“I don’t think I watched it go through the uprights,” Gomez said. “I knew it was in, so I just turned and started celebrating.” 

Coming off an opening three games that can only be described as disappointing relative to the standard set by Arizona State football in 2024, the Sun Devils needed a win more than ever to open up Big 12 conference play on the road against a formidable Baylor offense. 

ASU found itself in a dogfight with the Bears, as both teams struggled to put points on the board, primarily due to penalties, and, in the Bears' case, turnovers. 

Despite the offensive struggles, the Sun Devils prevailed thanks to Gomez's late-game heroics, kicking a 43-yard field goal as time expired to secure victory for ASU 27-24. 

Gomez, who joined the team following three seasons at Eastern Michigan, played hero in tonight's matchup, securing victory for the Sun Devils in the final seconds of the game. 

Having a reliable kicker hasn’t always been a guarantee for ASU, as the squad dealt with many issues regarding the kicking room throughout last season's campaign. 

While the Sun Devils' win might look good on paper, it was far from what it could have been as ASU’s offense left points on the field all night long. 

The Sun Devils defense had arguably its most impressive performance of the young season, forcing three turnovers and limiting an explosive Baylor offense to 24 points. 

ASU’s offensive issues arose following these turnovers, as costly penalties hindered the Sun Devils' offense, limiting them to only nine points off turnovers on the night. 

Failing to capitalize on these opportunities consistently allowed the Bears to get back into the game and prevented ASU from putting the game away on numerous occasions. 

Head coach Kenny Dillingham echoed this sentiment, as he said the Sun Devils shouldn’t have needed a game-winning kick to win the game. 

“A game that you’re up three to zero in the turnover battle should not come down to a game-winning kick,” Dillingham said. “That's football.” 

Dillingham turned to the run game in an effort to keep the ball out of the hands of star redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson and the Baylor offense. 

“You can’t play that team 14 possessions with how many shots they take with how explosive they are,” Dillingham said. “Eventually, those [shots] are going to hit.”

ASU succeeded in limiting Baylor's offensive possessions for the most part, running the ball 48 times and dominating the time of possession battle 36:35 to 23:25. 

While it wasn’t exactly his night, redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt still filled the stat sheet, throwing for 221 yards and one touchdown while picking up 62 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well. 

The highlight of Leavitt's night, however, came as the Sun Devils were backed up against their own 13-yard line on third down when he let drilled redshirt sophomore receiver Derek Eusebio across the middle of the field for a 61-yard completion. 

Shortly after, Leavitt found redshirt junior receiver Jordyn Tyson in the endzone to bring ASU level with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

Tyson, who rooms with Eusebio, had high praise for his roommate following his game-changing play.

“I think he's one of the better receivers on this team,” Tyson said. “Seeing him get his shot and maximizing it means the world to me.” 

Dillingham also held high praise for Eusebio’s game, speaking to his reliability and how they want to get him more snaps as the season progresses.

“You can trust he's gonna be where he's gonna be; he's versatile,” Dillingham said. “We gotta get him in the game more, because at the end of the day, when he was in, he was productive.” 

Redshirt senior tight end Chamon Metayer followed up an impressive outing last weekend against Texas State with another productive performance, which saw him catch six passes for 55 yards, many of which were crucial third-down conversions for the Sun Devils. 

ASU struggled on third down all night, converting just 6 of 17 attempts and holding back opportunities to capitalize on turnovers. 

Dillingham emphasized how costly scoring nine points off three turnovers was to the team's success, forcing ASU into a situation to rely on Gomez’s leg to win the game. 

“We're up three-zero in the turnover margin, have more yards, more time of possession, and were kicking a game-winning field goal,” Dillingham said. “This should not be this close of a game; we won too many of the critical situations.” 

Yet again, penalties were a prevailing issue for a floundering Sun Devils offense, as they racked up seven penalties for 70 yards, many of which brought back chunk plays and critical first downs. 

On a night where many expected the offenses to take over, the Sun Devils defense prevailed, forcing three turnovers, including two fumbles and an interception by standout junior defensive back Keith Abney II. 

“Defensively, we knew the challenge we were gonna have, knowing they were gonna throw the ball a lot,” Abney said. 

Abney made sure to show out on Saturday evening, as he grew up in Dallas and had family in the stands.

“It was good getting a pick in front of the family,” Abney said. “I had to jump in the crowd.”

Despite the victory, Dillingham agrees that ASU has a lot of work to do ahead of its upcoming conference matchup against TCU.

“You go in every Sunday and you find out what you get better at, and then you get better,” Dillingham said. “It doesn't matter if we won or lost, we’ve got to go get better.” 

The undefeated Horned Frogs are set to face off against the Sun Devils on Friday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. MST as ASU attempts to keep its win streak at Mountain America Stadium alive. 

“We need this place to be rocking,” Dillingham said. “We need a competitive advantage with the crowd, not just people showing up.”