TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Leavitt threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, Cam Skattebo and DeCarlos Brooks both ran for a touchdown and Arizona State won its first football game as a member of the Big 12, beating Wyoming 48-7 on Saturday night.
The Sun Devils scored a defensive touchdown just 41 seconds into the game when Zyrus Fiaseu picked off Wyoming’s Evan Svoboda and ran 29 yards to the end zone. The Sun Devils didn’t force a turnover last season until their fourth game.
“The play call was right and I did my job,” Fiaseu said. “When you do your job and execute, good things happen.”
Svoboda threw another interception less than five minutes later. This time, it was Keyshaun Elliott who grabbed the errant pass and ran 18 yards to the Wyoming 42. The Sun Devils capitalized on the good field position with a 29-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.
Arizona State — which finished with a 3-9 record last season — had a 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and a 27-0 advantage at halftime.
The Sun Devils outgained the Cowboys 499-118.
“We played hard,” Skattebo said. “That was a different team. You saw it. We felt more comfortable on the sidelines. I got taken out with eight minutes left in the third quarter — that’s a good feeling.”
Leavitt, a Michigan State transfer, played well in his first career start, completing 14 of 22 passes. He beat out senior Jeff Sims for the starting job during preseason camp.
“I didn’t do anything special tonight,” Leavitt said. “Just got the ball to my playmakers and let them make plays with great results.”
Svoboda completed 6 of 15 passes for 42 yards and had the two early interceptions. He also made an errant throw on a lateral that was picked up by Arizona State’s Justin Wodtly and returned six yards for a touchdown.
It was a rough homecoming for Svoboda, who played his high school football in suburban Phoenix, about 20 miles from Arizona State’s campus. Wyoming managed just 51 total yards though three quarters.
The Cowboys avoided the shutout when Kaden Anderson threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Durr with two seconds remaining. Wyoming averaged just 2.3 yards per play.
“We’ve got to get a lot better, obviously, as a football team,” Cowboys coach Jay Sawvel said. “Fortunately for us, it counts for one. Even if it feels like it should count as four or five.”
The Takeaway
Wyoming: Sawvel’s first game as head coach of the Cowboys was a rough one. He took over for the retired Craig Bohl, who led the program for 10 years. Svoboda’s early jitters were a big problem, but far from the only one. It’s just one game, but the Cowboys didn’t look like a team ready to compete for a Mountain West title.
Arizona State: It was an encouraging night for the Sun Devils, who were eager to put last year’s injury-plagued season behind them. Second-year coach Kenny Dillingham appears to have more talent at several positions, but a bigger test comes next weekend when they host an SEC opponent in Mississippi State.
Wyoming: Hosts Idaho next Saturday.
Arizona State: Hosts Mississippi State next Saturday.
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