In a remarkable turn of events, the Arizona State Sun Devils staged a formidable late-game rally to overcome the Texas Tech Red Raiders with a final score of 26-22. The game, which took place last Saturday, left fans agape as Sam Leavitt, returning from a foot injury, led a crucial drive ending in Raleek Brown's 1-yard touchdown run with just 34 seconds remaining. The win abruptly handed Texas Tech its first defeat of the season, a team that had previously dominated their competition.
Despite Texas Tech's impressive start to the season, they faced challenges on the field, most notably the absence of starting quarterback Behren Morton due to a knee injury. Their offense, which had been averaging an FBS-best 558.8 yards, was held to just 276 total yards. As ABC15 reported, Texas Tech's coach Joey McGuire stated, "That quarterback changes everything. He's a difference maker," acknowledging the impact of Leavitt. Backup quarterback Will Hammond stepped up for the Red Raiders, managing to score and even put Texas Tech ahead briefly in the fourth quarter.
However, with time still on the clock, Arizona State seized the moment. Arizona State's final drive was a testament to their resilience, starting from their 25 with two minutes left, and was punctuated by clutch plays, including a significant 33-yard completion on a fourth-and-2 to receiver Jordyn Tyson. The Sun Devils' ability to maintain composure under pressure and execute a flawless 2-minute drill became the defining moments of the game. "Going into that 2-minute (drill), there wasn't too much worry there," Leavitt told ESPN, after delivering a stellar performance of 319 passing yards and a touchdown.
A glimmer of hope for a comeback play by Texas Tech was snuffed out when Hammond's last-ditch attempt into the end zone was knocked down, finalizing the Sun Devils' victory. The impact of Leavitt's leadership was underscored by Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, who said, "I’ve never been around a guy who just works to win football games as much as he does and in the biggest moments he makes the biggest plays." Unfortunately, Texas Tech also had to contend with the loss of defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard to a season-ending ankle injury earlier in the week, which proved to be yet another hurdle for the Red Raiders against the aggressive Sun Devils' offense.
The game also witnessed a concerning moment when Texas Tech's tight end Terrance Carter Jr. was carted off the field with an apparent left leg injury, after a mid-air collision. Looking ahead, Texas Tech will be aiming to rebound from this upset as they prepare to play Oklahoma State next Saturday, while Arizona State will be hosting Houston, likely with hopes of building on this critical victory and their track record of dramatic wins.
