TEMPE — Last week, under rainy Salt Lake City skies, Arizona State suffered one of its worst losses under head coach Kenny Dillingham, falling to Utah 42-10.
The absence of sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt — who missed the game with a nagging foot injury suffered against Baylor — certainly affected the outcome, but didn’t excuse ASU from being dominated in most facets.
Now, after a blowout loss that saw the team pile up more injuries, the battered Sun Devils look to pick up the pieces quickly with the No. 7 team in the country coming into town in the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
In place of Leavitt, senior quarterback Jeff Sims made his first start of the season on the road against the Utes. The second-year transfer went 18-for-38 for only 124 yards through the air, adding 66 rushing yards to his total.
However, Leavitt looks to be on track to return this week — a welcome sign for the Sun Devils. Yet, he wasn’t the only major injury weighing on the Maroon and Gold.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior safety and captain Xavion Alford, along with senior linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu, didn’t suit up for the Sun Devils.
Earlier in the week, Dillingham announced Fiaseu will be out for the season and Alford will miss “very significant time.”
Their absences helped contribute to an outcome that saw Utah physically impose its will on ASU.
“They (Utah) whooped our butt,” Dillingham said in his weekly Monday presser. “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit.”
On offense, graduate offensive lineman Ben Coleman will also miss the remainder of the year. The veteran leader on the offensive line suffered a left arm injury during the second quarter against Utah.
“He’s (Coleman) a leader of our team, he’s been here since Day 1,” Dillingham told reporters on Tuesday. “He’s been one of our best offensive players on our team this year, so that’s unfortunate.”
Last season, Texas Tech defeated ASU 30-22, spoiling the Sun Devils’ Big 12 debut. The Red Raiders now bring a 6-0 record into Tempe and remain the heavy favorites to win the conference.
ASU will have its hands full against a top team in the nation on both sides of the ball.
Texas Tech boasts a top defense in the Big 12, as it hasn’t allowed more than 17 points in a single game. The unit has also forced a Big 12-leading 21 sacks, eight interceptions (T-3rd) and eight forced fumbles (2nd).
Senior outside linebacker David Bailey most recently won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Kansas. The Stanford transfer eclipsed three sacks and a forced fumble against the Jayhawks.
For the Sun Devil offense, it starts with getting junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson involved early and often. After a string of impressive performances throughout the season, Tyson only totaled 40 receiving yards and a singular rushing touchdown on a jet sweep.
He makes a man miss and takes it in for six 🔱
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 12, 2025
📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/A9RLyzMObG
Meanwhile, Red Raiders’ offensive attack has been undeniable. They currently lead the Big 12 in total yards with 3349 and touchdowns with 34. They also hold the top spot in college football in the yards per game category, averaging 558.2 yards per game — six yards more than second-place USC.
Texas Tech named senior quarterback Behren Morton as its Day 1 starter, but he’s dealt with injuries all year. Still, he’s thrown for 1,501 yards and 13 touchdowns with only three interceptions.
The injuries to Morton have allowed redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond to shine. The dual-threat got his first real chance in a game against Utah when Morton went down with an upper-body injury in the third quarter. Hammond ended up throwing for two touchdowns in the 34-10 victory.
Then, Morton came back against Houston and threw for 345 yards on a 70% clip for a touchdown. He was also sidelined with an injury against Kansas at home, allowing Hammond to come in and lead the team to a victory.
The Sun Devils are currently preparing for both quarterbacks, as Morton remains day-to-day, with Hammond ready to be called upon again.
“He (Hammond) is really good, he’s a really good young guy,” Dillingham said. “He’s a phenomenal player; he can make all the throws like we saw in the Utah game. … He’s a heck of a player and he’s only getting better.”
Aside from the quarterback play, Texas Tech also prides itself on a premier run game. Sophomore running back Cameron Dickey has eight rushing touchdowns on 591 rushing yards, putting him first and second in those two categories.
The speedster most recently won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Kansas. He had 263 rushing yards, the most in a single game by an FBS player this season and the fifth-highest in school history.
Three Red Raiders on the @PFF_College National Team of the Week 👊
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) October 14, 2025
• @CameronDickey5 (Off POTW)
• @baileyy_david23 (Def POTW & Pass Rusher OTW)
• @height_romello pic.twitter.com/dRPkh5b1Ov
With Big 12 bragging rights and potential conference championship implications on the line, the two in-conference foes will face off Saturday at 1 p.m. MST in Mountain America Stadium.
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