ASU continued its struggles in Utah as the Sun Devils were blown out in Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, 42-10.
The last time the Sun Devils played in Salt Lake City, they suffered a 55-3 loss. Saturday night, they lost big once again. Without redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt, due to an injury, redshirt senior Jeff Sims got the start. The offense could not get much going, being outgained 415-259 in the loss.
"They just out-coached us, outplayed us," head coach Kenny Dillingham said per Devils Digest. "Absolutely whooped our butt. It's the first time we've really gotten whooped like that in a long time."
Sims did not have the day he would've wanted. In his first start since Oct. 19, 2024, against Cincinnati, the redshirt senior went 18-38 for 124 yards and zero touchdowns. On the ground, Sims had 21 rushes for 52 yards.
While the offense struggled, ASU's rush defense didn't do much better. The Sun Devil defense allowed an average of 78.2 rushing yards per game coming into this game, but Utah ran for 279 yards and six touchdowns. The legs of Utah quarterback and former Saguaro High School product Devon Dampier dominated.
"They got us physicality wise," junior defensive lineman C.J. Fite said. "They out-physicaled us. We weren't making tackles; we were thinking too much. Once you start doing all that, it just throws you off your game."
The third-down offense continued to struggle as it has all season long. The Sun Devils currently sit in 15th in the Big 12 in third-down conversions. Saturday night, they went 7-18 and converted 4-5 fourth downs positively.
Redshirt junior receiver Jordyn Tyson finished with eight receptions on 16 targets for 40 yards. Tyson scored a rushing touchdown, but struggled with the rest of the ASU offense.
In the Sun Devils' lowest rushing yard game of the season, with 135, the leading rusher was redshirt junior Raleek Brown. He had 14 rushes for 67 yards and no touchdowns.
The first half was a one-sided affair. Redshirt senior Jesus Gomez put up the only ASU points of the half on a field goal. The Utes scored three rushing touchdowns to lead 21-3 at the end of the half. Gomez also had another field goal blocked, something that Dillingham found to be a game-changer.
"That was a turning point 100%," Dillingham said. "We're about to go down eight, we're about to kick the ball off. One score game at that if we do that and kick the ball off, hopefully get a stop."
The second half was much of the same. The Sun Devils did add a touchdown of themselves, but Utah's rushing attack added another three touchdowns.
ASU now looks to return to Tempe with No. 9 Texas Tech on the horizon.
"I'm glad it's only worth one game," Dillingham said. "The challenge is, can you flush it enough to only make it worth one game? That's what I told the team in the locker room. That's the hard part is how do you get it out of your system, and you better do it quick."
Edited by Jack McCarthy and Pippa Fung.
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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.
