Isn’t it great. After hearing for years-and-years about how superior the SEC conference is compared to the PAC-12, we’ve had three games to start the season pitting heritage PAC-12 teams, USC, Cal, and Arizona State, against the SEC’s LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State. The score: PAC-12 3, SEC Zip. I’m not taking anything away from the great SEC teams up top but the talking heads always acted as though we’d be losers up and down the conference. Although we didn’t have anyone move over to the SEC I’m sure our integration into the Big Ten—if eventually those games are on TV before everyone in the east goes to sleep—will open the rest of the country’s eyes as to how good many of those programs are and have been while operating with a whole lot less money in most cases.
In this one, after holding Mississippi State to back-to-back three-and-outs to start the game, the Sun Devils scored on their first two possessions to go up 10-0 with two minutes left in the 1st Qtr. The Bulldogs would finally get on the board a couple of minutes into the 2nd Qtr on a Kyle Ferris 32 yard field goal. With Arizona State scoring a field goal on their next possession the margin stayed at ten—13-to-3. Less than a minute later the Sun Devils were up 20-3 on a Bulldog fumble returned for TD and then 27-3 by the break after holding Mississippi State at 4th and 1 at the ASU 31 yard line. The Sun Devils would stretch that lead by another three with a field goal to start the 2nd half making it 30-3. But two back-to-back TD’s by the Bulldogs, while holding Arizona State on back-to-back three-and-outs, closed that gap to 30-16 with just two minutes gone in the 4th Qtr. Holding the Sun Devils to a three-and-out and then forcing another punt on their next possession Mississippi State was able to get the score down to a one possession game, 30-23, on an 80 yard pass play for TD from their own 20 yard line with 5:27 left in the game. But one run by Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt and seven by RB Sam Skattebo picked up four first downs and kept the chains and the clock moving all the way to 1st and 10 at the Mississippi State 12 yard line with just 1:37 remaining. Three knees later the Sun Devils were 2-0 to start the season.
In spite of the Sun Devils defense recording three sacks and seven tackles for loss Mississippi State Senior QB Blake Shapen was still able to connect on 60+% of his throws for 268 yards and 2 TD’s—one to WR Kevin Coleman Jr who collected 104 yards on four passes, and the other to Senior RB Devon Booth with their one rushing TD picked up by Senior RB Keyvone Lee who rushed 9 times for 35 yards even though they ended up with just 24 total in the box score due to negative yards picked up primarily by Shapen.
Arizona State Freshman QB Sam Leavitt didn’t exactly set the world on fire in the air connecting on 10-of-20 for just 69 yards without scoring a TD in the air or throwing an interception. But he also rushed 11 times for 68 yards and made it into the end zone twice for Arizona State’s only offensive TD’s. For the rest of the points on the board the credit goes to Sophomore Defensive Lineman CJ Fite for a fumble return for TD and Place Kicker Ian Hershey who was a perfect 3-for-3 in field goals and extra points. Besides Leavitt’s two rushing TD’s, Senior RB Sam Skattebo picked up a career high 262 yards on 33 carries—75% of their 346 yard total on the ground. It was a great win and a far cry from the last two seasons but as the AP wrote for ESPN in The Takeaway regarding the game: “The Sun Devils have turned a 180 so far this fall after two straight 3-9 seasons. But second-year coach Kenny Dillingham will have some fodder for teachable moments after the team nearly wasted a 27-point lead.”