TEMPE, Ariz. — 44 minutes before his Sun Devil debut, junior quarterback Cutter Boley raised his helmet toward the Tempe sunset, nodding his approval to the student section before the start of a new chapter in his career. After seeing his backfield counterpart, senior running back Kyson Brown, score a 46-yard touchdown, Boley decided it was time for him to pencil his name into the scoresheet.
The former Kentucky Wildcat found senior receiver Reed Harris, another transfer on the Sun Devil offense, for a gain of 29 yards on a slant route. Shortly after, senior Omarion Miller catapulted his ASU campaign with a 10-yard house call, signifying Boley’s first score with the Maroon and Gold.
It kicked off a night in which Boley etched his name into the Sun Devil record book. QB1 set the ASU single-game record for the most passing yards in a debut with 387, adding six touchdowns to four different position players in a 70-7 win against Morgan State.
“It’s (the record) a blessing, but it’s all credit to these guys,” Boley said about his teammates. “Just getting it in these guys’ hands and letting them do their thing. At the end of the day, we’re not really worried about stat lines. We’re worried about wins and losses.”
After former Sun Devil starter Sam Leavitt left for LSU in the transfer portal, the ASU quarterback battle became the most intriguing positional race on the roster. Exactly a week ago, on Aug. 29, Coach Kenny Dillingham voiced full confidence in Boley to be his starter.
However, it wasn’t all flashy downfield throws for the prototypical pocket passer. Dillingham guided his quarterback throughout the debut with many different run-pass options, screen passes and even a few trick plays throughout the contest.
The underneath throws grew Boley’s confidence to new heights, as his position players garnered a plethora of yards after contact. Sophomore running back Grayson Rigdon and sophomore tight end AJ Ia both helped boost the gunslinger’s numbers, shedding through tacklers to score on screen passes themselves in Boley’s final two drives in the third quarter.
Rigdon, a running back who excelled during the latter half of camp, finished with over 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns of his own. His standout performance was capped off by a 56-yard score on a wheel route from the tailback, as he broke a tackle down the sideline, embracing the student section as he galloped into the end zone to extend the blowout.
“He’s (Boley) a great leader,” Rigdon said about his quarterback. “He prides himself on running the offense. I’m just going to trust him and he’ll put us in great situations.”
Arizona State’s offensive weapons shined under the lights with Boley as their captain. Miller reeled in eight catches for 102 yards and Harris logged six catches for 137 yards.
Furthermore, 11 different Sun Devils caught at least one pass, while seven different running backs had a carry, capping a complete team effort for the home side.
However, Boley’s debut wasn’t free of blemishes. After two straight touchdown drives, the Sun Devil quarterback lost the ball after an unblocked defensive lineman nailed him in the pocket.
While Boley did not throw an interception, there were a few moments where the 21-year-old’s greenness showed. On the fourth offensive drive of the game, still in the first quarter, Boley had an incomplete scare over the middle to Harris. Initially ruled an interception, the play was ultimately reviewed and overturned to a complete pass. It marked the first, but one of the only times, ASU fans saw their quarterback shaken in the season opener.
“He (Boley) went out there today and just executed the plan, which is what I love to see,” Dillingham said about Boley. “There was one play there where he tried to do too much, scrambled, threw cross-body, and it was almost picked. Other than that, he really didn’t put the ball in jeopardy.”
While his start against Morgan State will be immortalized in ASU’s history book, another chance awaits Boley and his squad. The Sun Devils will take on SEC juggernaut Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. MST.
Boley never took on the Aggies face-to-face throughout his time with Kentucky, but made tough road starts against Georgia and Auburn during the 2025 campaign. 102,733 rowdy fans at Kyle Field await ASU in a critical road bout, giving Boley the stage to step into the spotlight and shine once again.
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