Quarterback Sam Leavitt prepares for a primetime Big 12 clash Saturday with No. 16 Kansas State, one of two top-20 teams ASU will face in the regular season’s final weeks. (Photo by Daniella Trujillo/Cronkite News)
TEMPE – ASU football has opened a path to the College Football Playoff after last weekend’s 35-31 win over UCF. The Sun Devils enter the final stretch of the season against three Big 12 squads in No. 20 Kansas State, No. 7 BYU, and in-state rival Arizona.
All the optimism surrounding a potential playoff run wouldn’t have been possible based on ASU’s play in most of the first half of the UCF game, but the Sun Devils got timely team contributions that propelled them.
One of the key turning points came at the end of the first half when defensive back Laterrance Welch recorded a pick 6 to give the Sun Devils the lead for the first time. The Devils also got contributions from unsung heroes such as Montana Warren, who returned a blocked punt for a 46-yard touchdown in the first quarter, which was the first since 2017 against UCLA.
“We shouldn’t have won that football game,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “We played horrible and I didn’t do a good job preparing them this week. But guess what? Good teams find a way to win.”
And ASU hopes to clean up its act over the next three weeks.
Any chance of securing a playoff berth hinges on ASU winning out along with a loss from No. 18 Colorado, No. 20 Kansas State or No. 7 BYU. Either of these scenarios guarantee the Sun Devils a trip to the Big 12 championship game and an automatic bid into the CFP with a win.
The ESPN FPI gives ASU a 6.4% chance of winning out.
For as good the Devils have been at home, they haven’t had the same success in enemy territory, splitting the four games played on the road.
“We’re 2-2 on the road, so you would hope that we could play well on the road,” Dillingham said. “That’s a really good environment and a really good team, coming off a bye.”
In preparation for Saturday’s showdown with the Wildcats, a key factor will be maintaining the dynamic connection between Leavitt and receiver Jordyn Tyson.
In the win over the Knights, Leavitt completed 16 of 25 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Tyson had seven receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter.
In the first four weeks of the season, Leavitt threw for only three touchdowns and had three interceptions, but he added four rushing touchdowns. In the past four weeks, Leavitt has run less and has not recorded a rushing touchdown, but he is showing a significant increase in passing production and efficiency, while taking care of the football.
He’s thrown for 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions over that four-week span.
“He’s a dog,” Dillingham said. “The fact that he has three years left here, every company in the state should be calling him for an NIL deal. Every company should be throwing cars, condos, and whatever else they can throw at him.
“It’s exciting that you have an NFL-level player in your state, in the flagship school specifically, for three more years. People should rally behind that and be fired up about the opportunity to build around that.”
Since the game against Kansas, Tyson has proven to be a consistent threat, recording at least five receptions and 80 yards in the same time span. It’s a stark contrast to the four games prior to his breakout performance against the Jayhawks, only logging similar numbers in the matchup against Texas State.
Tyson credited receivers coach Hines Ward for his improvement.
“I’ve grown so much mentally,” Tyson said. “Not letting little stuff upset me anymore. I went through a lot and my mind wasn’t in the right place. Hines brought me back into the right headspace and helped me see what I need to focus on. Bringing this energy every day, coming to practice to work, and letting it all show on game day.”
Consistent production from Tyson is an encouraging trend for ASU and could open the offense up more with star running back Cam Skattebo returning to practice on Tuesday, gearing up to play against Kansas State on Saturday after missing the UCF game with a shoulder injury.
Skattebo has been one of the better running backs in college football with 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns, which sets up a crucial matchup on the field. Kansas State is adept at stopping the run, only allowing 107.4 yards per game, which is good for 14th best in the nation.
Dillingham mentioned on Wednesday after practice that Kansas State’s style of defense is one that ASU has struggled against in the past, specifically in the teams’ two road losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati.
In this case of strength versus strength, the emergence of Leavitt and Tyson could be even more important if the ASU run game is neutralized. Heading into Saturday’s crucial game against Kansas State, Arizona State is listed as 7.5-point underdogs.
“We have to play with a chip on our shoulder next week because we’re probably gonna be 7.5 to 14-point underdogs on the road,” Dillingham said. “It’s gonna be 35 degrees at night in Manhattan (Kansas). I don’t think many people are gonna pick us on game day.”
