The bounce-back from the Sun Devils is sweet, defeating Texas State 34-15.
After being upset by Mississippi State, the Sun Devils returned to Tempe to take on the Bobcats. ASU controlled the game on offense and defense, with redshirt junior Raleek Brown, redshirt junior Jordyn Tyson and redshirt sophomore Sam Leavitt all shining.
“We probably cut our play sheet down about 25-30% if not a little more,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said about the offense. “We really made sure that our guys were all dialed on and all on the same page.”
ASU put its first points on the board with a 47-yard field goal from redshirt senior kicker Jesus Gomez. Texas State hit a field goal on its next drive to draw the game at three apiece.
Coming back down the other way, a jump throw from Leavitt, followed by an incredible catch and run from Tyson, ended in a 30-yard touchdown.
“It was kind of like just a reaction,” Tyson said. “There was nowhere else to go but up.”
After junior defensive back Keith Abney II forced a fumble that the Sun Devils recovered, Leavitt punched in the touchdown with his legs, putting ASU up 17-3.
Gomez later added another field goal to put the Sun Devils up three scores. Tyson continued his strong first half, finishing it with five catches for 100 yards.
ASU’s defense came out hot in the first half, with three sacks and five tackles for loss, and finished the game with five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
After a half of play, the Sun Devils doubled the Bobcats’ total yardage in the half, 254-127, and held a 20-3 lead.
The Sun Devils opened the second half with redshirt senior tight end Chamon Metayer getting into the end zone. After only one reception on the season leading up to tonight, Metayer had six receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.
“Just been a soldier for us the first few games and not many targets,” Dillingham said. “He just got to work, and I said, ‘You got to reward people that just work like that.'”
Texas State scored its first touchdown off a quarterback scramble on fourth down to make it 27-9.
The Sun Devils responded instantly with a 75-yard touchdown run from Brown on the first play of the drive. It was ASU’s longest touchdown run since former Sun Devil Kalen Ballage's in 2016.
With the game mostly out of reach, the Bobcats scored their final points of the game with a three-yard touchdown pass.
Brown rang the bell following the 34-15 win. He finished with 12 rushes for 144 yards and one touchdown. After not playing much last season, he has taken a large role in the offense.
“It felt good,” Brown said. “As soon as I got the ball, I saw it. It felt good to have a long run and finally not get called back.”
This was a solid bounce-back game for Leavitt. The redshirt sophomore finished going 15-25 for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Leavitt also rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown.
“We left a lot out there,” Leavitt said regarding the game. “But overall, just proud of the guys, the juice. I really felt like we were playing as a team again.”
The Sun Devils will travel to Texas to take on Baylor in one of four games against teams from the Lone Star State over the next five games.
“I was really grateful for what happened against Mississippi State,” Leavitt said. “If we would have came out of there with the dub, we wouldn’t have attacked the week the way we did.”
Edited by Jack McCarthy and Ellis Preston.
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Niall Rosenberg is a lead Sports Reporter at the State Press. He has previously worked with sports teams such as the Rockford Rivets of the Northwoods League. He is in his 2nd semester with the State Press with the chance to cover football and other sports.
