RECAP: ASU’s Two-Minute Offense Prevails in Upset Over No. 7 TTU

A Raleek Brown touchdown late in the fourth quarter lifted ASU over No. 7 TTU.

Adam Beadle
8–12 minutes

Two-minute drill.

A common but meaningful part of any football practice that Arizona State executed to near perfection in game to knock off No. 7 Texas Tech 26-22 in Tempe on Saturday night.

“We had done really good with control passing all game, so going into that two-minute (drive), you know, there wasn’t too much worry there,” sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt said. “I was just getting our guys dialed, you know, no pre-snap penalties, holdings, taking care of the ball, and, you know, we’re gonna drive down the field, and then it was just really up to me to, you know, put the ball in their hands and have them make plays. That’s what happened.”

After a deflating 32-point loss against Utah on the road last Saturday, the most the Sun Devils had lost a game by since their 55-3 loss against Utah on the road in 2023, ASU’s defense needed to bounce back.

It did just that.

“(The defense) was unbelievable from start to finish,” Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “I mean, that was absolutely unbelievable what they did out there.”

Now, for the ASU, it’s about carrying the momentum from Saturday’s win throughout the rest of the season.

“I think anytime you have a win like this, it rejuvenizes your program, especially after the embarrassment of, I still am going to talk about it because I’m still so embarrassed by it, of (last week),” Dillingham said. “So anytime you can have a win like this, it can definitely put you in the right direction. But the key is, doesn’t make you complacent. 

“You know, the reason we could win this game was because we lost the (Utah) game. We don’t win this game if we beat Utah… We only won this game because we were so embarrassed that our guys had a different level of intensity and focus, and we found it, and now the challenge is, through the praise, can we continue to have it? And so I would say it’s a positive, but it can also be a negative if we don’t use it to continue to drive us.”

Box Score

First Quarter

  • Senior K Jesus Gomez (ASU) 34-yard field goal is good. (3-0, 1:43)

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

TEAM1ST QTR2ND QTR3RD QTR4TH QTRFINAL
ASU3671026
TTU0701522

The Standouts

Arizona State Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback Sam Leavitt

After being out for ASU’s 42-10 loss last Saturday against Utah, Leavitt had one heck of a bounce-back performance. Leavitt finished the game, completing 28-47 of his passing attempts for a career and season-high 319 yards and a touchdown. However, his “right leg” injury, per Dillingham, was apparent, as he totaled three yards on 12 carries, compared to his 58.2 rushing yards per game heading into the matchup against TTU. Despite the avoidance of a potential injury, Leavitt didn’t stop himself from continuing to extend plays with his feet to try and get his wide receivers the ball, including a crucial play in the fourth quarter in which Leavitt connected with junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to keep ASU’s game-winning drive alive. Leavitt eclipsed 1,000 yards passing on the season in ASU’s win.

Arizona State Junior Wide Receiver Jordyn Tyson

Tyson once again showed why he is likely going to be a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft this season. This time it wasn’t because of his big-play abilities; it was his resilience. Tyson went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury after the first play of the Sun Devils second offensive drive in the third quarter. Just a few plays later, Leavitt connected with Tyson on a 2-yard touchdown. Tyson would go on to play the rest of the game.

Arizona State Linebacker Martell Hughes

Hughes has come a long way since his blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown against UCF. Not only did he come down with the game-winning interception in ASU’s last home game against, at the time, No. 24 TCU, but he snagged another one in ASU’s win over TTU during the Red Raiders’ first drive in the second half that put the Sun Devils up in phenomenal field position to score their first touchdown of the game.

“We actually just talked about if he got another pick, what celebration we were going to do,” junior linebacker Keyshaun Elliott said. “So it’s a pretty cool situation, you know, just see him get another pick. But yeah, his growth is, you know, I said it from day one, I knew he’s gonna be a player. He’s gonna be a hell of a player when you know he’s my age, you know, playing in his fourth year of college football.”

Arizona State Senior Kicker Jesus Gomez

Gomez continues to be the shining scoring light that ASU has needed this season with its struggles in the red zone. Although it wasn’t another game-winning kick on Saturday night, the two-time Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week may have potentially sealed his third mention on the year by finishing a perfect 4-for-4 on the night.

Key Plays

  • On third-and-8 with the ball on its own 34-yard line late in the first quarter, Leavitt threw a 49-yard pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jaren Hamilton to set up the opportunity for Gomez to put the first points up on the board for ASU in the game.
  • A testament to the, according to Dillingham,  “unbelieveable” defensive performance by ASU in its win, TTU punted on all four of its drives in the first quarter and was unable to pick up a first down on its first drive in the after ASU’s defensive line brought heavy pressure on TTU redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond, who couldn’t connect with junior wide receiver Coy Eakin. It wasn’t until near the midway point in the second quarter that a Red Raider’s offensive drive didn’t end in a punt or turnover on downs, when TTU scored its first touchdown.
  • Three plays into TTU’s first offensive drive in the second half, Hughes came down with an interception for ASU after sophomore defensive back Montanna Warren popped the ball out of senior tight end Johncarlos Miller II’s hands. ASU would capitalize thanks to a Gomez field goal.
  • ASU’s defense may have gotten its biggest fourth-down stop in the Dillingham era early on in the fourth quarter. TTU had the ball deep inside the red zone at the 8-yard line on fourth-and-6. Hammond handed the ball off to sophomore running back Cameron Dickey, but ASU junior defensive back Javan Robinson would only let Dickey gain one yard, forcing a turnover on downs.
  • The biggest play of the game for ASU came on its final drive. On fourth-and-2 just past midfield, ASU needed to pick up a first down even to have a chance to win the game. Leavitt rolled out to his left, looking like he was going to keep it and run, but he found Tyson, who changed the direction of his route to go inside and get open. Thanks to that play, junior running back Raleek Brown sealed the deal for the Sun Devils.

Sound Off

  • Arizona State senior linebacker Keyshaun Elliot on how the team responded to head coach Kenny Dillingham’s comments earlier in the week about being “soft” on the team: “You know, as older guys, we as veterans, you know, it’s our fourth, fifth year, some guys even six year playing, and sometimes it’s hard to wake up. (Dillingham) did a good job, holding us accountable. We’re going live on a Tuesday practice—you know, whatever week seven of the year—and that’s not all that common. So it’s kind of just a wake-up call for not only him but for us, too. Like we felt his energy, his passion, through it, like it kept us rolling. Our Tuesday practice was, defensively, probably the best Tuesday practice we had all year, just because of that intensity, you know, it’s up the roof. You know, personally, I think whenever we’re gonna come out and play a defensive game, you know? We’re not worried about fitting up the run perfectly. We’re gonna go out there and play physical (and) run through your mouth.”
  • Arizona State junior receiver Jorydn Tyson on what his faith in Jesus has meant to him this season: ” The Bible, I kind of look at it like the instructions in life. As much as I get into the Word, I kind of just elevate my life in every way possible. So just diving into my faith completely, especially with the guys as well, it’s everything to us. Pray to God before you get on the field. And off the field, why won’t you praise him as well and do stuff like that? So my faith is everything. I feel like it’s the reason why I took that next step this season. I feel like it’s the reason why I’m more locked in during the week, and just everything, day-to-day, decision-making, just everything.”
  • Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham on sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt still making big plays against Texas Tech despite being banged up: “That’s Sam. You know, I was just glad he didn’t play basketball this week. You know, that’s what people think a competitor like that does (during a bye week). It’s disgusting. The dude’s a baller. He’s a competitor. He’s a fighter. He wants to do everything he can to get on that field for his team. He was ready to play this week. I felt he was ready to play this week.”
  • Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham on what the win over No. 7 Texas Tech in front of a big crowd means for college football after coming off a deflating loss against Utah on the road: “Yeah, I think it’s awesome. I think the parody and college football now, it’s just, it’s crazy. Anybody can beat anybody any week, the way it’s set up, and everybody builds programs different ways. I mean, it’s just the way you build programs is so different nowadays, and there’s some things that I believe in that we’re going to continue to do here forever, until I get fired, and that’s just kind of how it’s gonna work.”

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