Game recap, analysis: Arizona State stuns Kansas State 24-14
The Arizona State Sun Devils have done it again.
Picked to finish last in the Big 12, Kenny Dillingham's team has been silencing the doubters all season. So it shouldn't be surprising that the Sun Devils dominated Kansas State from start to finish in a 24-14 victory Saturday night.
Arizona State (8-2, 5-2) is still very much alive in the race for a berth in the Big 12 championship game.
Read our game recap, with in-game analysis and big-play highlights from Arizona State's upset victory over Kansas State:
Final Stats: ASU 24, Kansas State 14
The Sun Devils raced out to a 24-0 lead, then effectively killed the clock in the second half to pull out the upset victory. Kansas State was favored by 7.5 points but was never in the game. The final time of possession: ASU 36:36, Kansas State 23:24.
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt had another huge game, completing 21-of-34 passes for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed 5 times for 42 yards. Jordyn Tyson was his favorite target again, catching 12 passes for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Cam Skattebo rushed 25 times for 73 yards and caught 4 passes for 44 yards.
Fourth Quarter Live Updates
ASU interception! Shamari Simmons picks off a pass in the end zone to put an exclamation point on this game.
Kansas State missed field goal! A botched snap leads to a missed 36-yard field goal, and this one is all but over. Arizona State takes over at its own 20-yard line with 2:02 left to play, leading 24-14.
ASU 24, Kansas State 14, 4:45 left: Kansas State has the ball and is driving.
Kansas State touchdown: The Wildcats gash the Sun Devils on a 4-play, 90-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard TD run by Joe Jackson. The two-point conversion is good. Arizona State 24, Kansas State 14, 11:26 left.
Stats update: Arizona State has 368 total yards; Kansas State has 178.
Third Quarter Live Updates
End of third quarter: Arizona State 24, Kansas State 6
The Sun Devils only scored three points in the third quarter, but they did a nice job killing the clock. They now lead time of possession by a wide margin (28 minutes to 17 minutes).
Kansas State touchdown: KSU quarterback Avery Johnson scores on a 10-yard run up the middle to put the Wildcats on the board with 2:51 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion fails. Arizona State 24, Kansas State 6, 2:51 left in 3rd quarter
'Cats still clawing 🟣#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/XQHYk0ORG1
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 17, 2024
ASU fumbles: Jordyn Tyson fumbles and Kansas State recovers on its own 22-yard line. Arizona State was driving for a potentially game-clinching touchdown. Kansas State has life. ASU leads 24-0 with 5:15 left in the third quarter. Tyson has 9 catches for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns.
🗣️ FUMBLE#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/KuXTMtVUw9
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 17, 2024
Arizona State field goal! Parker Lewis boots a 47-yard field goal to give Arizona State a 24-0 lead with 11:00 left in the third quarter. As we wrote before the game, it's hard to understand how Kansas State was favored by 7.5 points. The Wildcats gave up 24 points to a historically bad Houston offense and have already given up 338 yards and 24 points to a team with NFL-level talent at key positions.
Arizona State will start with the ball, leading 21-0.
Halftime Stats: ASU 21, Kansas State 0
Arizona State dominated the first half in every facet. The Sun Devils outgained KSU 227-108 and converted 15 first downs to just 6 for KSU.
ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt was 12-of-22 for 156 yards and 3 TDs; KSU quarterback Avery Johnson was 9-of-14 for 80 yards and an interception.
ASU running back Cam Skattebo had 11 carries for 47 yards and 3 catches for 35 yards; KSU running back DJ Giddens had 8 carries for 30 yards and 1 catch for 6 yards.
ASU wide receiver Jordyn Tyson had 6 catches for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns; KSU wide receiver Jayce Brown had 3 catches for 23 yards and a lost fumble.
Second Quarter Live Updates
Halftime: Arizona State 21, Kansas State 0
The Sun Devils faked a 50-yard field goal to end the first half.
Kansas State muffs a field goal! Arizona State's defense stiffens inside the 5-yard line and forces a short Kansas State field goal attempt. But the holder bobbles the snap and KSU can't get the kick off. ASU takes over on Kansas State's 15-yard line with 3:02 left in the first half, leading 21-0.
ASU touchdown! The Sun Devils are pouring it on. Sam Leavitt throws his third touchdown pass of the first half, a 16-yard tight end screen to Chamon Metayer to give Arizona State a 21-0 lead with 10:10 left in the first half. Bill Snyder Family Stadium is dead quiet. Arizona State has outgained Kansas State 177-40.
Takeaway ⏩ Touchdown
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) November 17, 2024
ASU forces a fumble and turns into seven points on the other end on a TD catch by none other than No. 7 himself Chamon Metayer.
21-0 Sun Devils.
@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/kY4vYPx7Bw
Kansas State fumbles! One play after the controversial penalty, Kansas State WR Jayce Brown coughs it up and Arizona State's Javan Robinson recovers the fumble. Ball don't lie? The Sun Devils take over at their own 39-yard line with 13 minutes to play in the first half. leading 14-0.
Dominating on both sides of the ball 💪
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 17, 2024
A forced fumble setting up a Chamon Metayer TD extends @ASUFootball's lead.#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/oALjZAyKTG
Bad call on ASU: Myles Rowser gets flagged for a late hit when he clearly shoved Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards when he was still in the field of play. Really bad call, and it costs ASU 15 yards.
ASU touchdown! On the second play of the quarter, Sam Leavitt throws a dart to Jordyn Tyson in the back of the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown pass. It's the second TD of the game for Tyson and it gives Arizona State a 14-0 lead with 14:18 left in the half.
JORDYN TYSON, HIM 😈
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) November 17, 2024
📺 ESPN
📻 https://t.co/0CMltGmpCV pic.twitter.com/XI7jwukbpF
First Quarter Live Updates
End of first quarter: Arizona State 7, Kansas State 0
The Sun Devils dominated the first quarter, outgaining Kansas State 80 to 27 and picking up 6 first downs to just 1 for the Wildcats.
Kansas State turnover on downs! The Wildcats go for it on 4th-and-1 from midfield and Arizona State's defensive line surges into the backfield and stops DJ Giddens for no gain. The Sun Devils take over on the KSU 47-yard line.
ASU touchdown! The Sun Devils convert the turnover into points on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to Jordyn Tyson. Kansas State's defensive back slipped and Tyson was wide open on a corner route. Arizona State leads 7-0 with 11:19 left in the first quarter.
Your weekly scheduled @s_leav10 to @tyson_jordyn tweet 🤷♂️
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) November 17, 2024
📺 ESPN
📻 https://t.co/0CMltGmpCV pic.twitter.com/1MMknlKuHZ
ASU interception! Xavion Alford picks off a deflected pass to give Arizona State an early turnover. The Sun Devils take over on Kansas State's 49-yard line with 14:19 left.
There's a reason his Twitter is @100YARDLANDLORD 😈
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) November 17, 2024
📺 ESPN
📻 https://t.co/0CMltGmpCV pic.twitter.com/eEiyNQjZHy
Kansas State will have the ball to start the game.
Pregame Updates
It's actually warmer in Manhattan, Kansas, right now (60 degrees) than Phoenix, Arizona (58 degrees).
Getting right 😈#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/Yll6NWz0wp
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) November 16, 2024
More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis
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.