“I saw more of an opportunity with (ASU wide receivers) Coach Hines Ward. It’s Hines Ward, man. That's the Hall of Fame receiver, and he knows what he's talking about." ASU WR commit talks about flipping from TCU to Arizona State

Kenny Dillingham announced that Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott is out this week due to a neck stinger injury he suffered in the Oklahoma State game that did sideline him for the rest of that contest. Significant injury as the Sun Devils face RB RJ Harvey, the Big 12's top RB on Saturday.

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Gritty wins have been woven into the Sun Devils' DNA this season, and Saturday night in Tempe was just another of this type of victory. Justin LaCertosa and I break down the Sun Devils' 35-31 win over UCF


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THE ASU VICTORY…

• Gave ASU seven wins in its first nine games for the first time since starting the 2014 season with an 8-1 record.
• Kept ASU undefeated at home this year, improving to 5-0. It is the first time the Sun Devils started 5-0 at home since 2013 (7-0).
• Kept the Sun Devils within a game of second in the Big 12 rankings.
• Moved the Sun Devils to 4-2 in conference play for the first time since 2017.

BITS AND PIECES

• Being outgained 406-260 against the Knights on Saturday, the contest marked the first time ASU had won a game where it trailed to total yardage category by over 100 yards since beating #18 Michigan State, 10-7, in 2019 after being outgained 404-216.
• The Sun Devils improved to 5-1 in one-score games this season.
• The contest marked the first time ASU recorded a special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown in the same game since defeating Cal 51-41 on Sept. 24, 2016 in a game where Laiu Moeakiola had a 28-yard pick-six and DJ Calhoun returned an onside kick 42 yards for a touchdown.
• Laterrance Welch’s interception return for a touchdown was ASU’s fourth defensive touchdown of the season (two pick sixes and two fumble returns).
• In the last two games Welch has five pass breakups and an interception return for a touchdown.
• Caleb McCullough found himself taking the lead on defense in the absence of green-dot linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and responded with eight tackles and a pass breakup.

CLOSING TIME

• The Sun Devils have been exceptional closing halves this season. The team entered the game 14th in the country with nine touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first or second halves. ASU added three more today with two in the final minute of the first half and the go-ahead score with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter.
• ASU has absolutely dominated the “middle eight” of games this year - the final four minutes of the second quarter and first four minutes of the second half. With a 14-0 advantage in that category today, ASU has now outscored opponents 63-13 in the category this season.
• UCF running back RJ Harvey got loose in the third quarter, and UCF had 12 rushes for 94 yards in the frame. ASU was able to limit the standout and the Knights to seven rushes for 17 yards in the decisive fourth quarter.
• UCF was 5-for-10 on third downs in the first three quarters of the game before going just 1-for-3 in the final frame.
• ASU 3-for-5 on third downs in the final quarter and 5-for-9 in the frame.
• Through three quarters UCF held the ball for 25:51 to ASU’s 19:09 and ran 59 plays to ASU 38. In the final quarter, ASU had the ball for 9:31 to UCF’s 5:29 and ran 19 plays to UCF’s 12.

TAKE IT OR LEAVITT

• It was the second straight game where Sam Leavitt recorded three touchdown passes without an interception. His TD:INT ratio this season now sits at 14:4.
• It was the first time an ASU quarterback posted consecutive games with three touchdown passes and no picks since Jayden Daniels did so in three straight games against UCLA, Oregon State and Oregon in 2019.
• It’s also the first time a quarterback has had three or more games in a season with three or more touchdown passes in a season since Daniels in that 2019 season (four total).
• ASU is now 7-1 in games that Leavitt has played this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS, SPECIAL PLAYERS

• ASU’s punt block for a touchdown was its first since Eno Benjamin accomplished the feat against UCLA on Nov. 17, 2017.
• Freshman Martell Hughes had a monstrous game on special teams, recording the punt block (which was returned 46 yards for a touchdown by Montana Warren) and then picking up an arguably even bigger play late in the first half when he made a tackle at the one-yard line on a botched kickoff return with under a minute remaining in the half. The next play was picked off for a touchdown for a 14-point swing in the span of three plays taking ASU from a 17-7 deficit to a 21-17 lead going into halftime that proved to be the difference in the contest.
• Hughes would go on to keep the game from ending dramatically, making the final tackle of the contest before UCF could get out of bounds or pitch the ball around to seal the 35-31 win.

AIR JORDYN

• Jordyn Tyson had another big day, dragging in seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
• He now has five touchdowns in the last four games and 448 yards (89.6 yards per game) on 32 catches in that span. In the first four games, he had 14 catches for 209 yards with one touchdown.
• Four of his touchdown receptions this season have come in the final five minutes of a half (two in the first half and two in the second half). Three of his seven touchdown catches have come in the fourth quarter of games.

If Skat doesn't play, I fear this could be the game that we look back on and say that STs lost us the game. I think 3rd and short/medium will be more difficult without Skat's ability to run through tackles and falling forward. We'll likely have more punts/FG attempts than in other games unless the coaches get really creative or Leavitt is Superman.

I definitely think we can win without Skat, but I worry that it puts pressure on everyone else to play well. STs seem like the area most likely to crack under any additional pressure.

Auburn basketball flight forced to turn around due to altercation between players​

By Grey Papke | Last updated 11/9/24


The Auburn Tigers basketball team saw its flight get turned around for a very strange reason.
The Auburn plane returned home with the basketball team due to “horseplay between players” that “could have escalated into a fight,” according to Jeff Goodman of Field of 68. The 11th-ranked Tigers were en route for Saturday's game against No. 4 Houston, and the team is expected to fly there on a different flight later Friday.

Justin Hokanson, who reports on Auburn for On3, said he had been told there was an “altercation on the plane between players,” but could not offer any further details.

Jonathan Hardison, who is a reporter for a local Fox affiliate, added a few more details:

The incident was clearly serious enough that the plane was diverted back to Alabama. There is not much precedent for that, especially since the Tigers play a very big game on Saturday.

Auburn is coming off a 27-8 season and expectations are high. Bruce Pearl’s programs have faced questions about a lack of discipline in the past, and this is not exactly a great sign.

Good afternoon Huddle,

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"I don’t think I did a great job preparing our guys to play the football game, and they found a way to win, and that's the fun part.” In a game that treated fans to five lead changes, ASU prevails over UCF to remain undefeated in Tempe this season

“You don’t know what play is going to change the game, and that’s why the buy-in of every play matters." On a night when the offense displayed inconsistencies, an opportunistic defense and special teams units picked up the slack for ASU

If any Huddle Member would like a couple Coors Light Tailgate Tickets hit me up in the next 30 and I will shoot them over. After 11:30 I may be otherwise…unavailable.

I mean they serve Coors Lt, but heard it’s good otherwise 😂

buffs in Lubbock this afternoon, with due respect to all Coloradoans, would love to see our Red Raiders lay one on my bestie coach

Dillingham said Skattebo won't practice this week

After a season opener that left the team with many questions surrounding its offense, Arizona State (2-0) created an entirely different perception in an 81-74 victory over Santa Clara (1-1). An outing like tonight in Las Vegas was much needed, as the Sun Devils’ defense did struggle at times in this contest.

Game can be watched via the NCHC website (subscription).

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Bobby Hurley said in the pregame show that guard BJ Freeman hurt his schedule this practice this week, so his availability for tonight's game versus Santa Clara is TBD

Planning to hopefully enjoy a hoops victory tonite....listening on 620AM radio from my house in the Maryland mountains! GO SUN DEVILS!

I don't know if this will result in his dismissal/resignation before ASU plays Florida on December 14