Texas Longhorns vs. Arizona State Sun Devils: What the Stats Say

The Texas Longhorns face the Arizona State Sun Devils in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Jon Alfano | Dec 31, 2024

The Peach Bowl trophy is displayed next to the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils helmets during the Joint Head Coaches Press Conference at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia on Dec. 31, 2024, ahead of the Peach Bowl College Football Quarterfinal Game on New Years Day. Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian joined Arizona Sun Devils Head Coach Kenny Dillingham at the press conference. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Texas Longhorns were seen as shoe-ins for the College Football Playoff well before the season started. Their next opponent, the Arizona State Sun Devils, were not.

Kenny Dillingham's team, which had finished 3-9 in each of the past two seasons, was picked to finish last in the preseason Big 12 poll. That prediction couldn't have been further from the truth, as the Sun Devils are 11-2 and earned a first-round bye as Big 12 champions.

When these two teams meet in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day, it will be somewhat of a David vs. Goliath matchup, but that's not to discredit either program. They've both had great seasons and are absolutely worthy of competing on the sport's biggest stage.

So, let's take a look at the numbers to see how they stack up.

Offensively, Arizona State is a great example of how stats can be deceiving. The Sun Devils average 423.2 total yards (sixth in Big 12), 224.2 passing yards (10th), 198.8 rushing yards (fourth) and 33.1 points (fourth) per game. However, they have a good quarterback-wide receiver duo in Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, as well as one of the nation's top running backs in Cam Skattebo, who seems very confident heading into this game.

Defensively, the numbers make a bit more sense. The Sun Devils allow an average of 336.9 total yards (fourth in Big 12), 219.4 passing yards (eighth), 117.5 rushing yards (first) and 21.3 points (third) per game. They've also allowed 30 or more points just twice this season.

The Longhorns' defense, which is the best in the SEC and one of the best in the country, will have its hands full against a strong Sun Devils offense. Same goes for the offense, particularly the ground game that was so pivotal in the Longhorns' first-round win over the Clemson Tigers.

These two teams have only met once before, with Texas defeating Arizona State 52-34 in the 2007 Holiday Bowl. Now 18 years later, they meet again with much more on the line this time.