Arizona State routs Oklahoma State to become bowl eligible: 5 takeaways from Sun Devils' rain-soaked win
The Arizona State football team (6-2, 3-2) clearly took advantage of the bye week.
Despite an early kickoff time and a nearly three-hour weather delay, the Sun Devils looked energized in an impressive 42-21 Big 12 road victory over Oklahoma State (3-6, 0-6) on Saturday.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt made his return from a one-game injury absence and showed that this ASU team is his. With the win the Sun Devils are bowl eligible for the first time since 2021.
Here are five takeaways from Arizona's State rain-soaked win in Stillwater.
Sun Devils are Big 12 contenders
Arizona State sits in the crowded middle of the pack of the Big 12, and they may be closer to the top than it seems.
With both Iowa State and Kansas State losing on Saturday, the race for the second spot in the Big 12 championship game is wide open. The Sun Devils will likely have to win their final four games to have a shot, but they are clearly getting better and boast one of the most potent offenses in the conference.
Every week in the Big 12 is an adventure, and if ASU can continue to stack wins they will find themselves in a good position at the end of November.
Leavitt is back - and better
Leavitt didn’t suit up in Arizona State's 24-14 loss to Cincinnati — and his presence was certainly missed. What ASU wasn’t able to do in the pass game with their star QB sidelined, Leavitt brought all of that and then some back to the team following his hiatus.
Leavitt completed a season-best 20-of-29 passes (69%) for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns. His three touchdowns passes went to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (22 yards) and sensational senior running back Cam Skattebo (50 yards and 36 yards).
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has his man under center back, and he didn’t disappoint. It’s safe to say this is Sam Leavitt’s team now.
Skattebo reaches 1,000-yard mark
If I were a defensive coordinator, I'd be scared of Cam Skattebo on any Saturday, not just Halloween weekend. The senior continued to show that he is one of the best running backs in the country with a remarkable performance on Saturday.
Skattebo helped Leavitt with almost a third of his passing yards, catching four passes for a season-high 121 yards and hauling in his first two receiving touchdowns of the year. He also rushed 23 times for 153 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. And he only played three quarters.
We can’t stop saying it until everyone is saying it: Cam Skattebo is one of the best running backs in college football and deserves to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
There is no issue in the secondary
For the third consecutive game, Arizona State grabbed an interception.
Redshirt sophomore Javan Robinson hauled in a first-quarter pick to give the Sun Devils their eighth interception of the year. And ASU's secondary was unbelievable in the second half.
After allowing Oklahoma State QB Alan Bowman to throw for 151 yards in the first half, the Sun Devils held him to just 24 yards passing in the second half.
ASU’s new kicker: Who is Parker Lewis?
Dillingham may have retracted the harshness in his postgame comments about his kicker following the Cincinnati loss, but he was serious about finding a new one.
Graduate transfer Parker Lewis stepped in for redshirt sophomore Ian Hershey, following Hershey’s rough first half to the season, capped off by a brutal outing against the Bearcats.
Lewis has been around the college football scene, kicking for the University of Southern California from 2020-2021 and making a few attempts for Ohio State during the 2022 season. On Saturday, he went 6-for-6 on extra points, but missed a 47-yard field goal in the first quarter.
With the missed field goal, it’s hard to say if Dillingham fixed the problem, but at least Lewis is making the easy stuff.
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Jordyn Bennett is a staff reporter for Arizona State On SI.