ASU football has been on a tear this season and has the chance to make a strong argument of deserving a ranking if they beat Cincinnati on Saturday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The success of the Sun Devils can be attributed to a multitude of factors, but the main one is how the team has bought into the culture that head coach Kenny Dillingham is trying to instill and a few standout players leading the way. Running back Cam Skattebo, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and linebacker Keyshaun Elliott are just some of the players who have helped Arizona State be 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12.
But as it is getting set to face Cincinnati, ASU will be without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt suffered a rib injury in the second quarter against Utah last Friday and even though he came back to finish the game, he will be inactive vs. the Bearcats.
While this is a major blow for a team that is right on the brink of being nationally ranked, the next-man-up mentality has been seen on numerous occasions and it will be on display once again. Jeff Sims will start for the Sun Devils and Trenton Bourguet is going to be his backup.
Returning to where they both started playing collegiately, Arizona State defensive lineman Justin Wodtly and tight end Chamon Metayer will be back in Cincinnati. Wodtly played the past three seasons (2021-23) at Cincinnati where he had 37 tackles, two passes defended and four sacks. Though he was a Bearcat for two seasons (2022-23), he entered the portal and transferred to Colorado, and reentered the portal again before ending up at ASU.
The Bearcats (4-2, 2-1 B12) most recently beat UCF 19-13 last week and have lost both games by a combined four points. Cincinnati’s only Big 12 defeat was to Texas Tech 44-41 and fell to No. 20 ranked Pittsburgh 28-27 in non-conference play.
Both teams have defied the odds and have proved doubters around the country wrong with how well they have performed since being members of the same conference. Arizona State was predicted to finish dead last and Cincinnati was No. 14 in the Big 12 media preseason poll.
Cincinnati leads the all-time series against ASU, 2-0. This will be the first time both schools will have played each other since 1976 and the first time ever that it will be in Cincinnati.
Here is all you need to know before the Sun Devils and Bearcats clash:
How to tune into Utah at Arizona State
Game Time: Saturday, Oct. 19, at 9 a.m. PT
Venue: Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
Stream: ESPN+ (Shawn Kenney, Max Starks, Shane Sparks)
Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn)
Key Notes
- If ASU wins, the program will improve to 6-1 on the season, the first time since 2014 when the Sun Devils started 8-1. It would also mark two road wins this season for ASU which would be the first time since 2020, with the eight in 2021 being vacated due to recruiting violations.
- It is Cincinnati’s Homecoming game and the school is 19-5 on such occasion.
- Skattebo is only 15 yards away from achieving 4,500 all-purpose yards in his career. With 199 in the win against Utah, he is at 4,485.
- Arizona State wide receiver Xavier Guillory is nearing 2,000 receiving yards in his career as he is at 1,768.
- With 177 career tackles, Elliott is 23 tackles away from clinching 200.
- Former Arizona State kicker Carter Brown will face his old team as a member of the Bearcats. The Texas native entered the transfer portal in Jan. 2023 before making the switch to Cincinnati. As a Sun Devil in 2022, Brown converted on 11-of-14 field goal attempts in 12 games.
Prediction (Season Record: 3-3)
Cincinnati 23-17 Arizona State
Being without Leavitt could be a massive blow for ASU but Sims has started at Georgetown and Nebraska before transferring to Tempe, and will try to make the most of his opportunity. Skattebo is destined to have over 20 carries and put up serious yardage against Cincinnati, continuing to make his case for the Heisman Trophy. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby has been deadly accurate when throwing this season and has been a revelation since transferring from Indiana. With Sims taking over the starting position, a 9 a.m. start in Arizona time and Cincinnati’s success in Homecoming games, ASU will have to dig deep with the adversity that stands in its way. Though it is a really close battle to predict, Cincinnati has all the tools to win and will eek it out in the end.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
