ASU football: Three takeaways following dramatic win over Kansas

TEMPE, Ariz. — Under scorching 107-degree temperatures ASU football notches its first Big 12 conference win in program history on Saturday night. The Sun Devils fought off a scrappy Kansas team for a 35-31 victory, moving ASU to 4-1 while the Jayhawks fall to a disappointing 1-5 after being ranked No. 22 in the preseason AP poll.

Go back just a few months ago to July and Kansas was receiving votes to win the Big 12, while Arizona State dwelled in the basement, sitting dead last in the media’s preseason conference poll. Now the Jayhawks are freefalling and Kenny Dillingham has rejuvenated an Arizona State program that was left for dead following scandals from its previous administration.

The Sun Devils faced plenty of adversity in their Saturday night win, fighting and clawing in a game with seven lead changes. However, this is a program that’s no stranger to hard times and adversity, and ASU responded. They plowed ahead for a 21-point fourth quarter behind their workhorse of a running back Cam Skattebo and young starting quarterback Sam Leavitt.

There’s a lot to unpack when history is made, even more when you add two ejections, a 185-yard rusher, and plenty of fireworks. Here are three quick takeaways following ASU’s historical victory.

Three takeaways from ASU’s win over Kansas

1. Sam Leavitt is *still* the guy for ASU football

Two weeks ago questions swirled around Sam Leavitt and his status as the starting quarterback… at least from fans, not Leavitt’s coaches. The 19-year-old redshirt freshman has faced growing pains in his first season as a starting quarterback at the collegiate level, but that’s normal.

Sam Leavitt of ASU football takes a snap against Kansas at Mountain America Stadium on Oct. 5, 2024. (Photo by Sedona Levy/ Sun Devil Daily)

His performance against Texas Tech was a prime example of those pains. While Leavitt had his career high in passing yards with 282 against the Red Raiders, he had his season low in QBR, just 36.4. He wasn’t able to find the endzone through the air and threw an interception.

Overall the youngster missed some throws and made some less than desirable decisions. But if you believed a 282-yard and one-interception game should jeopardize his status as the starter, you would be mistaken.

Leavitt’s big night

Dillingham stood behind his quarterback and tonight it paid off. Leavitt had his best game wearing the maroon and gold and looked comfortable picking apart the Kansas defense. He went 14/24 through the air, but four of those completions went for touchdowns. His completion percentage would’ve been higher if some well-placed balls weren’t dropped as well.

Leavitt’s lone turnover on the night came in the third quarter. A perfect pass from the Oregon native bounced off his receiver’s hands and into the arms of a Kansas defender. It was a very catchable ball and had it been hauled in it would’ve been a touchdown. The turnover goes in the books on Leavitt, but I wouldn’t say he made a mistake.

A crucial, and pleasant surprise, piece of the Michigan State transfer’s game this season has been his legs. Leavitt has shown excellent mobility and improvisation skills, and that continued tonight. He ran all over Kansas’s defense for 77 yards on 10 carries.

Overall he finished with 234 total yards and four touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown pass with just 0:16 on the clock.

2. Cam Skattebo is the best offensive player in the Big 12

When Cam Skattebo transferred from FCS Sacramento State to Arizona State in 2023, I don’t think many could predict how crucial he’d become to this program. Last season Skattebo was phenomenal, tallying 1,199 total yards and 10 total touchdowns. However, he was asked to do almost everything for ASU. 130 of those yards came through the air, and the running back racked up a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown.

He was also asked to help out punting at times, booting it eight times with an average of 42.3 yards per punt and a long of 53 yards.

Skattebo was all over the field but wasn’t able to just focus on being a running back.

This season ASU is healthier and more balanced, allowing him to do what he does best… run through defenders.

He already has 619 rushing yards through just five games this season and has added 209 receiving yards as well. Skattebo also is over halfway to meeting his total touchdown mark from 2023 with six.

Career year for Skattebo

Tonight he had 186 rushing yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. That comes out to a whopping 7.4 yards per carry. He was dominant and made several big plays including a 39-yard run on ASU’s game-winning drive.

However, with how impressive he was tonight, it wasn’t even his best performance of the season.

Against Mississippi State, the former FCS player ran for a colossal 262 yards.

It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that Skattebo could be the difference between ASU being a one-win team right now versus a one-loss team. The only player with more rushing yards in the conference this season is Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks. However, Brooks has played one more game than Skattebo so far as the Red Raiders haven’t had a bye yet.

Five games into Arizona State’s season and no player has been more valuable to an offense than Skattebo this season. That’s why he’s my frontrunner for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

3. The defense is still learning to play four quarters of fundamental football

The night ended with fireworks and rings from the victory bell, but there is an alternate universe where the Sun Devils fall short. Lapses in fundamentals and discipline almost gave the game away. A busted coverage in the second quarter resulted in a 30-yard touchdown by Kansas WR Quentin Skinner.

Two targeting penalties not only gave Kansas 30 free yards and a fresh set of downs but will cause the Sun Devils to be shorthanded for a half next week against Utah. Linebacker Keyshaun Elliot and defensive end Clayton Smith were both ejected for hard and illegal hits and will face the repercussions for it next week as well.

WR Jordyn Tyson, who had a phenomenal game, got too caught up in the excitement when the referees dished out unsportsmanlike conduct for celebrating too much following a touchdown in the fourth quarter. After the game, Dillingham said that Tyson “spiked the ball too high.”

The story ended how ASU wanted it, but a free 15 yards in a one-possession game, especially in the fourth quarter, can be the difference between winning and losing.

ASU football in the Dillingham era has been a relatively disciplined program. Despite that, this isn’t the first time self-inflicted wounds have reared their head.

Texas Tech woes

Against Texas Tech, in a game in which ASU lost 30-22, the Sun Devils had eight penalties for 69 yards. Three of those penalties came in the first quarter. ASU also had a turnover on its first drive of the game. Additionally, they kicked the opening kickoff out-of-bounds, setting Texas Tech up at the 35-yard line.

The flurry of mistakes allowed the Red Raiders to jump out to a 14-point lead. One that would prove to be insurmountable for ASU. Dillingham’s group outscored Texas Tech in the final three quarters, but not enough to dig out of the hole.

The Sun Devils despite the win tonight, still have some cleaning up to do.

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