TEMPE – Jesus Gomez knocked in his third game-winning field goal of the season, and Jeff Sims tied a career high with three touchdown passes to carry Sun Devil Football to a 25-23 Homecoming win over West Virginia Saturday afternoon at Mountain America Stadium.
Arizona State (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) earned its third straight homecoming win under head coach Kenny Dillingham and kept the Sun Devils’ Big 12 Championship hopes alive with the two-point victory. Since Dillingham took over the reins of the program in 2023, the Sun Devils moved to 5-2 in games decided by three points or less after Keith Abney’s game-sealing interception.
Following his record-breaking rushing performance against Iowa State, Sims fired three touchdowns for the fourth time in his career – all coming in the second quarter – for 207 yards on an efficient 19-of-28. Wide Receiver Derek Eusebio hauled in a career-best six catches for 74 yards, adding a touchdown.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Mountaineers scored 13 unanswered points to take a 23-22 lead with 6:37 in the game. Sims would then command the offense 40 yards in eight plays into West Virginia’s territory for Gomez to hit a 49-yard field goal to give the Sun Devils a 25-23 lead.
On the ensuing drive for West Virginia, Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II sealed the game with his second interception of the season, putting Sims and the offense in victory formation to finalize the victory. The play that sealed it 😵@keithabneyjr pic.twitter.com/O36d8lwCEa
Sims tossed his third touchdown pass of the first half to Ryleek Brown, which went for 33 yards to give the Sun Devils a 22-10 lead at halftime. The Sun Devils outgained the Mountaineers 215-67 in the second quarter, with 159 yards coming through the air by Sims to five different receivers.
West Virginia (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) scored the first points of the game with an 11-play, 57-yard drive on a 29-yard field goal with 8:41 in the opening quarter. The Mountaineers were inside ASU’s 10-yard line, but were stifled by the Sun Devil defense, which forced a turnover on downs to keep the score 3-0 after the first quarter.
ASU turned the defensive stop into its first lead of the game with a six-yard Jeff Sims touchdown pass to Chamon Metayer that capped a 10-play, 94-yard drive to give the Sun Devils a 7-3 lead with 11:17 in the first half. The Sun Devils went 2-for-2 on third-down conversions, including a Sims 25-yard rush to flip the field and momentum.
The ASU defense responded with an Anthonie Cooper sack, which forced a West Virginia punt, giving Sims and the offense quality field position where they only needed four plays, 40 yards, to take a 15-3 lead following a Derek Eusebio 19-yard touchdown reception from Sims. West Virginia responded immediately with a 75-yard Fox touchdown pass to Jeff Weimer to make it 15-10
.@derekeusebio3 with the tuddy and @Jesusgoju & @cameronharpole with the TRICKERY 😈 pic.twitter.com/Mrpwvvi8G4
The Sun Devils embark on their final road trip of the regular season to play Colorado (Saturday, Nov. 22) before hosting Arizona (Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. on FOX).