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Timely interception gives football best conference start since 2012

Arizona State took down TCU, marking the eighth straight victory over a Big 12 foe

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Timely interception gives football best conference start since 2012Timely interception gives football best conference start since 2012
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Box Score

TEMPE – With 1:09 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Arizona State needed just one decisive defensive play to seal a key 27-24 conference win over Big 12 opponent and 24th-ranked TCU on Friday night. 

And it took just two plays to happen. 

With no timeouts remaining and 88 yards waiting, TCU quarterback Josh Hoover took the snap, then connected with DJ Rogers for a nine-yard reception. Seven seconds after the completion, Hoover’s next pass was caught, too, but by an Arizona State defender as sophomore linebacker Martell Hughes, who registered the second interception of Hoover by the Sun Devil defense on the night.

Both ASU interceptions were personal milestones as Hughes’ game-sealing pick was the first of his career, while Adrian Wilson recorded his first career pick, too, to halt TCU’s second-half opening offensive series at the ASU 7-yard line. 

The pair of interceptions played a key factor in giving Arizona State (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) its first 2-0 start in conference play since 2012 as members of the Pac-12. The victory also extended ASU’s home winning streak to nine, which was the longest stretch since the 2012-2014 seasons.

A week after lifting ASU to a three-point road win over Baylor, the reigning Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week Jesus Gomez, again, played hero with a 23-yard field goal to give the Sun Devils their first lead - at 27-24 - with 1:14 left in regulation.

Gomez’ scoring opportunity came courtesy of Prince Dorbah, who was credited with his career-high third sack on the night when he brought down Hoover for a 10-yard loss. On the play, too, Dorbah stripped the football out of Hoover’s hands as he was falling to the ground, giving the Sun Devils an offensive possession at the TCU 15-yard line. 

With 5:42 in the fourth quarter and needing to score a touchdown to tie the game, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt orchestrated an 11-play, 73-yard drive that not only took 3:52 off the game clock, but also resulted in a game-tying touchdown.

On a critical fourth-and-four from the TCU 4-yard line, Leavitt connected with receiver Jordyn Tyson in the end zone - for the second time on the night - to bring the Sun Devils to within one with 1:50 remaining in regulation. Gomez’ PAT attempt sailed through the uprights to tie the game at 24.

Despite having the opportunity to tie the game to begin the fourth quarter, TCU’s defense stifled ASU’s offense inside the 5-yard line and forced an incomplete pass from Leavitt on a fourth-down play. After the defense forced a quick three-and-out that saw just 1:33 come off the game clock, the Sun Devils had another opportunity to cut their deficit. 

But a 43-yard field goal attempt by Gomez sailed wide right.

Returning from intermission, TCU (3-1, 0-1) looked primed to capitalize on an opportunity to extend its three-point halftime lead. But Wilson’s interception of Hoover prevented that. 

Leavitt and the offense then responded with a 12-play, 83-yard drive that not only drained 5:40 off the game clock, but was also capped by a 26-yard Gomez field goal to tie the game 17-17. 

TCU responded three minutes later with a 1-yard touchdown run by Hoover to retake a touchdown lead with 4:02 in the third quarter.

Trailing 17-0 following a 27-yard field goal by Nate McCashland midway through the second quarter, Leavitt and Tyson connected on a 57-yard touchdown to cut into the Horned Frogs lead and trim the Sun Devils’ deficit down to 17-7. The score was Tyson’s sixth touchdown reception this season and his sixth straight game played with a touchdown, dating back to a 49-7 win against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. 

The Sun Devil defense forced a TCU three-and-out, putting the offense back on the field, where Leavitt finished a 47-yard drive with an 8-yard scramble for his fifth rushing touchdown of the year to make it a 17-14 contest heading into halftime.

The Horned Frogs captured the game’s first points on a seven-play, three-minute touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead off a Trent Battle 13-yard rush. Following a missed field goal attempt by the Sun Devils with 3:11 left in the first quarter, TCU doubled its lead off a Jeremy Payne 7-yard touchdown with 10:22 in the second quarter that preceded McCashland’s field goal with 6:24 left in the second quarter. 

Arizona State will now have a bye week, before returning to action with a road trip to Salt Lake City to battle Utah (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) on October 11. Kickoff for the contest will be announced at a later date.

Be sure to keep up with the action all season long by following the Sun Devils on Instagram / Facebook @SunDevilFB and on X (Formerly Twitter) @ASUFootball.