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    • How Arizona State football went 3-0 for the first time since 2019
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    How Arizona State football went 3-0 for the first time since 2019

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    It was a bizarre ending, but the Arizona State football team recovered to beat Texas State 31-28 on Thursday at UFCU Stadium.

    The difference in the game was a 22-yard field goal by sophomore Ian Hershey with 6:29 left on the clock, making it 31-28.

    But the drama didn’t end there. ASU got the ball back for the last time with 2:09 left after Keith Abney broke up a Texas State pass play on fourth down with the Bobcats at their own 20. ASU got a first down and milked the clock back to two seconds with Leavitt taking a knee six yards behind the line of scrimmage on a fourth down.

    Half of the ASU team was off the field and in the locker room when they were called, the referee put a second back on the clock, which head coach Kenny Dillingham vehemently protested. The players returned to the field and Texas State had one final play from its own 30.

    ‘Amateur Hour’: Arizona State football vs Texas State officials criticized for final play

    Quarterback Jordan McCloud threw a lateral to Joey Hobart, who then threw the ball to Ian Langford, but Langford fumbled and Clayton Smith jumped on it, ending the game.

    Leavitt said he didn’t think there was any time left on the clock because it took him a few seconds to get his knee through the air.

    “They said they were looking at the time on the clock,” Dillingham said of the explanation he received. “I mean, we have the W. We have to focus on the players. I can’t even describe it. . . To be honest with you, it’s not the fault of the guys on the field. So in that situation, it goes to a replay room that’s outside of them, so I feel a little sorry for those refs. I think those refs did a good job the whole game, I really do, they managed the game well and the communication was phenomenal. And they’re the ones on the field that go into the replay booth and then they have to deliver the news, which is not fun for them, obviously. I’ll have to figure out how that happened, just for future situations, because I thought we could have taken two seconds and had a delay and taken a knee.”

    More: The conclusion of Thursday’s Arizona State-Texas State football game will not be broadcast on ESPN

    What went well?

    ASU scored on the first drive: A 2-0 start with two home wins was nice, but many wondered what the Sun Devils would do visiting a hostile environment, not to mention a short week with a game on Thursday. But ASU scored on its first drive, going 69 yards on 10 plays in 4:46 with Cam Skattebo scoring on a 1-yard run.

    Recovered from a deficiency: ASU hadn’t trailed a team this season until Texas State led 14-7 with 6:47 left in the first half. That deficit grew to 14 at 21-7 and all the momentum was in the home team’s favor, with the offensive line struggling to protect quarterback Sam Leavitt. But ASU answered on the ensuing drive and then scored on the next to tie it again, this time at 21. Trailing again, 28-21, ASU came back again. That’s the sign of a resilient team.

    Passing game improved: ASU managed just 62 yards passing last week, despite the emphasis on the ground because that’s what worked. Leavitt made some connections downfield and was calm in the pocket despite having defenders in his face all night. He threw for 246 yards and had a couple of notable runs, including a 40-yard touchdown.

    Sales margin remained in ASU’s favor: ASU had four takeaways and no interceptions in the first two games, three of which were defensive touchdowns. ASU had three takeaways in this one, giving them seven on the season, two fewer than they had in 12 games last season. They turned it over only once.

    Adversity overcome: Dillingham has said repeatedly that he wanted to see how his team would respond when obstacles presented themselves, and they didn’t have many in the first two games. There were plenty in this one. Playing on the road on a short week, trailing by several scores. And then putting a second one on the clock and making the opponent play one more time. The Sun Devils passed that test.

    ASU Football Response: Social media is full of praise for Sun Devils’ win over Texas State, 3-0 start

    What went wrong?

    Not a great night for the defense: The Sun Devils entered the game as national leaders in several categories, including rushing defense, but gave up just 400 yards. It was a bend-but-don’t-break show. Texas State also converted 8 of 17 third downs and 2 of 4 fourth downs.

    A tough night for Skat: Skattebo rushed for a career-high 262 yards last week, but was limited to 62 on 24 carries by Texas State. Part of that was because the defense packed the box and the Bobcats came in by limiting opponents to 66 yards per game on the ground, but it wasn’t a great performance by the offensive line either. Skattebo had a couple of tough runs late in the game to run out the clock.

    What to watch next week

    Longer week: Playing on Thursday provided a quick turnaround for the Sun Devils. It also means they get a few extra days to prepare for their Big 12 conference opener on Sept. 21 at Texas Tech. Dillingham had planned to stay in Texas for a few days and see recruits while the team returned to Tempe to rest.

    Staff notes

    The list of players injured included: DE Prince Dorbah, DE Anthonie Cooper, LB Tate Romney, LB Jordan Crook, DB Laterrance Welch, OL Sean Na’a, OL Jalen Klemm. RB Raleek Brown (hamstring) made his first appearance but had just two carries for one yard… Safety Myles Rowser was originally called for targeting in the third quarter, which would have forced him to sit out the first half of next week’s game, but that was overturned after review… The four game captains for this game were defensive lineman CJ Fite, defensive end Clayton Smith, safety Xavion Alford and wide receiver Troy Omeire – all Texas natives.

    More: Expectations rise for Arizona State football after win over Texas State, impressive 3-0 start

    Numbers

    Attack (B-): The offense had 347 yards, 246 of which were through the air. Jordyn Tyson was the weapon with six catches for 120 yards. ASU converted 7 of 16 third downs and 1 of 2 fourth downs. ASU gave up four sacks and there were many other occasions where Leavitt was rushed. ASU was 4 of 5 in red zone scoring opportunities. ASU scored 31 points against a team that had given up an average of 14 points in the previous two games.

    Defense (C+): We’ve seen what Brian Ward’s defenses can do and this wasn’t one of their best games. The Bobcats totaled 400 yards — 268 through the air and 132 on the ground. They went 7-for-16 on third down and 2-for-4 on fourth down. Give the team credit for three more takeaways. S Rowser had a team-high 13 tackles while LB Keyshaun Elliott had 12. Alford had an interception while Justin Wodtly and Smith had fumble recoveries.

    Special teams (B-): Ian Hershey had the game-winning field goal, missing one from 51 yards. Kanyon Floyd averaged 43.5 yards on five punts and put two inside the 20. One was downed at the 1, but ASU had to punt again because of a penalty. The re-punt ended with a fair catch at the 10. The Sun Devils gave up 28 yards on one kick return

    Result Arizona State vs. Texas State: Sun Devils defeat Bobcats to move to 3-0 on the season

    Next

    ASU returns to the Lone Star State to open Big 12 play against Texas Tech (1-1) in Lubbock on Sept. 21. The Red Raiders play North Texas on Saturday.

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