TEMPE, AZ – In a thrilling battle under grueling start temperatures of 107 degrees, Arizona State edged out Kansas 35-31 Saturday night in their first-ever meeting. The game saw five lead changes in the fourth quarter, culminating in a nail-biting finish that had the sellout crowd of 54,639 at Mountain America Stadium on the edge of their seats.
Arizona State struck first with a 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Leavitt to Xavier Guillory, setting the tone for an explosive night. Kansas answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Quarterback Jalon Daniels capped the drive with a 22-yard rushing touchdown to knot the score at the score at 7-7.
Kansas took the lead in the second quarter with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to senior wide receiver Quentin Skinner. Arizona State responded just before halftime. After a blocked field goal attempt by Kansas, ASU mounted a quick drive. Leavitt hit tight end Chamon Metayer for a 20-yard touchdown pass tying the game at 14-14 going into the break.
The second half began with Kansas reclaiming the lead on a 20-yard field goal from Tabor Allen, making it 17-14. But Arizona State wasn’t done yet. They regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when Cam Skattebo powered in a 1-yard touchdown run, giving ASU a 21-17 advantage.
Kansas pushed back, as Devin Neal scored on a 31-yard rush to put the Jayhawks up 24-21. The back-and-forth continued when Leavitt connected with Jordyn Tyson for a 31-yard touchdown pass, swinging the lead back to the Sun Devils at 28-24.
With just over two minutes left, Kansas mounted a strong drive, capped by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Skinner, putting the Jayhawks ahead 31-28. It seemed Kansas had landed a decisive blow, but Arizona State was not finished.
Starting from their 34-yard line with less than two minutes on the clock, ASU relied heavily on Skattebo, who rushed for 182 yards on 25 carries. His 39-yard run positioned the Sun Devils deep in Kansas territory. Leavitt then took control, running for 10 yards and putting his team in the red zone. With just 16 seconds remaining, he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyson, sealing the victory for Arizona State at 35-31.
“It’s not about stopping them on the first drive of the second half,” said ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham. “It’s about winning every single play. We played hard, made the plays when it counted, and executed well.”
Leavitt’s performance was crucial, marking a career-high with four touchdown passes.
The two teams combined for 66 points and 896 yards of total offense. Arizona State ran for 309 yards, with significant contributions from both Leavitt and Skattebo. Leavitt also made a mark on the ground, rushing for a career-high 77 yards.
Despite the loss, Kansas’ Daniels finished with 230 yards passing and three touchdowns.
The atmosphere in the stadium added to the intensity of the game according to Sun Devils safety Xavion Alford. “The fans really make a difference,” said Alford. “It was a great college football environment tonight.”
In the end, Arizona State’s late-game heroics earned them their first home conference victory in the Big 12 era, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting rivalry in future matchups.
Arizona State Sun Devils Key Players:
- Sam Leavitt: 15 completions on 23 attempts, 159 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception; 77 rushing yards
- Cam Skattebo: 182 rushing yards on 25 carries, 1 touchdown
- Jordyn Tyson: 2 touchdown receptions
- Clayton Smith: Led the team with multiple sacks, contributing significantly to the pass rush.
- Mello Dotson: Notable for forcing a fumble that halted a Kansas scoring opportunity.
Kansas Jayhawks Key Players:
- Jalon Daniels: 18 completions on 26 attempts, 230 yards, 3 touchdowns; 22 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown
- Devin Neal: 82 rushing yards on 14 carries, 1 touchdown
- Devin Dye: Made a key interception in the end zone, preventing a potential touchdown.
- Quentin Skinner: 2 touchdown receptions
- Kenean Caldwell: Recorded a blocked field goal, helping to maintain momentum for the Jayhawks at a crucial moment.
Game Photos
All photos by Kevin C. Cox, Maximum Exposure for CORE360 Sports