Arizona State wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a dominant 34-15 victory over the Texas State Bobcats. ASU avenged last week’s heartbreaking loss on the back of big performances from its junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, senior tight end Chamon Metayer and junior running back Raleek Brown.
Junior quarterback Sam Leavitt also threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 75 yards. Leavitt and the offense built on their second-half performance in Starkville, carrying it into Saturday’s game in Tempe.
“We really made sure our guys were dialled in and on the same page, and I think it showed. We played pretty clean football,” Head Coach Kenny Dillingham said.
After a relatively slow start for both teams, the second quarter started tied at three. The Sun Devils were driving when Sam Leavitt rolled to his left and made a leaping back-foot throw to Tyson. The wide receiver caught it near the sideline and proceeded to hurdle a lunging defender, stay in bounds and dive for the pylon.
The throw by @S_leav10, the catch by @tyson_jordyn 🤌
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 14, 2025
Pure Cinema.
📺TNT pic.twitter.com/6sa79Z3fcN
Dillingham outlined what was going through his mind as the play unfolded.
“He’s open. Oh crap, how are you going to get it to him? Ok, you got it to him, amazing. Did he really just do that? Was he actually in bounds? Wow! That’s what was going through my head.”
Down a score, the Bobcats got the ball looking for an answer. On third down and four, redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Jackson found junior wide receiver Beau Sparks for what looked like a first-down catch. ASU junior cornerback Keith Abney II punched the ball loose, and senior safety Myles Rowser recovered the fumble.
“That was game-changing, takeaways win games,” Dillingham said.
The turnover proved costly for the Bobcats, as the Sun Devils scored 10 more points. The second quarter saw the Maroon and Gold pull away with 17 unanswered points to take a 20-3 lead into halftime.
Out of the half, sophomore return man Jaren Hamilton took the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, bursting through a seam in the Texas State coverage team and finding pay dirt.
The only problem?
A holding penalty that nullified the return and dulled the home crowd’s excitement.
However, the Devils didn’t let the penalty affect their start to the half, as they proceeded to score another touchdown on 13 plays. The drive featured three rush plays from Leavitt, gaining 27 total yards, and was capped with a Metayer 27-yard touchdown catch and run, putting ASU up 27-3.
The Sun Devil tight end caught a career high six passes for 60 yards. After not being targeted last week and only logging one reception in the season opener, the performance provided the squad with a sigh of relief, as it saw the team spreading the wealth in the passing game. Especially for a tight end who has played a big part in run blocking.
“Chamon has been a soldier for us these first few games, not many targets, he’s just gone to work, and you have to reward people who just work like that,” Dillingham said.
Later in the third, Texas State finally found the endzone after a 15-play drive saw Brad Jackson run it in from seven yards out. The Bobcats went for two but were unsuccessful.
The Sun Devils got the ball back at their own 25-yard line. They elected to hand it off to Brown, who cut left and found a hole. He went untouched for a 75-yard score. Unlike Week 1 against Northern Arizona, where he saw his long touchdown called back, this one stood.
“It felt really good to have a long run and not have it get called back,” Brown said.
From there, it was smooth sailing for Arizona State. Jackson and the Bobcats found the end zone one more time, but no more. Despite the Bobcats having four drives with 10 or more plays run, the defense made life hard for Texas State.
The defense made its mark with explosive plays: two forced fumbles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. Senior linebacker Jordan Crook led the effort in shutting down the Bobcats. He logged seven solo tackles, one sack and three and a half tackles for a loss.
“He’s the definition of what I want this program to be, people who are passionate every single day,” Dillingham said.
On the offensive side, Metayer wasn’t the only one with six receptions. Tyson also had himself a game, catching six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Brown chipped in by leading the backfield with 12 carries for 144 yards. This marks back-to-back weeks where Brown has eclipsed 100 rushing yards.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s game, a positive atmosphere prevailed around Mountain America Stadium, and the team will look to build upon its success. As the non-conference schedule closes, the Big 12 season begins.
The Sun Devils will take their 2-1 record to Waco, Texas, to take on the Baylor Bears next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4:30 AZT.
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