As if traveling across the country for a Big 12 conference game wasn’t challenging enough, Arizona State (5-1, 2-1) will be sporting a new look under center when they take on Cincinnati (4-2, 2-1) at Nippert Stadium on Saturday.
During last week’s upset win over Utah, redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt suffered a rib injury near the end of the first half. He returned to the game, but head coach Kenny Dillingham has already ruled him out for this week’s contest.
“It could be two weeks, it could be four weeks,” Dillingham told reporters. “Hopefully the sooner the better. We have a bye week after this week. So maybe the following week versus Oklahoma State. We’re going to get through this week, get through the bye week and kind of reassess it as it goes.”
Stepping up in Leavitt’s place is senior quarterback Jeff Sims. Sims has been around the block, starting 23 games in three seasons at Georgia Tech and two games at Nebraska last season before being benched. A dual-threat option, Sims has amassed 4,759 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns in his career, with an additional 1,372 rushing yards and 12 trips to the end zone on the ground. He threw two passes and ran for a touchdown in his second appearance as a Sun Devil last week against Utah.
Jeff Sims will start for ASU this weekend and gives the Sun Devils an elite running threat.
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) October 16, 2024
Sims has 1,358 career rushing yards and has had 7 games where he’s rushed for more than 80 yards.
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Sims transferred to Tempe in the spring, after former Sun Devils quarterback Jaden Rashada left for Georgia, and battled with Leavitt for the starting job through camp. Dillingham is confident in the offense with Sims at the helm this weekend.
“I think that Jeff is a guy that I brought in here because I’m excited about him,” Dillingham told reporters. “I’m excited to see him play football. I really am. It excites me from that side to see what coach [Marcus] Arroyo, with this staff and this team, can do with a little adversity. Not just going on the road and not just with the difficulty of that right now in college football, going three time zones, but now with changing of your starting quarterback, another challenge, so I’m excited.”
The struggle throughout Sims’ career has been ball security. In his four college football seasons, he’s totaled 29 interceptions and 20 fumbles.
A larger workload could be in store for senior running back Cam Skattebo, who has won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award each of the last two weeks. After orchestrating ASU’s upset win over Utah last week with 199 total yards and two touchdowns, Skattebo’s 773 rushing yards this season is good for 6th-best in the nation.
However many guys you think it takes to tackle Cam Skattebo… double it 💪#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/AA0zWJOQUx
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 12, 2024
As for Cincinnati, they provide the Sun Devils with a challenge they have yet to experience in Big 12 play: an explosive passing offense. Head coach Scott Satterfield dipped into the transfer portal and brought in redshirt sophomore Brendan Sorsby to lead the Bearcats offense. Sorsby has been efficient so far, averaging nearly 300 passing yards per game and tossing 13 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions.
Dillingham recognizes the new challenge presented to his defense in a tough environment this week.
“Coach Satterfield does a really good job offensively,” Dillingham said. “He’s always done a really good job offensively. Wide-zone team, play-action shots, move with the pocket, move the quarterback, throw to their tight ends, solo their best wideout up and try to win one-on-one, create angles in the running game, he does a phenomenal job offensively.”
Winning on the road has been no easy task across college football this season, especially for former Pac-12 members like ASU. Through seven weeks, former Pac-12 teams Washington, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, and USC have traveled to the Eastern Time Zone. Those teams have managed a combined 1-8 record in those games.
This is the first time ASU will have traveled to the Eastern Time Zone this season. A win would not only earn the Sun Devils their first-ever victory over the Bearcats, it would give Arizona State its first 6-1 start to a season since beginning 8-1 in 2014.
The Sun Devils will kick off in Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium at 9 a.m. MST on ESPN+.
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