
Arizona State and Mississippi State each got here off spectacular season-opening house wins and productive performances from their beginning quarterbacks.
The Solar Devils and Bulldogs will meet for the primary time Saturday in Tempe, Arizona.
Arizona State College’s Sam Leavitt (from Michigan State College) accomplished 14 of twenty-two passes for 258 yards, scored two touchdowns, and was not intercepted, serving to the workforce beat Wyoming 48-7.
Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen, a switch from Baylor, handed for 247 yards on 15 of 20 go makes an attempt with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 56-7 win over Jap Kentucky. College.
Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, did not throw the ball deep usually in his first collegiate begin in opposition to Wyoming. He averaged 11.7 yards per completion.
The Solar Devils ran the ball 49 occasions, whereas Levitt ran the ball 22 occasions.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham informed reporters on Monday that he did not “act scared” in opposition to Leavitt regardless of the restricted variety of passes, together with few lengthy throws.
“On the second possession, we threw the ball deep and he made an important throw, so we weren’t going to be afraid to play him,” Dillingham stated. “The ethical of the story is we will be aggressive with him.”
Leavitt (8 carries for 47 yards) was a part of a balanced speeding assault that included Cam Skattebo with 11 carries for 49 yards and DeCarlos Brooks with six carries. 47 yards.
Shapen’s efficiency in opposition to Jap Kentucky as a senior helped Jeff Lebby win his first recreation as head coach after spending time at UCF (2019), Ole Miss (2020-21) ) and Oklahoma State (2022-2022) as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“I am grateful for this chance at my new place at Mississippi State, and I do know many others really feel that manner,” stated Shapen, who threw for greater than 5,500 yards in three seasons at Baylor.
Mississippi State’s protection had 4 features in opposition to Jap Kentucky, together with Elijah Cannon’s 51-yard interception return for a landing.
Arizona State’s protection had an interception and a fumble recovered for a landing in opposition to the Cowboys.
“What I noticed was a workforce popping out of Arizona State that was stuffed with confidence and excessive power,” Lebby stated. “There’s loads of pleasure of their stadium and we now have an enormous problem forward of us.”
–Scene-level media