Whether it’s Clemson or Texas, Arizona State is set to be without a key contributor in the first half of the 2025 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Sun Devils’ safety Shamari Simmons was ejected for a controversial targeting call in the Big 12 Championship, which happened on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
Simmons comes untouched on a blitz and obliterates Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, but there’s a clear argument that Becht drops his center of gravity and falls into the head-to-head collision when trying to scramble.
Last Monday, head coach Kenny Dillingham told media that he would be appealing the call in hopes of Simmons being able to play in the first half of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day.
“You know it was unfortunate. Shamari knew he saw the quarterback looking away, so he made an emphasis to keep his head up, and then at the last second, you can see the quarterback turn towards him and lower himself a little bit. And that little bit of the turning and lowering is what actually created the contact with the neck area,” Dillingham said.
Now, a week later, it appears that we have an answer on Simmons’ status. According to Chris Karpman of 247Sports, Simmons’ initial appeal was unsuccessful, but Dillingham plans to have one more discussion on the matter.
Not having Simmons available for the first half of such a huge game would be a major blow for the Arizona State defense.
Simmons, a senior, ranks fourth on the team in tackles (70) and is tied for the team lead with seven tackles for loss. He also holds the team lead for forced fumbles (3) on the season and has one interception, three PBUs and four quarterback hurries on the year.
Arizona State awaits the winner of Clemson vs. Texas, who will play in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, December 21. The Longhorns are currently an 11.5-point favorite at home.
