Sun Devils fight through mistakes in big 35-31 win over Kansas

(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)

TEMPE — With 1:46 left in the first half, the Sun Devils were driving down the field, attempting to take advantage of what head coach Kenny Dillingham deems the most important part of the game. Multiple times this season, Dillingham has emphasized how the middle eight minutes of the game are arguably the most important phase of the game, depending on who gets the ball at the half.

After scoring on their first drive of the game, the Sun Devils were held scoreless for the remainder of the second half. However, this final drive of the first half gave them a chance to head into the locker room tied 14-14, with the Jayhawks receiving the ball after the break.

However, disaster struck as redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Tyson had the ball ripped out of his hands, giving Kansas a prime opportunity to go down and make it a two-score game heading into the half. The Sun Devil defense produced the stop they needed, and 30 seconds after that, redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt dumped it off to redshirt junior tight end Chamon Metayer, who did the rest.

Instead of being down two scores, ASU entered the break, tied 14-14. It was the difference in a back-and-forth game as the Sun Devils (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) outlasted Kansas (1-5, 0-2 Big 12) 35-31 for the program’s first Big 12 victory.

“I mean, absolutely huge,” Dillingham said of his team’s effort at the end of the first half. “If you think about it, if we don’t get that, we’re down 10 in the third quarter of that game; that’s the difference in the football game … How many points did we win the football game by, four? How many points did we win the middle eight by, four?”

Those four minutes at the end of the first half really emulate what this game was like for the Sun Devils. Despite multiple penalties and third down miscues that Dillingham described as ‘catastrophic’ the ASU continued to have a short memory, washing away the bad plays and focusing on the next one.

Tyson’s fumble was not his only mistake on the day. After a questionable third-down targeting penalty on Keyshaun Elliott resulted in a Kansas field goal to open the second half, the Sun Devils offense picked up where they left off in the first.

Inside the red zone, Leavitt dropped back and attempted to hit Tyson over the middle for what would have probably been a touchdown, but the ball clanked off his hands, resulting in another red zone turnover for the offense.

As Tyson hurried off the field, Dillingham’s words of encouragement echoed in his ears, reinforcing the team’s unity and trust. Over the course of the game, Tyson proved his worth, scoring two crucial touchdowns, including the game-winning score on a three-yard fade route, igniting the sold-out Mountain America Stadium crowd.

“I gave (Tyson) a game ball because that’s what the program’s about,” Dillingham said. “The program’s about the response, and talk about a bad beginning of a game. He was about as upset as you could possibly be, and the fact that he could regather himself and go execute and finish with a positive attitude is everything that we’re trying to build here.”

Tyson’s two touchdowns in the second half were obviously the difference in the ballgame, but when breaking down how ASU drove down on both of his scores reveals another MVP of Saturday’s game.

Entering the game, senior running back Cameron Skattebo was feeling ill and missed practice on Wednesday. Through four games in 2024, Skattebo carried the football thirty more times than he did through four games in 2023, and the Sun Devils’ most consistent offensive player was feeling the effects.

Dillingham said this week that there was going to be more of a focus on getting other backs the football. Redshirt sophomore running back Raleek Brown — who was finally 100% after dealing with a nasty hamstring injury — got seven carries for 41 yards, and Leavitt rushed 10 times for an efficient 77 yards. However, the onus was once again on Skattebo to do the heavy lifting.

Over the final 15 minutes Skattebo was the engine that made the Sun Devils run. As the clock ticked over to the fourth quarter, Skattebo took a direct snap and punched it in to give ASU a 21-17 lead, and over the following two drives Skattebo was the handed the ball seven times for 71 yards, including a 39-yard explosive that put ASU deep into Sun Devil territory on the final drive.

Skattebo finished with 25 rushing attempts for 186 yards and a touchdown.

“I think we kept (Skattebo) fresh for the end of the game, which was the goal,” Dillingham said. “When we got to 11 minutes left, I said, ‘Hey, this is Skat time, let’s get him the ball here in this fourth quarter. Obviously, still mix it up, but this is why we tried to keep him fresher and not have him play as many snaps.”

ASU now turns its attention to No. 18 Utah, who will have a heavy rest advantage going into Friday’s matchup as the Utes are coming off of a bye, and ASU will have just six days to get right for the game. But the game is in Tempe, and the Sun Devils are now 3-0 in front of their home crowd, turning Mountain America Stadium into a big advantage.

Maybe it’s just the advantage of being used to the heat, but Dillingham notices a difference when his team plays at home. And after low-effort performances in their previous two road games, the energy ASU played within the first two weeks returned with gusto in front of a sold-out family weekend crowd.

Now, both the Sun Devils and the Sun Devil faithful just have to keep it up.

“When you run out of the tunnel and you feel that, that’s real, and it fuels our guys,” Dillingham said. “3-0 at home, which is awesome, and it’s a great start. It’s a lot to the fan base. I’m glad, and I’m proud of the fan base for how they’ve shown up so far this year. We got a big one on Friday night, so cancel your plans and get back out here to the stadium.”