Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham liked what he saw in his team as far back as the spring, but as the regular-season opener approached, he had one big question: How would his team respond the first time it was faced with adversity?
There was plenty of that in 2023, Dillingham’s inaugural campaign. The Sun Devils were just 3-9, with myriad injuries a major factor, and did not fare well in overcoming that adversity.
A strong transfer portal class bolstered the 2024 roster, but the Sun Devils needed some game action before Dillingham could see if his team could do what it didn’t last year. Whether it was an injury to a key player, a costly penalty or giving up a big play, the Sun Devils rarely were able to put a setback behind them and move on to the next play.
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But the Sun Devils (11-2) have passed test after test with flying colors. Their resiliency is one reason they have defied the odds — picked last in the Big 12 — and have become conference champions with a Jan. 1 Peach Bowl date with Texas (12-2) in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Let’s take a look at the obstacles ASU faced and how it responded.
Blow big lead
No, Mississippi State wasn’t expected to be a contender in the SEC but it is still an SEC foe, and ASU had never beaten one. The Sun Devils dominated the Bulldogs, surging to a 30-3 lead with 6:33 left in the third quarter before hanging on to win. Mississippi State closed to within 31-28 on an 80-yard scoring play with 5:27 still left in the fourth quarter. ASU took the ensuing kickoff and did not give the ball back, thanks to a heavy dose of Cam Skattebo allowing it to run out the clock.
Quick turnaround
ASU’s first road game came on a Thursday at Texas State. It had played the previous Saturday against Mississippi State so that meant a challenge in preparation due to a full travel day. The Sun Devils weren’t great but came away with a 31-28 win over a decent Bobcats team in the first career road start for freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Back-to-back Texas roadies
The Sun Devils returned to Texas the following week, this time to Lubbock for the first Big 12 game. The Sun Devils weren’t good enough, falling 30-22. They managed only 94 yards on the ground with Skattebo held to 60 yards. ASU was just 5-for-14 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth down. The offense was still a work in progress.
Two players sit out first half vs. Utah
One of ASU’s more dramatic wins came against Kansas, 35-31, capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Leavitt to Jordyn Tyson with 16 seconds left. But linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive end Clayton Smith drew targeting penalties in the second half, forcing them to sit out the first half of the following game against Utah, the team picked to win the conference. Caleb McCullough, who replaced Elliott, had the best game of his career in a 27-19 win over Utah with 12 tackles and two interceptions, the last one sealing the outcome.
Leavitt sidelined
Leavitt was making great progress with each start but he took a hard hit in the first half of the Utah game and suffered a rib injury. He returned in the second half and was a bit tentative but got through the game. The following week Dillingham announced that his quarterback would miss the game at Cincinnati, which was playing well at the time. The start went to Jeff Sims, a late addition who transferred from Nebraska. Sims went 12-for-23 for 155 yards and was sacked twice. He wasn’t the reason for the loss, though, as ASU had two missed field goals. Skattebo had a rare fumble — at the Sun Devils 22 — with ASU up 7-0. Two plays later the Bearcats scored, and ASU fell 24-14.
ASU survives lengthy weather delay
Stillwater, Oklahoma, is a tough enough road venue for opponents. The Sun Devils were 5-2 when they visited Boone Pickens Stadium to face a struggling foe that had been one of the top picks in the Big 12. The night before the game, kickoff was moved up from 4 p.m. to 12:30 because of the inclement weather expected. The hope was that the teams could get the game in before the weather turned bad.
Well that wasn’t the case. ASU took a 21-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. The game then had to be delayed almost three hours with rain and lightning so bad the stadium had to be cleared. When play finally did resume ASU dominated, registering the next 21 points and coming away with a 42-21 victory.
Skattebo misses game
Skattebo isn’t just ASU’s biggest offensive weapon, he is the heartbeat of the team and its inspirational leader. There was a cause for concern when an injury from the Oklahoma State game kept Skattebo out of the next game against Central Florida. But the Sun Devils chalked up a 35-31 win over the Knights. It wasn’t one player picking up the slack, but different players pitching in. Kyson Brown rushed for 73 yards, Leavitt threw for 161 yards — 99 of those yards on seven catches by Tyson.
Tyson done for the season
Tyson had a breakout season, registering 75 catches for 1,101 yards and emerging as Leavitt’s favorite target. Just how dominant was he as a receiver? Well the second-leading receiver is actually Skattebo with 37 catches for 506 yards. As far as receivers, the second “receiver” is Xavier Guillory with 19 catches for 320 yards.
But Tyson suffered a broken collarbone against rival Arizona, rendering him out for the season. The Sun Devils went into the Big 12 championship game without Tyson, but prevailed 45-19. Six receivers caught passes, led by Melquan Stovall with four for 91 yards.
Time put back on the clock . . . twice
It’s not often you see time put back on the clock and the opponent given one last play. It happened to ASU twice, the first of those coming at Texas State. ASU led 31-28. Leavitt took the snap with two seconds left, retreated 6 yards and took a knee. Players headed off to the locker room, only to be called back by the officials. Texas State’s multiple lateral last play failed, with Clayton Smith recovering a loose ball to preserve the win.
The second was late in the season with ASU nursing a 28-23 lead against Brigham Young. The Sun Devils were at the BYU 49 when Leavitt heaved the ball out of bounds on what was thought to be the last play. Replays showed that when the ball landed there was indeed one second left. Fans had stormed the field so there was a delay of several minutes. The Cougars had one last Hail Mary and it came close, but the Sun Devils survived.
What’s next? Well, the Sun Devils will be without safety Shamari Simmons who drew a targeting penalty in the second half of the Big 12 title game against Iowa State. He will sit out the first half of the Jan. 1 Peach Bowl against Texas.
It’s just another chance to overcome adversity.
