Sun Devils upset No. 7 Texas Tech in dramatic fashion

Pure chaos.

Few in Tempe imagined that it would be them storming the field this season. Not after last year’s success. Not after preseason optimism suffered a setback when Mississippi State fans flooded their field in celebration. And certainly not after last week’s 42–10 humiliation in Salt Lake City.

Everything pointed to another long, painful night. Arizona State was hosting No. 7 Texas Tech, the undisputed giant of the Big 12. The Red Raiders arrived with swagger and a $28 million roster, loaded with the nation’s top transfer portal class, according to On3.

They weren’t just good. They were terrifying. The country’s top-ranked offense, averaging 558.2 yards and 47.5 points per game. Third in passing, fourteenth in rushing, and ninth in total defense. A team that bulldozed for 372 rushing yards last week, the same week ASU’s defense was torn apart for 276. Every stat, every prediction, every expert said the same thing: Texas Tech would roll.

But when head coach Kenny Dillingham’s Sun Devils are backed against a wall, they ignite. The same defense that was shredded a week ago roared to life, smothering the Red Raiders and allowing just one touchdown by halftime—and by the final whistle, the fewest points Texas Tech had allowed all season. Then came Sam Leavitt. The sophomore quarterback stood tall under pressure, throwing for 319 yards and leading a final drive that will live forever in Tempe lore. When his offense crossed the goal line, belief turned to shock, and shock to pure euphoria. The clock hit zero, and chaos erupted. Fans poured over the walls, a sea of gold swallowing the night in disbelief and joy. Arizona State (5–2, 3–1 Big 12) beat Texas Tech (6–1, 3–1 Big 12) 26-22.

A night that began with little hope ended in legend.

“I think anytime you have a win like this, it rejuvenates your program, especially after the embarrassment last week,” Dillingham exclaimed. “…The reason we could win this game is because we lost the game prior. We don’t win this game if we beat Utah, we don’t win this game if we have it close to Utah, we only won this game because we were so embarrassed that our guys have a different level of intensity and focus, and we found it.” 

The last time ASU beat a top 10 team, the air in Tempe crackled with disbelief. November 23, 2019, freshman Jayden Daniels stunned No. 6 Oregon and future NFL star Justin Herbert. Both are NFL staples now. And standing where Daniels once stood, Leavitt looked every bit like the next one up.

Back in the spring, Dillingham had one demand for his quarterback: master the quick game. Fast reads, faster throws. Against a Texas Tech defense ranked fifth nationally in sacks, that growth would be tested, and it showed. Leavitt completed a season-high 28 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown, commanding the moment like he’d never been hurt.

Days earlier, it was unclear if he’d play after missing Utah with a lower-body injury. Once cleared, he looked fearless, slicing through a top defense and spreading the ball to seven receivers.

“It’s unbelievable,” Dillingham reflected. “Sometimes you don’t know that something could be a blessing. I think the fact that he did hurt his lower leg forced him to throw and play the game a little bit differently. And I think it clicked. And the last two games have been his best two games, in my opinion, of doing that because he hasn’t had to play with his legs all the time. There’s the song “God’s greatest gift is unanswered prayers. I think this situation that put him through could have been one of those settings.”

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jaren Hamilton broke through with two huge catches—a 49-yard third-and-eight to set up ASU’s first points and a 45-yard grab a quarter later to spark another drive.

Still, the same ghost lingered: field goals. They’ve haunted ASU all season, nearly costing them against TCU, keeping Baylor alive, and dooming them in Starkville. Dillingham’s message has been simple: finish drives. Yet again, they couldn’t.

Drive after drive, ASU moved with precision but stalled near the end zone. Texas Tech offered little more, leaving the first half tense and grinding. After two ASU field goals and five empty Red Raider possessions, redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond, stepping in for injured senior quarterback Behren Morton, finally found the end zone to make it 7–6. 

Another field goal pushed ASU ahead 9–7 at halftime, a score nobody expected, while a storm quietly gathered in the desert.

The first half was controlled by ASU’s stout defense, the same unit that senior linebacker Keysahun Elliott admitted had been “embarrassed” last week. They smothered Hammond, with Elliott himself recording ten tackles, forcing the quarterback to rely on his legs, while holding Texas Tech’s rushing attack — which had ripped through opponents for 372 yards last week — to just 109, most of it coming against prevent coverage late in the half.

“That (loss to Utah) wasn’t us,” Elliott stated. “…We were missing a bunch of tackles, everybody’s not on the same page at the right time. I’d say it was a good bounce-back week, but it all started Tuesday at practice. We came out ready to go. We’re tackling the second period even though we just woke up thirty minutes ago. It kind of set the standard, set the tone for the week. I’m glad to see it showing up on Saturday.”

Through the air, Hammond managed just 167 passing yards, thanks largely to redshirt sophomore Adrian Wilson, who broke up three passes, including three hit-stick tackles, continuing to shine in the absence of injured senior defensive back Xavion Alford.

The defense set the stage for ASU’s first touchdown midway through the third quarter. Hammond’s short pass was jarred into the air by a crushing hit from sophomore defensive back Montana Warren, and sophomore linebacker Martell Hughes leaped in to snatch the interception, turning momentum firmly in ASU’s favor. Seven plays later, Leavitt found junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson on an out route for a touchdown, capping a 10-catch, 105-yard day and putting ASU ahead 16–7.

ASU held Tech at seven until 3:49 left in the game. After kicking their fourth field goal to lead 19–7, it seemed like disaster had been avoided. But Hammond struck quickly. A 3:32 long drive ended in a quarterback sneak touchdown, and a poor 29-yard punt set up a 36-yard return. Suddenly, a 12-yard out route by Hammond found the end zone, and in minutes, Texas Tech had ripped 15 points onto the board, snatching the lead and sending shockwaves through every ASU fan who thought the game was wrapped.

In an instant, the day that had promised celebration teetered on the edge of heartbreak. ASU got the ball back, trailing 22–19, with just two minutes remaining. The weight of an upset, a season revival, and Big 12 title hopes rested on Leavitt’s shoulders. 

Yet Leavitt stood unshaken, calm, and utterly composed.

“We had done really well controlling the ball all game,” Leavitt noted. “So going into those two minutes, there wasn’t much to worry about.”

Leavitt orchestrated a near-perfect 10-play, 75-yard drive in 1:26, highlighted by a 4th-and-5 rollout to Tyson for 33 yards and capped by a pitch to junior running back Raleek Brown for the winning score. It was a moment Leavitt lives for.

“When you get into those moments, it’s just a situation you’re comfortable with, and everything kind of clicks,” Leavitt explained.

In the blink of an eye, the season’s dreams and ambitions roar back to life, a win that, in Dillingham’s words, feels completely rejuvenating.

“We can look at the future. And if this happens, if that happens… who cares?,” Dillingham said. “You show up every day and you win, and if you win, good things happen. You prepare. Good things happen. So I think we’ve got to go back to work. We have five games left. I don’t know if Houston won tonight, but lucky us—if they did, we get another one-loss team that we get to play. I think we’ve hit the record for consecutive one-loss teams; we’ve not played a team that’s had more than one loss all year when we played them.

“So we had another one-loss team at home. Enjoy it tonight, and then move on.”