While the Red Raiders landed a comeback punch, the Sun Devils responded with a gut-punch as sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt connected in stride with junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson for a 33-yard gain to the 22-yard line. With a sold-out Mountain America Stadium roaring, ASU followed by landing the knockout blow on a touchdown run by junior running back Raleek Brown to solidify a 26-22 upset victory on Saturday, Oct. 18, as students stormed the field in celebration.

Leavitt said his decision to throw the football after initially appearing to run for the first down came out of improv, as he saw Tyson down the field and wanted to take advantage.  

“[I] saw JT… So I ran at him, and I just turned it up the field and found him on the play,” Leavitt said postgame.

ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said he wasn’t surprised by his quarterback’s game-changing improvisation.

“That’s called Sam,” Dillingham said postgame. “You guys give us coaches way too much credit, [that was] him.” 

Brown, who scored the game-defining TD, said the week of practice following a 32-point loss to Utah influenced the team’s ability to fight through adversity.

“Practice felt different,” Brown said of the uptick in intensity during his team’s practice. “We played physically the whole week of practice.”  

Senior linebacker and leader Keyshaun Elliott shared a similar sentiment to Brown about practice, saying it offered the team a chance to respond to Dillingham’s claim that they had gone soft following a subpar performance against the Utes.

“Coach [Dillingham] did a good job holding us accountable,” Elliott said. “It was kind of just a wake-up call.”

Elliott said despite the change in practice habits, the team’s approach didn’t change.

“We're gonna go out there and play physical and run through your month and play hard for four quarters,” Elliott said. 

Dillingham said the loss to Utah forced his team not to get complacent, a key factor in Saturday's rejuvenating win. 

“We don't win this game if we beat Utah,” Dillingham said. “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.” 

Despite the Sun Devils taking possession at their own 25-yard line and Texas Tech scoring on one play to take the lead – freshman quarterback Will Hammond found senior wide receiver Reggie Virgil in the front of the end zone – just minutes prior, Leavitt said he wasn’t fazed with the 75-plus yards sitting ahead of the offense. 

“There wasn’t too much worry there,” Leavitt said. “It just was really up to me to put the ball in their hands and have them make plays, and that’s what happened.” 

Leavitt praised the offensive line’s protection on the last-second winning drive, specifically sophomore center Makua Pule, who stepped into the starting role after seventh-year center Ben Coleman suffered a season-ending injury on Oct. 11 against Utah. 

“We had some guys dinged up, and people had to step up,” Leavitt said of the impact and respect Pule demanded from the Red Raiders’ defense line. 

Leavitt likened Pule’s demeanor to that of former Sun Devil Leif Fautanu, who worked under center with him in 2024. 

“He puts his head down and works every single day,” Leavitt said. 

Likewise, Dillingham praised Pule’s ability to slot right in against one of the most talented defensive fronts in the Big 12 and college football. 

“I trust him, and I like him at center,” Dillingham said. “Guess what? The No. 7 team in the country shows up, congratulations, step on up and play.”

As the ASU offensive line stepped up, so did its receiving core. 

Tyson finished Saturday with a game-leading 105 yards receiving and a touchdown, which came after sophomore linebacker Martell Hughes intercepted Hammond and set the Sun Devils up at the Texas Tech 21-yard line. 

However, Tyson wasn’t ASU’s only 100-yard receiver. After recording a single reception all season – one catch for 44 yards against Texas Christian University – sophomore Jaren Hamilton broke out for 101 yards receiving, including a pair of 40-plus yard receptions.

Along with Hamilton and Tyson, senior tight end Chamon Metayer logged four catches for 66 yards. 

In all, Leavitt connected with seven different receivers and targeted nine Sun Devils on 47 attempts, accumulating 319 yards passing.  

Yet when Leavitt didn’t pass, Brown led the ground game on 19 attempts for 80 yards and a touchdown to seal the fate of the Red Raiders. No other running back received a carry, as junior running back Kanye Udoh didn’t appear, and junior running back Kyson Brown sat out due to injury. 

Although ASU finished the day with 394 total yards on the No. 9 defense in the nation, the Sun Devils struggled to finish drives all afternoon – something that has plagued the team all season long.  

On five red zone trips, ASU settled for three field goals, including a drive in the second quarter where the Sun Devils had the ball inside the Texas Tech 2-yard line.

“If we can just get out of our own freaking way,” Dillingham said of the inability to finish drives. “Oh, it's gonna drive me.” 

Although ASU moved the ball, the Red Raiders' front seven posed a challenge to Leavitt. 

Texas Tech sacked Leavitt four times, including back-to-back sacks by senior defensive end David Bailey in the first quarter and a massive sack on third-and-8 in the fourth quarter that put Texas Tech in position to take the lead.

Ultimately, the mistakes ASU made Saturday did not matter, yet Dillingham made it no secret that his team has a long way to go. 

“Lot of things to correct,” Dillingham said.