‘I hope that doesn’t define him here’ — Jeff Sims’ Territorial Cup performance doesn’t encapsulate the person he is

TEMPE, Ariz. – There will always be a part of ASU senior quarterback Jeff Sims remembered by his turnovers throughout his college career, but his teammates remember him by his work ethic and grit.

“Jeff Sims get all the hate in the world, but s–t he shows up to work every day,” ASU senior tight end Chamon Metayer said. “At the end of the day, I respect the guy. I’d give anything for him.”

Sims’ final game at Mountain America Stadium didn’t go as planned. The senior quarterback completed just 11 of his 25 passes for 114 yards and threw three interceptions.

The Sun Devils quarterback also fumbled late in the fourth quarter in Arizona territory. It came as ASU looked to get its first score of the second half and cut into the Wildcats’ lead.

The fumble proved to be the last straw for ASU. Arizona took advantage and went 87 yards in 6:15 for its second touchdown of the game to salt away any remaining hope in Tempe.

Turnovers killed the Sun Devils

Sims finished the game responsible for four turnovers, and ASU’s fifth turnover was a botched handoff between Sims and junior running back Raleek Brown.

“Well, you turn the ball over five times,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “You give them short fields, and then we didn’t flip field position, special teams – all those things put your defense’s backs against the wall.”

ASU’s defense came through time and time again, but eventually it was simply worn out.

Arizona accumulated 129 yards of offense on its first four drives, resulting in zero points. The Sun Devils’ defense had an interception, a blocked field goal and a missed field goal.

The Wildcats broke through with a field goal before halftime, and then slowly leaned on ASU’s defense in the second half.

Arizona scored 20 second-half points, and 17 were off of ASU turnovers. The Wildcats ended the night with more than double ASU’s time of possession.

The Sun Devils had the ball for just 19:59 compared to the Wildcats’ 40:01. Much of it was long Arizona drives aided by ASU turnovers.

Turnovers have been a problem throughout Sims’ career. Now in his sixth year, the veteran quarterback has thrown 34 career interceptions in 43 games.

Sims handles adversity

However, since Sims arrived at ASU, his tight end has never had to worry about Sims’ ability to handle adversity.

“I believe Jeff has the character trait of picking himself up. Social media tries to bring him down, and somehow, he shows up every day,” Metayer said. “He got his three brothers next to him, regardless.”

Sims and Metayer both transferred to ASU ahead of the 2024 season, after Dillingham’s first year, when the Sun Devils went 3-9.

Throughout the last two years, the two have developed a relationship along with many other players that goes deeper than the game of football.

“S–t, I’m probably going to leave this locker room, and he’s probably already going to be at my house,” Metayer said. “It’s just like that – our connection.”

Sims’ work ethic shines bright

Sims’ college career may not be remembered in the brightest light, but the impact he made on his teammates and the programs he represented throughout his six years will be what determines his future.

“Jeff is an unbelievable human being. He’s an unbelievable person,” Dillingham said. “He has all the ability in the world. I feel for him tonight, I really do. He’s a guy that’s going to be successful in life. I can almost guarantee that.”

The Territorial Cup is the biggest game of the season, for obvious reasons. However, Dillingham hopes fans take a minute to appreciate the other moments Sims provided for Arizona State football throughout the season.

“Even though it didn’t work out tonight, I just have so much respect and love. I think sometimes people need to stop and think, like, this dude chose to be a Sun Devil,” Dillingham said. “This dude fought. This dude had 200 and some yards versus Iowa State to keep us alive.

“Like, this dude battled for Arizona State football, and sometimes the ball doesn’t go your way. I hope that doesn’t define him here.”

This was Sims’ last year of eligibility, and he’s exactly what Dillingham considers a Sun Devil. His grit, tenacity and work ethic are what his coach believes will take him far in whatever he does.

As Sims ends his tenure with ASU, a new leaf will be uncovered for the program, and Dillingham is confident it will only grow from here.

Thank you for reading Sun Devil Daily! Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with Arizona State news! For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at santo.d0506@gmail.com. Also, make sure to check out the Sun Devil Daily shop for merchandise! Forks up!