It was a Week 11 match up in Tempe, Arizona where Arizona State was hosting UCF, with both teams coming off convincing wins. ASU was fresh off its road win over Oklahoma State, while the Knights were home and beat up in Arizona.
Mathematically, both teams were still technically in the race for a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game. A loss would essentially sink both teams chances for good. In this game, the Sun Devils were able to come back on multiple occasions throughout this game to remain undefeated at home and pull off a 35-31 win over UCF.
Here are the three biggest takeaways on the game.
No Skattebo, No Problem
Arizona State did not have arguably its best player in running back Cam Skattebo, but was able to pull off the win, despite being outgained in almost every metric. UCF has nearly 150 more total yards (406-260) than Arizona State, more first downs (26-18) and won the time of possession.
But it was Arizona State who played the smarter and more efficient football game on Saturday night in Tempe.
When it comes to smart, the turning point of this game largely felt like it came at the end of the first half, when UCF led 17-14 with under a minute left until halftime. They elected to throw on first down from inside their five-yard line, which led to an interception and was a huge momentum shift in this game.
Arizona State ended up taking a 21-17 lead into halftime. And while UCF would have two different leads in the second half, those free seven points for the Sun Devils clearly played a big role in the outcome of this game.
The Game-Winning Drive for Sam Leavitt
With Arizona State taking over at their own 29-yard line after UCF missed a field goal, Sam Leavitt had a season-defining drive for Arizona State to keep the Sun Devils in the Big 12 race.
The drive was nine plays, with Leavitt passing or running on eight of them, and then eventually finding Jordyn Tyson in the end zone for a 13-yard score, which put the Sun Devils on top for good. Leavitt finished 16/25 for 161 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The stats don’t jump off the page, but his poise and leadership were on clear display in this game. The redshirt freshman who transferred from Michigan State now has this program at 7-2 following a 3-9 season and this is the kind of game that every young quarterback needs. He put his team on his back and led them to a victory. And for those who don’t know, Leavitt is only a redshirt freshman.
UCF’s Season on the Brink
With the loss, UCF is now 4-6 on the season and 2-5 in Big 12 play. They need to beat West Virginia and Utah to get to bowl eligibility. Last season, UCF went 5-7 to miss a bowl game. This year, many, myself included, thought UCF could compete for a Big 12 Championship. That’s obviously not going to happen.
And Saturday’s loss was the third of five Big 12 losses by one score or less (Cincinnati, Iowa State, Arizona State).
This was another tough loss for any UCF fan to swallow. They had the better players from top to bottom, beat ASU in most major statistical categories and ended up losing the game. Gus Malzahn is probably plenty safe, but there will be a growing percentage of the fan base who will be vocal about a second-straight season of underachieving.
