game, and his three TDs against Iowa State put him atop the single-season TD record list.

QB Sam Leavitt
Quietly among the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, Leavitt heads into the postseason having completed 192 of 304 pass attempts for 2,663 yards and rushing for 383 yards. Leavitt has 24 passing touchdowns against only five interceptions and five rushing touchdowns, second on the team only to Skattebo’s 19.

“Sam’s competitive so if you tell him he’s tied for the first-best player in the country in something he’s going to get pissed off about,” Dillingham said to reporters this week. “Which is good.”

WR Xavier Guillory
Teammate Jordyn Tyson was having a Biletnikoff Award-caliber season for Arizona State, but the 6-foot-1 sophomore receiver sustained an unspecified arm injury in the regular-season finale vs. Arizona that required season-ending surgery. With Tyson’s 1,101 yards, 10 touchdowns worth of production out, Guillory looked the part of the primary pass-catching option against the Cyclones.

The fifth-year senior, who had 17 receptions and three touchdowns in the regular season, hauled in a bonkers TD catch against Iowa State that made the score 38-10.

NB Shamari Simmons
Simmons’ teammate in the Arizona State secondary, Xavion Alford, garnered First Team All-Big 12 honors. Alford’s presence at free safety has helped Simmons be aggressive at nickel back, manifesting in Simmons racking up seven tackles for loss and forcing three fumbles.

DT C.J. Fite
The Arizona State run defense has been excellent throughout the season, limiting opponents to 117.5 yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry in the regular season. Fite’s physicality on the interior sets the tone for the Sun Devils against the rush. The big man also provided one of the highlight moments of the season with his scoop-and-score touchdown in Week 2 against Mississippi State, going airborne to reach the pylon.

–Field Level Media