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    • Arizona State football improves to 3-0 with win over Texas State
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    Arizona State football improves to 3-0 with win over Texas State

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    SAN MARCOS, Texas — Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham knew he had to get more out of his passing game this week than he did last week. The Sun Devils’ gaudy numbers running the ball against Mississippi State a week ago would surely ensure that this week’s opponent, Texas State, would fill the box and challenge them to throw.

    ASU did what it had to do, defeating the Bobcats 31-28 on Thursday night at UFCU Stadium. ASU is now 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2019 and equals its win total from last season, when it was 3-9.

    More ASU football news: How Good Is ASU’s Cam Skattebo? Even Christian McCaffrey Noticed It

    Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, making his first career road game, finished with 246 yards passing on a 19-for-30 effort. The biggest beneficiary was sophomore Jordyn Tyson who caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. The Michigan State transfer had a 52-yard scoring pass to Tyson late in the second quarter that proved to be a highlight of the night.

    Leavitt was intercepted in the third quarter when he knocked over tight end Markeston Douglas and the ball was intercepted by Chris Mills. It was his only turnover in three games this season.

    It was a contrast from last week when 346 of the team’s 415 yards came on the ground. This week, the rushing game was unproductive as ASU managed just 101 total rushing yards with Cam Skattebo limited to 62.

    The fact that Leavitt led the team from a two-touchdown deficit on the road came as no surprise to Dillingham.

    “That’s exactly what I thought,” Dillingham said. “He’s a competitor. He’s a total competitor, so when he gets back out there, I have total confidence because he’s smart and he cares. He competes and he’s passionate. He got hit, I mean destroyed, shocked. And it was like it never happened. He just showed up like he was playing strong safety. That’s the mentality of how he plays the game. When you have a quarterback that plays like that, guys rally behind him. Those guys see him get hit like that and get back up, it gives people energy.”

    Leavitt’s career-best was 258 in the opener against Wyoming. He fell 12 yards short on Thursday but was ready to rise to the challenge. He also ran for 40 yards, accounting for three sacks. He had a 40-yard run that set the stage for a 2-yard run by Skattebo to tie the game at 28 with 2:17 left in the third quarter.

    “It was super fun to be in this atmosphere, an away game, just having 30,000 fans here and being able to lead the offense, play with the guys that I’ve been around since day one. It was a lot of fun,” Leavitt said.

    ASU heads back on the road next week to open Big 12 play at Texas Tech (1-1).

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