Arizona State gives surprising injury update on quarterback Sam Leavitt
Arizona State was already in a tough spot this week with a long road trip and an early kickoff vs. Cincinnati.
Now the Sun Devils are going to have to play with their backup quarterback.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters at practice on Wednesday that starting quarterback Sam Leavitt will not play on Saturday.
"Sam Leavitt is out for this week. We will be starting Jeff Sims," said Dillingham.
Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, took a hard hit to his ribs on a scramble early in the second quarter of Arizona State's 27-19 win over Utah last week. He immediately winced in pain and stayed down on the field. Leavitt walked off the field under his own power and eventually went to the locker room.
Backup QB Sims entered the game and scored a 2-yard touchdown to finish the drive that Leavitt started. Sims, a fifth-year senior, played his first three seasons at Georgia Tech before transferring to Nebraska last season.
Leavitt returned to the game to take the final snap of the first half - a kneel down - then played the entire second half.
Here's the hit where Leavitt was injured:
Here’s the hit that caused Sam Leavitt get shaken up.@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/hF20JlkAak
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) October 12, 2024
Leavitt has been one of the most effective dual-threat quarterbacks in the Big 12 this season. Coming into Week 8 he had completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 1,166 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground he had rushed 55 times for 279 yards and four touchdowns.
The 22-year-old Sims is just as mobile - and much more experienced. He played three full seasons at Georgia Tech from 2020 to 2022, throwing for 4,464 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,166 yards and 11 touchdowns.
With the injury news the betting line has moved from Cincinnati as 2.5-point favorites to start the week to 6.5-point favorites on Wednesday.
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.