TEMPE – Arizona State, the reigning Big 12 Conference champions, proved - again - why the road to AT&T Stadium in Texas still goes through Tempe as the Sun Devils knocked the seventh-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders from the unbeaten list with a 26-22 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of its fifth straight home sellout that finished with another Sam Leavitt-led final game-winning drive with two minutes left and a defensive stop to finish it.
Highest-ranked wins at home in Sun Devil history
Sept. 21, 1996: ASU 19, #1 Nebraska 0
Oct. 14, 1978: ASU 20, #2 USC 7
Oct. 14, 2017: ASU 13, #5 Washington 7
Nov. 23, 2019: ASU 31, #6 Oregon 28
Oct. 13, 1979: ASU 12, #6 Washington 7
Nov. 1, 1986: ASU 34, #6 Washington 21
Dec. 26, 1975: ASU 17, #6 Nebraska 14 (Fiesta Bowl)
Oct. 18, 2025: ASU 26, #7 Texas Tech 22
The Sun Devils won their tenth consecutive home game—four of which have come against Associated Top-25 opponents—the longest streak they have had since they had 14 straight during the 1980-82 seasons.
Entering Saturday’s contest with a nation-leading 558.2 yards per game, Arizona State (5-2, 3-1) held Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1) to just 49 first-quarter yards and only one first down on 13 offensive plays over the course of 6 minutes, 41 seconds. This provided the quarterback Sam Leavitt and the Sun Devil offense an opportunity to take advantage of the scoreless scoreboard.
And head coach Kenny Dillingham’s squad did just that.
After hauling in a 49-yard punt at its 21-yard line with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter, Arizona State went on a 9-play, 62-yard drive that not only drained 4 minutes, 8 seconds, but also resulted in the game’s first points on a 34-yard field goal by Jesus Gomez. Gomez doubled the Sun Devil lead minutes later with a 47-yard field goal to cap ASU’s first offensive drive of the second quarter.
Gomez’s 34-yarder with 1:43 remaining in the first quarter marked the first time this season a team took a lead over Texas Tech.
However, on the ensuing possession, the Red Raiders responded to the pair of Gomez field goals with a 30-yard touchdown reception by Coy Eakin from quarterback Will Hammond to take a 7-6 lead. ASU answered right back, though, with a 10-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in Gomez’s third field goal of the first half to take a 9-7 lead into halftime.
Coming out of halftime, ASU linebacker Martell Hughes intercepted a Hammond pass after Montana Warren hit a Red Raider wide receiver, forcing the ball into the air. Hughes returned the interception to the Texas Tech 21-yard line. Leavitt and the ASU offense took advantage of the short field when Jordyn Tyson hauled in a two-yard scoring reception to put ASU ahead 16-7 with 8:50 left in the third quarter.
Gomez added three more points for ASU with a 28-yard field goal 48 seconds in the fourth quarter to extend the Sun Devils’ lead to 19-7.
Texas Tech stormed back to take a 22-19 lead with two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Leavitt orchestrated a 10-play drive that went 75 yards and was capped by a 1-yard run by Raleek Brown with 34 seconds left to put ASU ahead 26-22.
Having no timeouts remaining and 64 yards to go to try and re-take the lead, the Red Raider offense worked its way down to the ASU 28-yard line with three seconds left. But a Hail Mary attempt by Hammond toward Reggie Virgil in the back of the end zone was broken up by Warren.
Arizona State will now look to beat its fifth team from Texas when the hot Houston Cougars (6-1, 3-1) come to Tempe for a 5 p.m. MST kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 25.
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