Despite its first victory against an SEC opponent in Mississippi State last Saturday, Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham believed that his team’s matchup against Texas State on Thursday night would be “the best team (they’ve) played” in the young season.
It was a back-and-forth battle in San Marcos, ending with the Sun Devils beating the Bobcats 31-28 on their first road trip of the season. They match their win total from last year with the victory.
“The relationships on this team are stronger significantly, the ‘want to’ on this team is stronger,” Dillingham told reporters after the game. “There’s a difference between confidence and cockiness, right? If you’re cocky, it means you just think you’re gonna win. If you’re confident, you put the work in. You’re prepared that whatever happens, you’re confident.”
After both teams scored a touchdown and punted the ball on their opening two drives, the Bobcats seized momentum. Redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud found senior wide receiver Jaden Williams for a six-yard score to give the Bobcats a 14-7 edge with 8:31 remaining in the second quarter. The home side doubled its lead with a three-play, 50-yard drive that only took 53 seconds.
But the Sun Devils responded. First with a 52-yard touchdown to redshirt sophomore Jordyn Tyson. Then with a seven-yard rushing touchdown from redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt with six seconds remaining in the first half. Both teams entered the locker room tied at 21.
TIE GAME 😈
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 13, 2024
📺 ESPN#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/l4d6sJzR2a
“We talk about it all the time, the middle eight,” Leavitt said. “So, it’s definitely a talking point and emphasis. But it doesn’t always mean you’re gonna execute. Sometimes, things fall into place. We were at the right place at the right time on those drives and called the right call.”
The two sides continued to match each other in the second half, swapping three-and-outs before recording their first turnover of the game. After redshirt sophomore kicker/punter Ian Hershey missed a 51-yard field goal attempt, McCloud threw a 44-yard touchdown to Williams to once again give the Bobcats the lead.
Redshirt senior running back Cam Skattebo made the score 28-28 right before the end of the third quarter.
A few drives later, redshirt junior Justin Wodtly recovered a fumble in Texas State territory. Hershey then gave ASU its first lead since the first quarter with a 22-yard field goal.
The Sun Devil defense continued to make plays, as redshirt junior defensive back Xavion Alford picked off McCloud. While the Bobcats got the ball back, they turned it over on downs as the Sun Devils clinched the victory.
“We made the decision coming out of half that we were gonna play a new game,” Alford said. “Play every snap; snap by snap. Ultimately, in the second half, we played our football.”
After relying on the rushing attack and defense in his first two games, Leavitt looked comfortable under center. He went 19-for-30 on his passes, totaling 246 yards, one passing touchdown and an interception. Additionally, he also picked up 40 yards on the ground, including a 40-yard run to set up Skattebo’s second touchdown. The Michigan State transfer also had a rushing touchdown.
“It was super fun being in this atmosphere for an away game,” Leavitt said. “Having 30,000 fans, it’s super rowdy, but being able to command the offense and play with my guys who I grind with since day one. So, it was a lot of fun.”
On the other side, McCloud finished going 29-for-44, throwing for 268 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He was also an option in the run game, logging 45 yards on the ground.
Despite giving up 21 points in the first 20 minutes, Brian Ward’s defensive cohort stifled the Texas State offense. They forced two turnovers on downs along with two fumble recoveries and an interception.
“Defensively, we did a good job of bending but not breaking,” graduate defensive back Shamari Simmons said. “The first half didn’t go our way. We could have just sat there. But in the second half, I feel like we did a great job of creating energy and really just locking in and doing what we do.”
Tyson became the first Sun Devil receiver to reach the 100-yard mark this season. The Colorado transfer, who was injured last year, caught six passes for 120 yards, with 111 coming in the first half.
While Skattebo was much quieter than his career-high performance against Mississippi State, he ran for 62 yards and found the end zone twice. Additionally, his nine-yard run on third down within the two-minute timeout sealed.
ASU starts conference play and returns to the Lone Star State next Saturday against Texas Tech at 12:30 p.m. It will be the Maroon and Gold’s first trip to Lubbock since 2017. With a victory over the Red Raiders, the Sun Devils would start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2016.
“We’re gonna get an extra two days of rest before our first Big 12 game,” Dillingham said. “We’re gonna play a Big 12 game, then we’re gonna get a bye week. So, our guys should have a lot of rest in terms of playing football and getting their body back.”
Leave a Reply