Live updates, score: Utah at Arizona State Big 12 football matchup
Arizona State is looking for its first victory over Utah since 2018 - and the Sun Devils will have to go through Cam Rising to get it.
Rising, Utah's seventh-year quarterback who has been sidelined with an injury since Sept. 7, started for the Utes on Friday night. His presence is a significant upgrade for the Utes over true freshman Isaac Wilson, who has been starting in his absence.
The Sun Devils are hoping for another sellout crowd at Mountain America Stadium. Nearly 55,000 fans packed the stadium for last week's thrilling 35-31 win over Kansas. While it's not as hot as last week, the temperature was hovering around 95 degrees at kickoff.
Follow along below as we bring you live updates, big-play highlights and in-game analysis from Arizona State's Big 12 showdown with former Pac-12 foe Utah:
(Refresh for the latest updates.)
3RD QUARTER UPDATES
END OF 3RD QUARTER: Arizona State 20, Utah 16
ASU TOUCHDOWN! Cam Skattebo with an unbelievable touchdown run! He breaks through the line, somehow keeps his balance and scampers down the left sideline for a 50-yard touchdown to give ASU a 20-16 lead with 1:32 left in the quarter. He now has 14 carries for 96 yards. That was his longest run of the season.
However many guys you think it takes to tackle Cam Skattebo... double it 💪#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/AA0zWJOQUx
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 12, 2024
UTAH TOUCHDOWN: Micah Bernard caps a punishing 12-play, 79-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to give Utah a 16-13 lead. Bernard pounded ASU on the ground, carrying it six times for 35 yards. He now has 16 carries for 106 yards. Utah took more than seven minutes off the clock. There is now 3:19 left in the 3rd quarter.
CAM RISING STRUGGLING: Utah's seventh-year quarterback is 7-of-21 for 97 yards and 2 interceptions. He either can't grip the ball or can't plant on his injured ankle. Either way, almost every throw is short and off target. It's hard to believe he's still out there.
ASU INTERCEPTION! The Big 12 officials nearly strike again. Utah QB Cam Rising throws another duck and it's picked off by ASU defensive back Keith Abney. The officials initially called targeting on Clayton Smith for his hit on Rising, which would have nullified the interception. After review, they determined it was not targeting, and the interception stands. They got it right. ASU has the ball at its own 38-yard line.
SAM LEAVITT RETURNS: Arizona State's starting QB returned to the game to start the second half. He exited with 11:19 left in the second quarter after taking a hard hit to the ribs.
HALFTIME STATS
Arizona State outgained Utah 179 to 148 in the first half, but more importantly held the Utes to just 51 yards rushing. And that was without linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive lineman Clayton Smith, who were both suspended for the first half after being ejected for targeting penalties inArizona State's 35-31 victory over Kansas. Both players will return in the second half.
Utah QB Cam Rising is 7-of-20 for 97 yards and an interception. He took a nasty hit early on and appeared to roll his ankle. Whether it's his ankle or his throwing hand, he does not look right.
Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt is 6-of-10 for 99 yards with one TD and one pick. He left the game midway through the second quarter after taking a hit to the ribs on a scramble. He returned for the final play of the first half.
2ND QUARTER UPDATES
HALFTIME SCORE: Arizona State 13, Utah 9
ASU QB Sam Leavitt returned to the game for the final snap of the second quarter, a kneel down. Great sign for the Sun Devils.
UTAH FIELD GOAL: Cole Becker boots his third field goal of the first half, this one from 30 yards, to cut Arizona State's lead to 13-9 with 23 seconds left in the half.
ASU INTERCEPTION! Cam Rising throws another errant ball and this one gets picked off by ASU linebacker Caleb McCullough. ASU takes over at its own 14-yard line with 5:00 left in the first half. I'm stunned Rising is still in this game. He is clearly not right.
TOUCHDOWN ASU! Backup quarterback Jeff Sims scores on a 2-yard run to give Arizona State a 13-6 lead. Sims finished the drive that Leavitt started. It covered 72 yards in 13 plays. ASU now has 161 yards of offense to just 43 for Utah. 8:38 left in the 2nd quarter.
Sam Leavitt was hit hard and sent to the locker room — insert QB2 Jeff Sims (@JeffSims_10) to run it into the end zone for another score.
— Justin LaCertosa (@LaCertosaSports) October 12, 2024
Sucks to see Leavitt go down like that, but ASU gets a MUCH needed TD to keep its momentum.@DevilsDigest pic.twitter.com/PmQfOYTKP4
SAM LEAVITT INJURED: ASU's quarterback takes a hard hit on a scramble and stays down. Backup QB Jeff Sims is warming up.
Arizona State has the ball to start the second quarter, 1st and 10 at the 50-yard line.
1ST QUARTER UPDATES
END OF 1ST QUARTER: Arizona State 6, Utah 6
ASU TOUCHDOWN! Sam Leavitt throws a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jordyn Tyson, but the PAT is no good. ASU 6, Utah 6 with 2:04 left in the 1st quarter.
ASU's scoring drive covered 81 yards in 11 plays. Leavitt converted a 4th-and-7 with a 9-yard scramble to keep the drive alive. He threw the TD pass to Tyson on the next play.
The SL10 to JT0 connection grows 😈
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 12, 2024
📺 ESPN
📻 https://t.co/0CMltGlRNn pic.twitter.com/97l9MQ7ivZ
UTAH FIELD GOAL: The Utes take a 6-0 lead on a 40-yard field goal by Cole Becker. Terrific job by ASU's defense not giving ground after the turnover. Utah QB Cam Rising does not look right. It appears he's having a tough time gripping the football and his passes look like shot puts. I would not be surprised to see freshman Isaac Wilson soon.
UTAH INTERCEPTION: ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt gets hit on a third-down throw and the ball flutters into the hands of Utah lineman Junior Tafuna. Utah takes over at ASU's 28-yard line. Not an ideal start for the Sun Devils.
UTAH FIELD GOAL: The Utes cap their opening drive with a 48-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. Utah QB Cam Rising, playing with a glove on his throwing hand, looked rusty and was off target on several throws. The Utes were pounding the Sun Devils on the ground, but the drive stalled when Rising couldn't convert on 3rd-and-long. The drive covered 48 yards on 12 plays. 9:57 left in the 1st quarter.
Official kickoff time is 7:35 p.m. MST. ASU's Mountain America Stadium is mostly full, but definitely not a sellout.
Arizona State wins the coin toss and defers to the second half. Utah will start with the ball, with Cam Rising at quarterback.
PREGAME UPDATES
Utah quarterback Cam Rising is warming up with a glove on his throwing hand.
Cam Rising is set to make his return tonight after missing the last three games due to an injury suffered on his throwing hand. @SunDevilSource https://t.co/giJzG0XfMo pic.twitter.com/IssWjc6zJS
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) October 12, 2024
We're about 15 minutes away from kickoff at Mountain America Stadium and the temperature is 95 degrees. Much cooler than last week's kickoff temperature of 107.
Don't forget, this is a matchup between the preseason favorite in the Big 12 (Utah) and the preseason favorite to finish last (Arizona State).
Game Ready 😈 pic.twitter.com/qCQ23gkzxB
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 12, 2024
It’s 7 pm on Friday, it’s 95 degrees… pic.twitter.com/0vvmQ3rpmE
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 12, 2024
More Arizona State vs. Utah 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.