Sam Leavitt threw three touchdown passes, two to Jordyn Tyson, and Arizona State defeated UCF 35-31 on Saturday.

In a game that featured five lead changes, the Sun Devils (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) took the lead with 4:55 to play on Leavitt’s 13-yard pass to Tyson.

“It’s an incredible connection right now,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “Sam knew they were in a one-on-one cover battle. He bought some time and then knew there was a one-on-one in the corner, launched him, gave him a jump ball and great job by Jordyn to get him.

Arizona State played without star running back Cam Skattebo, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

RJ Harvey rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns for UCF (4-6, 2-5). But he was stopped on fourth-and-2 with 3:18 to play and the Knights didn’t get the ball back until 5 seconds were left, and they could only complete a short pass as time ran out.

“I felt like our defense was getting a little tired,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. “We put the ball in the hands of our best player and it didn’t work.”

“Another disappointing defeat. We didn’t play well enough to win.”

Arizona State scored two touchdowns in 9 seconds toward the end of the first half to take a 21-17 lead at the break.

The Sun Devils scored with 56 seconds left in the half on a four-yard pass from Leavitt to Chamon Metayer, cutting the Knights’ lead to 17-14.

Tyson finished with 99 receiving yards in seven catches. Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, was 16 of 25 for 161 yards and ran 11 times for 22 yards.

“People should be excited about the opportunity to build around that and I’m just happy he’s here,” Dillingham said of Leavitt. “Helps me make sure I look good.”

The kickoff was fielded in the end zone by UCF’s Christian Peterson, who didn’t take a knee, tried to run out and was tackled at the 1-yard line. On the next play, LT Welch intercepted Dylan Rizk’s pass and returned it 9 yards for a touchdown with 47 seconds remaining in the half to take a four-point lead.

Earlier, the Sun Devils scored when Martell Hughes blocked a punt and Montana Warren returned it 46 yards for a touchdown.

UCF defeated Arizona State 406-260, but five false start penalties and a 46-yard field goal attempt that bounced off the goal post in the fourth quarter helped sink the Knights’ hopes.

UCF (4-6, 2-5) dominated time of possession in the first half, controlling the ball for 19 minutes and outscoring Arizona State 227-103. Rizk was 8 for 8 on the opening drive, which went 13 plays for 75 yards and lasted 7:14. RJ Harvey scored on an 8-yard run.

The Knights’ other first-half TD came when backup quarterback Jacurri Brown ran 6 yards around the left sideline with 4:56 left in the second quarter.

Skattebo, the senior running back with 1,001 yards rushing this season, was out with a shoulder injury. Harvey entered the week third in the nation with 1,201 yards rushing. Skattebo is seventh.

Kyson Brown filled in for Skattebo on Saturday and carried 18 times for 73 yards.

Rizk was 24 for 34 for 229 yards. He made his second career start for UCF after earning a win over Arizona at home last week. Rizk is the fourth quarterback to start for the Knights this season.

The takeaway

UCF: The Knights must win their last two games to be bowl eligible.

Arizona State: Received a few votes in the AP Poll last week and will move closer to consideration with a narrow home win.

Next

UCF: Next week off before traveling to West Virginia on November 23rd.

Arizona State: No. 22 Kansas State on Saturday.

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