TEMPE – During the past two seasons, Arizona State football fans have enjoyed watching the brilliance of quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at Mountain America Stadium.
That duo’s ability to consistently connect has served as the heartbeat of the offense and the team. Without them, the Sun Devils are a completely different team.
However, with Leavitt out for the season after foot surgery and Tyson missing the last three games because of a hamstring injury, a pair of underdogs has emerged in their absence.
On a brisk Saturday morning at Mountain America Stadium, quarterback Jeff Sims backed up his career game against Iowa State with a 207-yard, three-touchdown passing performance in a 25-23 victory over West Virginia (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) that kept the Sun Devils alive in the Big 12 Conference race.
Sims paired with another unlikely hero to capture an important victory. Former walk-on receiver Derek Eusebio led the Sun Devils with six catches for 74 yards and a score.
That unlikely combination helped the Sun Devils (7-3, 5-2) wake up to send West Virginia home feeling as blue as the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was the fourth career start for Sims with the Sun Devils, but it was his first on home soil in front of a cheerful crowd.
“It was a blessing,” Sims said after the game. “Anytime you get to come home, don’t have to travel, get to play with your guys, it was just a blessing to be out there. I’m glad that we got the dub.”
Without Tyson split out wide, Sims turned to the unheralded Eusebio, who had caught just nine passes all season before Saturday. However, their connection formed long before they arrived on Saturday for an early kickoff.
“I feel like after practice, I spent a lot of time with multiple guys,” Sims said. “Just going through the reads, going through the progressions and the plays (offensive coordinator Marcus) Arroyo is calling. You’ve got to get the ball to your playmakers and let them do what they do.”
A big second quarter on the scoreboard had the fingerprints of Sims and Eusebio all over it.
With the Sun Devils driving and the crowd beginning to gain steam, Eusebio made a couple of key grabs. He darted in toward the middle of the field, but lost his balance and fell to the grass. Sims still threw the ball his way, and the undersized receiver managed to make the catch while on the ground.
On the next play, Sims hit Eusebio on a quick screen pass. ASU tight end Chamon Metayer took a defender to the bus, paving the road to an easy 19-yard touchdown for Eusebio.
“To see Eusebio play like that is pretty fun,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “It’s cool to see everybody getting involved right now, in some way, shape, or form.”
The Sun Devils’ receiving room has come a long way this season.
Over the first several weeks of the season, the offense was often dependent on production from Tyson. He saw nearly half of the total targets in the room in the first three games. Dillingham and Arroyo agreed that if something wasn’t broken, why bother fixing it?
Since Tyson has been out of the lineup, ASU has had to adjust, and several receivers have stepped up. Sophomore Jaren Hamilton had a 101-yard breakout performance against Texas Tech. Senior Malik McClain followed with a 159-yard day against Houston. Then Eusebio had his breakout game against the Mountaineers.
The sudden production from players who couldn’t get on the field earlier in the year can partially be attributed to Sims, who has practiced with them on the second-team offense all season long. In the case of McClain and Eusebio, Sims has been building a connection with them for almost two years.
“It was amazing seeing Derek go out there and score,” Sims said. “He and I came here last year during camp. This year, during camp, we were with the (second team). It was just me and him, so coming out here and throwing him a touchdown, it was amazing to see.”
Sims broke a program record for quarterbacks with 228 yards on the ground at Iowa State. On Saturday, the veteran made some personal history through the air.
The sixth-year senior added a team-best 81 rushing yards to his impressive day through the air. All three of Sims’ touchdown passes came in the second quarter, when the Sun Devils scored 22 points.
The trio of scores matched a career-high for the ASU quarterback. The last time he threw three touchdowns in a single game? More than four years ago, as the starter at Georgia Tech on an October night at Virginia in 2021.
“Like I said 18 months ago, I think our team has two NFL quarterbacks,” Dillingham said. “I think some people laughed at me or thought I was a little bit crazy. I still believe that. I think Jeff Sims is a guy who can play on Sundays.”
The locker room has not wavered since Leavitt last saw the field against Houston. The trust that the team had in the quarterback who led ASU to a Big 12 title a season ago has transferred seamlessly to Sims.
“It’s easy to trust Jeff because we see Jeff coming to work every day,” cornerback Keith Abney II said. “He wasn’t playing at first, he didn’t have an attitude, he wasn’t moping around and stuff. So seeing him come to work every day and finally get that opportunity, it’s great to see.”
The growth of players like Sims and Eusebio, rising from background characters to starring roles, only speaks to the player-led culture that Dillingham has pushed since arriving in Tempe. The team might have flaws and is missing key pieces on both sides of the ball, but the players motivate each other to push on.
After ASU’s sixth one-score win in Big 12 play, Dillingham reiterated his belief in the program because of the players.
“Everybody’s got to find a way to have a chip on their shoulder,” Dillingham said. “You should always find your own way to motivate yourself. A lot of those guys have been counted out. Told they’re not good enough, that they can’t play quarterback, can’t play Division I. Whatever it is, a lot of guys on our team have still been told no. They haven’t been praised.
“That’s why we win close games. They like each other. They’re a brotherhood. Those guys want to win so bad. There’s a will to win, the will to compete, and they find a way.”
The Sun Devils understand the outside perspective, even if they claim not to pay any attention to it. Down multiple starters due to injury, including the team’s two biggest offensive stars, the expectations have changed.
College football is a business based on results, not the process. Whether it’s Sims or Leavitt under center, Eusebio or Tyson out wide, Dillingham reiterated that people only care about the win or the loss, no matter how it happens.
“Nobody cares about the pain: Show me the baby,” Dillingham joked before adding, “Other than me, when my wife gets pregnant, I’m going to be very concerned about the pain. But everybody else is going to say, ‘Show me the baby.’ Unfortunately, that’s life.
“Right now, we’re getting it done. It’s so cool to watch these guys. Through all the adversity this year, (we’re) 7-3 and still in this thing.”
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