Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham used the word “ugly” to describe his No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils’ 38-19 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday night.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt and redshirt junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson delivered highlight-filled performances, but penalties and sloppy execution kept the game closer than many expected.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
ASU still needs to button up its operation
Arizona State committed 12 penalties for 93 yards, the most in the Dillingham era. Four of those were offensive holding calls that stalled drives and negated big plays, including a 75-yard touchdown catch from redshirt junior running back Raleek Brown.
Although it’s not uncommon to commit penalties in the first week of the season, it’s an issue the Sun Devils will have to address going forward. Following the Maroon and Gold’s win in their season opener, Dillingham took the blame for ASU’s unusual amount of infractions.
“If I feel we are not operating at [an] optimum level, then it’s my fault,” Dillingham said. “I’ve got to find ways to fix that.”
The offensive line also struggled to consistently keep a clean pocket for Leavitt. While only allowing two sacks, he was constantly under duress all night.
However, it wasn’t the cause of his first and only turnover. Late in the fourth quarter, Leavitt uncharacteristically tossed a pass into harm’s way that landed in the awaiting arms of a Lumberjack defender for an easy interception.
Turnovers weren’t an issue for Leavitt in 2024, who only threw six interceptions. Nonetheless, with a heavier emphasis on the passing game this year, it’s probable that he’ll eclipse that number.
Leavitt proves he’s worthy of the preseason hype
The Big 12’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year kicked off his second year in the maroon and gold by filling the stat sheet and creating explosive plays.
He led a Sun Devil passing attack that came out of the gates hot. In his first two drives, Leavitt went six-of-seven, throwing for 94 yards and a score. It gave the home squad an early 14-0 lead.
As the half progressed, the ASU offense slowed down. Yet, it was Leavitt who ignited again with his rushing ability in the second half.
On a third down, during the Sun Devils’ opening drive of the second half, Leavitt scrambled for a career-long 52 yards on his way to the end zone to extend their lead. Later in the third, he used his legs to find pay dirt on an 18-yard scamper.
In total, ASU’s star quarterback racked up 73 yards on 10.4 yards per carry on the ground to pair with two rushing scores.
Late in the fourth quarter, Leavitt put the game on ice when he connected with Tyson in the end zone for the second time on the night. While falling and with a defender draped on his back, the Sun Devils’ leading receiver executed an over-the-shoulder grab for the highlight of the night.
“The guy (Tyson) is super reliable,” Leavitt said. “He made the craziest catch I’ve seen in the corner of the end zone. He is a guy I can always count on.”
If Leavitt wants to make a run at the Heisman Trophy, his connection with Tyson will be key, as the two are one of the best one-two punches in the country. He finished the night with 330 total yards and four touchdowns, giving him a solid start to his sophomore campaign.
Sun Devil receiving room remains a work in progress
Outside of Tyson and redshirt senior wideout Malik McClain, new faces fill the majority of the wide receiver room. None of these new faces hauled in a single catch against the Lumberjacks.
Tyson pulled in 12 grabs for 141 yards and two scores. Additionally, McClain brought in two catches for five yards. No other Sun Devil wide receiver registered a catch.
With the losses of receivers Xavier Guillory, Melquan Stovall and Jake Smith, the Sun Devils needed to fill a void out wide. Dillingham turned to the portal and reloaded at wide receiver by bringing in redshirt sophomores Jaren Hamilton and Noble Johnson and redshirt junior Jalen Moss.
And, with Moss going down with an injury early in the night and Hamilton and Johnson not seeing many snaps, their presence was not felt Saturday night.
As a preseason All-American and a projected first-round pick, Tyson will sometimes command multiple defenders. This opens the door for someone else in the room to step up. Still, questions remain: Who will step up and when?
With Arizona State’s competition ramping up as the season goes on, it will have some cleaning up to do if it hopes to earn a trip to Dallas to play in the Big 12 Championship for a second straight season.
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