Latest news with #ArizonaStateSunDevils
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can Arizona State Sun Devils REPEAT as Big 12 Champions in 2025? Kenny Dillingham propelling ASU
Over in Phoenix, excitement is mounting for the Arizona State Sun Devils football program, and that's big thanks to Kenny Dillingham. After winning the Big 12 Championship and making the College Football Playoff, Arizona State turned many heads last season. Watch here as Kenny Dillingham joins the show and explains his vision for the Sun Devil football program. Do you think the Sun Devils can repeat in the Big 12? Let us know in the comments! Subscribe to On3! ⬇️ Welcome to On3 | The best of college football and recruiting Listen to Andy & Ari On3 on podcast! Spotify 🎧: Apple 🍎: Follow Andy Staples on Twitter: Follow Andy Staples on Instagram: Follow Ari Wasserman on Twitter: Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram Like/Follow us on Facebook Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman Producer: River Bailey
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Sam Leavitt Revels In Arizona State Sun Devil's Fearless Football
Sam Leavitt's last game of the 2024-2025 season was a New Year's Day thriller. Leavitt's Arizona State Sun Devils were down 17-3 in the first half of the Peach Bowl. But soon after the first moments of the second half, the Sun Devils had the high-flying Texas Longhorns on the ropes. But Leavitt said he took nothing for granted, even if Texas, an SEC team, was thought of before the ref's first whistle as the odds-on favorites. 'Walking in that stadium as someone who was (initially) a red shirt freshman, not even supposed to be there, you take it in and really understand the moment,' Leavitt said. The Sun Devils outscored the Longhorns 21-7 in that second half, pushing the game into double overtime, thanks to a one-two punch from the 20-year-old quarterback and their ace running back, Cam Skattebo. Skattebo rushed for 143 yards and scored two touchdowns on 30 carries, while Leavitt provided plenty of air support, passing for 222 yards. During that game, the Sun Devils' defense also did its share, chasing Texas QB Quinn Ewers out of the pocket throughout the game and forcing Longhorns' kicker Bert Auburn to miss two of three field goals. It all came down to the wire down to the wire in double overtime, when down 38-31, Leavitt and ASU made a march toward the endzone. Leavitt's and ASU's only turnover of the game came on a third inside the opposition's 20-yard line when Texas safety Andrew Mukuba boxed out intended receiver Melquan Stovall to pick off Leavitt's pass and end the game. Shown on ESPN, the game was heralded as an 'all-time classic,' and the near upset of one of the SEC's top teams boosted both ASU's profile and Leavitt as one of college football's standout quarterbacks. I joked to Leavitt during our interview this summer that he and his Big 12 champion team not only played one of Arizona State's most memorable games, but almost made Matthew McConnaghey cry. 'I'm a big fan of him,' Leavitt said of the Oscar Award-winning actor and Longhorns diehard. 'But that would have been great.' That said, Leavitt says that while he and his team always intended to rise to the moment at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, they knew their opponents were no brush-off. 'I remember seeing the Texas player No. 95,' he said of 6-foot-6, 325-pound defensive lineman Alfred Collins. 'I thought, 'that might be the biggest player I've ever played against'.' Last year's Peach Bowl marked the Sun Devils' first major bowl game in over a decade. Last year, ASU football had just joined the Big 12 after leaving the PAC-12 and hadn't had a winning season since 2019. Their position as the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff (CFP) felt like new and exciting territory. 'You look around at all the fans and the situation and really embrace it," Leavitt explained. "Then you go back to it like any other game.' Looking forward to this season, Leavitt said that Skattebo, now a player for the New York Giants, will be missed. But he acknowledged that the Sun Devils are ready to contend for another Big 12 title and much more. 'Obviously, we're not going to try to replace Skat—he's a unique player you can't replace," Leavitt explained. "But what great coaches do is make people play to their strengths, plus we have a bunch of guys who are good with the ball in their hands.' Leavitt said that one of the reasons he wanted to come to Arizona State after spending his first year with the Michigan State Spartans was to work under Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham. Dillingham joined ASU in 2023 and is the first ASU alumnus to win the Sun Devils' head coaching role. Projected to finish dead last in the Big 12 last season, Dillingham and ASU instead won the Big 12 Championship. 'I learned a lot at Michigan State, watched a lot of tape there, learned the college game, and all that game gave me a lot of confidence coming in,' Leavitt said. 'But part of the reason I wanted to come here was because of what Coach Dillingham had with other quarterbacks, like Bo Nix.' Dillingham held the roles of both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon, prior to being tapped by Arizona State as head coach. 'Some of the biggest things,' Leavitt said he takes from Dillingham's coaching are, 'situational football and understanding when to take risks, plus my role and how to treat people. He teaches you how to interact with your peers better.' VIDEO: Sam Leavitt on fire at last season's Peach Bowl versus Texas. Leavitt knew that after his first year at Michigan State, entering the transfer portal might bring him to a new team and a new challenge, but that earning a starting quarterback role was his ultimate goal. 'It was about showing the team I'm a hard worker, showing who I am as a competitor," Leavitt said. "Then, once you win the job, it's about playing well.' Leavitt says that now, after such a successful run last season, he feels like the possibilities are endless for Arizona State. But also, he thinks his coaching staff and ASU's system are built in a way in which he can play his game to its fullest. 'At times when it's, say, third down and 8, you might take more risk knowing that if you take a sack, who cares—you're not going to go on 4th and long,' Leavitt said. 'It's something that we're comfortable with.' Overall, Leavitt hints that now, like other perennial contenders such as Oregon and even Alabama, the Sun Devils' style of football is not a particularly conservative one. But her said in order to thrive in risky situations, the Sun Devils focus on fundamentals and team chemistry. 'When we're out there, we treat third down like second down. People might say we play risky, but we know certain times like those are the game changers. And we know how to do it.' ESPN just named Leavitt among its '40 most important players in college football in 2025' last week, also calling Leavitt one of the three most important players in the Big 12 title race. Meanwhile, there have been whispers from Steelers fans and writers hoping that the 6-foot-2 sophomore might become their next franchise quarterback. Joining Leavitt on the field are a number of exciting players, including wide receiver Jaren Hamilton, a transfer who came in after playing only a few times over two seasons at Alabama. There's also rookie Jai'Storm Knight on the offensive line, who will be instrumental in closing gaps and providing protection, to provide more opportunity for Leavitt to shine. Sports Illustrated has predicted that ASU will win another Big 12 title and easily secure a spot in the NCAA postseason. But Leavitt thinks that No. 11-ranked Arizona State's best scenario will involve the Sun Devils playing their own relentless, fast-paced way, while facing down other Top 25-ranked Big 12 teams like BYU, Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Iowa State. 'This season, we'll focus on opening up things, with a lot more controlled passing,' Leavitt said. "And there are some new things on my task list that I'm pretty excited about for this season.' Read Frye's interviews with Coach Prime and Barry Sanders. ##
Miami Herald
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Arizona State Football Preview 2025: Sun Devils Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players
Arizona State Sun Devils Key to the Season Hit your passes, Sam helped to have a back like Cam Skattebo to take all the heat off the passing game. Run No. 4, make teams cheat up to deal with the run, and boom - the throws were there. Skattebo is gone, and now it's on star quarterback Sam Leavitt to do even State was 10-0 when Leavitt hit 60% of his throws, and was 1-3 when he didn't. The one win came against Mississippi State when Skattebo went off and the team ran for a season-high 346 yards. Arizona State Sun Devils Key Player Kanye Udoh, RB Kyson Brown. To Moneyball this, can the combination of Brown and Udoh, and transfer from Army, combine to match the 1,711 rushing yards and 21 scores, and the 45 catches for 605 yards and three scores that Cam Skattebo ripped off? No, but they can be is a good veteran, and Udoh is a tough, quick runner who averaged over six yards per carry with 1,117 yards and ten scores last year. However, he only caught two passes with the Knights.2025 Arizona State PreviewArizona State Offense BreakdownArizona State Defense Breakdown Arizona State Sun Devils Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: Nyland Green, CB State is already set at corner, but it got another strong option who should find a spot somewhere in the secondary pecking order. Green was a big recruit for Georgia, but he didn't do much in his three season, he made 23 tackles with five broken passes and two sacks, but he missed a bulk of the year hurt. One of the better corners in the portal, ASU got him. Top Transfer Out: Markeston Douglas, TE State didn't lose any key players through the transfer portal, and that includes Douglas. He was a strong part of the Florida State offense, making 25 grabs with four scores in two years, and then he came to Tempe and caught just one pass for three yards. Now he's back at … Florida State. Arizona State Sun Devils Key Game at Utah, Oct. 11The 2025 Utes should be the team everyone thought the 2024 Utes would be. Arizona State gets a week off to prepare for the old school Pac-12 vs Pac-12 battle - a 27-19 win over the Sun Devils last year - and it might turn into one of the key games in the Big 12 title chase.- 2025 Arizona State Schedule Breakdown Arizona State Sun Devils Top 10 Players 1. Jordyn Tyson, WR Jr. 2. Sam Leavitt, QB Soph. 3. Xavion Alford, S Sr. 4. Keyshaun Elliott, LB Sr. 5. Myles Rowser, S Sr. 6. Chamon Metayer, TE Sr. 7. Prince Durbah, DE Sr. 8. CJ Fite, DT Jr. 9. Javan Robinson, CB Jr. 10. Jordan Crook, LB Sr. Arizona State Sun Devils 2024 Fun Stats - Fumbles: Opponents 14 (lost 7), Arizona State 6 (lost 3)- Time of Possession: Arizona State 32:37, Opponents 27:23- 2nd Quarter Scoring: Arizona State 156, Opponents 77 Arizona State Sun Devils 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen Arizona State has the experience, the stars, the depth, and the mojo to keep it all going and be one of the best teams in the Big 12 again, and the it'll need something special to come close to matching last year's success. Going to Mississippi State is an under-the-radar early problem that could be a stumble, and there are few breaks in the Big 12 slate after an almost-certain win over Texas no BYU, Kansas State, or Oklahoma State to deal with. That's huge, and Cincinnati, Kansas, and UCF will all be better, and they're missing from the year's team was able to get to, and win, the Big 12 Championship with losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati along the way, and there will be at least two losses this time, too. The three road games at Baylor, Iowa State, and Utah are all landmines, and while home games against Houston and West Virginia should be wins, TCU, Texas Tech, and Arizona aren't won't be The Arizona State Win Total At … 8.5Likely Wins: Northern Arizona, Texas State50/50 Games: Arizona, at Baylor, at Colorado, Houston, at Iowa State, at Mississippi State, TCU, Texas Tech, at Utah, West VirginiaLikely Losses: No projected sure-thing losses 2025 Arizona State PreviewArizona State Offense BreakdownArizona State Defense Breakdown © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phil Mickelson Has Strong Comments on LIV Golf Amid PGA Tour Season
Phil Mickelson Has Strong Comments on LIV Golf Amid PGA Tour Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Phil Mickelson, now 54, has enjoyed an extraordinary career with 57 professional victories, including 45 on the PGA Tour, which ties him for eighth all-time. He also has won six major championships. But in many ways, his decision to join LIV Golf may be the most significant pivot in his professional life. Advertisement The former Arizona State Sun Devils standout turned pro in 1992 and remains one of the sport's most influential voices. He embraced the LIV Golf format and continues to be one of its strongest advocates. In a recent interview with Golf Digest's Jamie Kennedy, Mickelson shared passionate thoughts on the state of LIV Golf and its progress. "Phil was asked yesterday about his current assessment of where LIV Golf is," Kennedy posted. "Here's his full 2.5 minute answer." When asked about his assessment of the LIV Golf landscape, Mickelson didn't hold back. 'I think that LIV has made some incredible strides in getting to where we want this to be. It will get there. I don't know the exact timeline. That is, we want all the best players in the world to be able to compete against each other more often and on a global scale.' Advertisement He continued, contrasting LIV with the traditional PGA Tour model he followed for decades: 'The model I was part of for decades just didn't allow for that. We rarely played each other. We never had elevated events. Outside of the majors, we didn't all compete against each other. And we couldn't move the tour internationally. That's frustrating—for sponsors, for fans who are paying for events and television coverage and don't know what they're getting. When fans don't get to see the best players, that's tough. LIV's model is what the sport needs to succeed.' Mickelson pointed to recent events as proof that LIV is setting the right course: 'We saw it even at last week's signature event. Players will do what's best for them unless contractually obligated, just like in the NFL or MLB. That model, when brought to LIV, has helped make professional golf a global sport.' Phil Mickelson at the Masters Tournament.© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Mickelson will compete in the upcoming U.S. Open, which marks the fifth and final year of the exemption he earned when he won the 2021 PGA Championship. It could be his last opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam, as the U.S. Open is the only major he hasn't won. Advertisement His recent record at the U.S. Open has been rough. He has missed the cut three years in a row. The last time he made the cut was in 2021, when he tied for 62nd. His best shot came in 2013, when he tied for second — the most recent of six runner-up finishes at the event. Whether he can add one more legendary moment to his Hall of Fame career remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Mickelson is betting big on LIV, and he's not looking back. Related: Scottie Scheffler Earns New Nickname After 16th PGA Tour Win Related: Rory McIlroy Sends Strong Message to Scottie Scheffler After 16th PGA Tour Win This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Longhorns' Will Stone is guest speaker at 2024-25 Austin Area High School Sports Awards
Texas Longhorns place kicker Will Stone (15) kicks off in the fourth quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 1, 2025. The 2024-25 Austin Area High School Sports Awards, Presented by Thomas J. Henry Law, are happy to announce Texas Longhorns kicker Will Stone as the guest speaker for its live show on June 6 at The Long Center: Dell Hall. Entering his senor season this fall, Stone has played in 43 games so far in his career, mostly on kickoffs. Advertisement This past season, he kicked off 98 times for 6,236 yards, with a career-high 56 touchbacks. The Austin Area High School Sports Awards, Presented by Thomas J. Henry Law, is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards program. He also handled extra point duties in Texas' national semifinal game against Ohio State, going 2-for-2. Stone is a native of Austin and a graduate of Regents High School, where he was an all-state selection. The 2024-25 Austin Area High School Sports Awards, Presented by Thomas J. Henry Law, are part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards program. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be obtained here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Will Stone is guest speaker at Austin Area High School Sports Awards
