Jeff Sims leads Arizona State into Big 12 road game at Cincinnati: 3 storylines to watch

Can the Sun Devils pull off the upset with their backup quarterback?

Jordyn Bennett | 7 Hours Ago

Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Jeff Sims (6) will make his first start since Sept. 9, 2023 when he was with Nebraska. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Arizona State football team (5-1, 2-1) is set to take its longest trip of the season to face Cincinnati (4-2, 2-1) in Big 12 Conference play on Saturday.

And they'll have to do it without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt.

Leavitt has been ruled out with a rib injury, and ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said fifth-year senior Jeff Sims will start vs. the Bearcats.

Here are three key storylines to follow for Saturday's game:

Jeff Sims Has Been Here Before

Leavitt took a shot to the ribs in the second quarter of Arizona State's 27-19 upset of Utah and briefly left the game. While the Michigan State transfer showed his toughness by returning to play the second half, the injury was more severe than it appeared. Dillingham announced on Wednesday that Leavitt will miss the Cincinnati game and said his timeline to return is unclear. He named fifth-year senior Sims the starter for Saturday’s pivotal Big 12 matchup.

Dillingham grabbed the 22-year-old Sims out of the transfer portal in May from Nebraska, giving the Sun Devils an experienced backup behind Leavitt. It was made clear vs. Utah that ASU won the quarterback battle in the portal when Sims briefly stepped in for Leavitt, punching in a 2-yard TD run to cap off a 72-yard drive. Now Sims is going to need to prove he can do it for four quarters.

Historically, Sims has not been one of the more efficient quarterbacks in college football. His five games at Nebraska last season came with six interceptions and just one touchdown pass, completing 28-of-47 passes (59.6%). His lone season as a Cornhusker was preceded by a three-year run at Georgia Tech, where he threw 30 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

While his passing history isn’t great, Sims running ability has never been a problem, as he showed in his short time on the field against Utah. Dillingham and offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo called Leavitt's number often in the running game (55 carries, 279 yards, 4 TDs), and I would expect even more QB runs from Sims. In his three seasons at Georgia Tech he rushed for 1,166 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In Cam Skattebo We Trust

Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (10) is fifth in the nation in rushing yards entering Week 8 of the college football season. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Sun Devils' offense is built around the run game - and it starts with Cam Skattebo. The senior has the hot hand for ASU, posting 150-yard games in back-to-back weeks and scoring seven touchdowns over the past four games.

While it is clear that Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is on another level when it comes to playing running back, Skattebo is not far behind. With the fifth-most rushing yards in the country (773 yards) and the fourth-most carries (133), he should have a big day against a Cincinnati defense that has not seen a running back of his caliber this season - and has allowed a total of 427 rushing yards in its last two games.

"He's a different player than last year," Dillingham said when asked about Skattebo during his weekly press conference. "He's not the same player. He's dropped 10-15 pounds. He's in such better shape. He clocked 21.8 [mph] in the game last week, which is really good."

Bearcats Could Easily Be Undefeated

Cincinnati football coach Scott Satterfield and quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) have the Bearcats off to a 4-2 start to the 2024 season. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati has one more loss than Arizona State, but their record does not tell the full story. The Bearcats' first loss was to still-unbeaten No. 20 Pitt (6-0) on a last-minute field goal; the second loss was a 44-41 shootout at Texas Tech that came down to the wire.

"Really good opponent," Dillingham said when asked about facing Cincinnati. "This team has two losses by four points total. Otherwise they'd be undefeated and a top 15 team in the country if you flip four points in their season."

Cincinnati is coming into the game with some momentum after a 19-13 win over a traditionally dominant Central Florida (3-3,1-2) program. While it was an impressive victory, redshirt sophomore quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s two interceptions are a concern for the Bearcats. The Sun Devils picked off Utah quarterback Cam Rising three times last week and have a turnover margin of + 0.8, which is among the best in the country.

The Arizona State at Cincinnati game is scheduled to kickoff Saturday at 9 a.m. MST/Noon ET on ESPN+.