Starting the game off sluggish, the defense came up large for ASU as they narrowly won 31-28 over Texas State on Thursday night.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Sam Leavitt completed 19-of-30 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown for ASU (3-0). Following up on a gigantic performance against Mississippi State where he had 262 rushing yards from 33 carries, Cam Skattebo’s workload lessened but scored two touchdowns off of 24 carries and 66 yards.
Bobcats quarterback Jordan McCloud was stellar despite the loss, throwing 28-for-43 for 265 yards and four touchdowns for Texas State (2-1). Jaden Williams caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Bobcats come out the gate on fire
The Sun Devils hadn’t turned over the ball in the opening two games of the season and played relatively clean football offensively, but there were two fumble scares on its first drive in San Marcos, Tex. alone.
ASU wide receiver Jordyn Tyson caught a pass from Leavitt but he lost control of it as he collided with the field, forcing an official review which saw the fumble call reversed. On the ensuing play, Skattebo rushed and fumbled before he quickly pounced on the ball to keep possession.
To turn a shaky start into a productive one, however, Skattebo bullied his way into the end zone to cap off the 10-play drive with a touchdown. Skattebo was named the Big 12 Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week and The Associated Press Player of the Week in the 30-23 win over Mississippi State this past Saturday.
oh would you look at that it's #Big12FB Offensive Player of the Week Cam Skattebo punching it in for @ASUFootball on the opening drive. #Big12FB | ???? ESPN pic.twitter.com/x3GyJ9P8zC
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 12, 2024
The Bobcats would respond with Chris Dawn Jr. wide open for a 5-yard catch and touchdown, tying the game 7-7 in the final moments of the quarter.
Setting the tone, Texas State came out aggressive and physical with its tempo, piling the pressure on the Sun Devils who had a hard time responding. The Bobcats got two sacks on Leavitt and limited the level of Skattebo’s effectiveness in the half.
Inching closer and closer to the end zone, McCloud found Jaden Williams by himself for another score, handing the Bobcats its first lead of the game 14-7 with 8:31 left in the second quarter.
Blitzing because Arizona State had next to no answers for it, Texas State pushed the Sun Devils back to just a few yards from their own end zone. Off of a punt to the 50-yard line and three completed passes in a row, Beau Sparks capped off the quick drive with a 19-yard catch to widen the margin to 21-7.
But to keep ASU in it, Tyson and Leavitt stepped up and made a pair of huge plays.
After converting on third down, Leavitt backed up and launched a deep ball to Tyson for a 52-yard touchdown. Tyson amassed 111 receiving yards from four receptions in the first half and 120 yards from eight catches overall.
Just before time expired for halftime, Leavitt scrambled and dipsy-doodled his way to tie the game, 21-21 with only six seconds left. ASU’s starting quarterback rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries in the victory.
TIE GAME ????
???? ESPN#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/l4d6sJzR2a
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 13, 2024
Sun Devils’ defense gets major stops to remain undefeated
Just as Arizona State thought they gained a bit of momentum, Leavitt attempted to throw to ASU tight end Markeston Douglas, but he tipped the ball with his fingers and Chris Mills swooped in for an interception. This was Leavitt’s first pick of the season.
The defenses both came up big, not conceding a single point in the first half of the third quarter but when the game mattered most, Arizona State’s unit responded after being picked apart early on.
McCloud was about to be sacked but was able to fire a 44-yard pass to Williams who burnt past multiple Sun Devil defenders for his second touchdown catch of the game.
Leavitt used his running ability and agility to scramble for a 40-yard gain, setting up Skattebo to double up with his second touchdown with 2:17 remaining in the quarter.
Despite the Sun Devils falling into some penalty troubles in the fourth quarter, Shamari Simmons collided with Bobcats running back Ismail Mahdi and the ball was loose. Justin Wodtly spotted the ball and jumped on it, giving Arizona State possession. The fumble set up ASU kicker Ian Hershey whose 22-yard field goal attempt was good and eventually the game-winning play.
With a narrow 31-28 lead, Xavion Alford intercepted a pass by McCloud with 5:09 left, continuing the Sun Devils’ flow in getting crucial fourth-down stops when they needed them.
The Sun Devils regained the ball at 2:09 before Skattebo went on a dash to Texas State’s 18-yard line, setting up Leavitt to kneel and lock up the win.
Arizona State is 3-0 to begin a season for the first time since 2019, the first time over back-to-back-to-back FBS programs Wyoming, Mississippi State and now Texas State since 2007 and matched last year’s win total of three. The Sun Devils were 3-9 in 2023.
Next Games
ASU: Away at Texas Tech (1-1) | Sept. 21 | 12:30 p.m. PT
Texas State: Away at Sam Houston (1-1) | Sept. 28 | 12 p.m. PT
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
