Jordan HammA successful college football season needs a little magic.
Last year’s ASU squad had it in spades. During ASU’s win on the road against Kansas State…then BYU…then Iowa State, it felt like something special was happening beyond just quality football.
The 1975 Sun Devil team, which went undefeated and was inducted into ASU Athletics’ hall of fame this weekend, had plenty of that magic as well.
And it felt like Arizona State could use that magic on Saturday against No. 7 Texas Tech.
🚨 #ASU TAKES DOWN NO. 7 TEXAS TECH IN TEMPE 🚨
Please enjoy 4 minutes of college football mayhem😂@Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/b7RbXqAsjJ
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) October 19, 2025
The Red Raiders had dismantled each opponent it had faced by an average margin of 35 points. Some had already chalked them up as the Big 12’s rep in the College Football Playoff. They were the playbook for the modern roster revamp.
While starting a back-up quarterback, many believed Will Hammond had performed on a pace of senior Behren Morton.
Arizona State was coming off its worst loss since 2023 after getting shellacked by Utah 42-10 in a rainy mess.
But on Saturday, Arizona State caught the magic. It was pretty clear that quarterback Sam Leavitt would give it a go after missing the Utah game due to injury, but it was unclear how restricted he would be. The offensive line had been reshuffled after veteran guard Ben Coleman was ruled out for the year. Wade Helton, who made his first start against Utah was also out.
But they went punch for punch with the Red Raiders, delivering the first blows. The defense controlled the Texas Tech offense. In the first three quarters, kicker Jesus Gomez had outscored the Red Raiders 13-7.
But that’s not magic. That’s playing up to the level they were capable of.
What made this game an instant classic, and one that Sun Devil fans will remember whee they were watching it, was because Texas Tech came back.
They took the lead.
Sam Leavitt, Jordyn Tyson and the offense had two minutes to go the length of the field and score while down 22-19.
And they did exactly that.
While faced with a 4th and 2 at midfield – with the game on the line – Leavitt tucked the ball to run but saw his favorite target making his way up field. They connected and put the Devils into field goal range.
Sam Leavitt to Jordan Tyson on 4th and 2
Huge Play pic.twitter.com/J5gzfymowk
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) October 18, 2025
It’s clear Tyson wasn’t 100%, but made the play and put them in striking distance.
For a team that had struggled mightily inside the red zone (and inside the five-yard line), the Sun Devils got the push on the revamped Tech defensive line and Raleek Brown punched the ball in to give Arizona State the lead.
It’s a marquee win during a stretch that’s critical for Arizona State’s season. In that effort, Leavitt threw for a career-high 319 yards and spread the ball around to seven different receivers. Jordyn Tyson and Jaren Hamilton each eclipsed 100 receiving yards in the game, the first time that has happened since 2022 for the Devils.
Raleek Brown was crucial in the run and pass game, and found pay-dirt when Arizona State needed it most.
Up next, they have a 6-1 Houston coming to Tempe. The Cougars came back against Arizona and are knocking on the door of the Top 25. Then the Devils head to Iowa State in a Big 12 championship rematch.
At an inflection point when the Sun Devils were literally and physically beat up, they captured that magic once again.
