Quinn Ewers outplays Sam Leavitt late as Peach Bowl ends in heartbreak for Arizona State
Coming into Wednesday's Peach Bowl matchup vs. Texas, Sam Leavitt was not shy about letting the college football world know he had arrived.
His comments about wanting to face off against Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers so he could prove "why I'm the better quarterback" were shared far and wide.
Leavitt had reason to be confident, coming into the matchup with a better quarterback rating and a six-game stretch where he had thrown 16 touchdown passes and just one interception.
But when the Peach Bowl was on the line, Ewers delivered and Leavitt didn't. Texas won 39-31 in a double-overtime thriller that had more twists and turns than any College Football Playoff game in recent memory.
Leavitt had some unbelievable moments in the game, but the game ended with him throwing an interception on a 3rd-and-8 play in double overtime. It was just his sixth interception of the season. Arizona State needed a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game and send it to a third overtime. Here's the interception:
TEXAS INTERCEPTION ON SAM LEAVITT
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) January 1, 2025
GAME OF THE YEAR
pic.twitter.com/0m7cDEhdY8
Leavitt was harrassed by the Longhorns' defensive line all game and finished 24-of-46 for 222 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He was magical with his legs, rushing 13 times for 60 yards, including an incredible 16-yard scramble on a 3rd-and-14 play in the first overtime.
Sam Leavitt 🫡🫡🫡 pic.twitter.com/s1VK4hPpiH
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) January 1, 2025
Leavitt was inaccurate on several throws in the first half, but found a better rhythm in the second half. He clearly missed his favorite target, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Leavitt was understandably emotional after the game.
"I just want to really cherish everything that comes with the season," Leavitt said after the loss to Texas. "This group of guys is so special. ... I've got another year, but I'm just going to go into this next season and not take anything for granted."
Ewers struggled mightily in the second and third quarters, but found a groove in the fourth quarter and overtime. He finished 20-of-30 for 322 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Ewers' interception was a really bad pass that should not have been thrown. It allowed Arizona State to get the ball back and drive for the game-tying score.
Ewers was unbelievable in overtime, though. He threw two touchdown passes, including a do-or-die 28-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden on a 4th-and-13 play in the first overtime. If that pass had fallen incomplete, Arizona State would have won the game. But Ewers threw a dart to Golden to tie the game, and followed up with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm on the first play of the second overtime.
Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, now has an offseason to get better and build on his breakout 2024 season. He'll be considered one of the best returning quarterbacks in college football in 2025 and has already been mentioned on early Heisman Trophy watch lists.
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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.