The Sun Devils shouldn’t have been written off so quickly. Fresh off winning the Big 12 Championship last season, Arizona State came into 2025 with sky-high expectations, only to slip out of the AP Top 25 after a shocking Week 2 loss to Mississippi State. But if you watched them in Week 5, you know they still have the goods. Down 17-0 at home to No. 24 TCU, ASU stormed back for a 27-24 win, the largest comeback against a ranked opponent in program history. Now 4-1, but a perfect 2-0 in conference play,  has national analysts and big-name commentators demanding the AP Poll put them back where they belong– at least on the bottom edge of it.

On September 26, Baylor legend and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III hopped onto X following Arizona State’s comeback victory and demanded strong consideration from AP Poll voters: “Arizona State should be ranked in the Top 25 next week.” Well, if you go by merit, they should be in Week 5 of the AP Poll, especially after this crazy comeback.

The Sun Devils fought tooth and nail and pulled off a 17-point comeback victory in their first matchup against TCU in 50 years. By all means, it was a good old-school, gritty game filled with turnovers. The turning point came in the 2nd quarter when Sam Leavitt dropped a 57-yard bomb to Jordyn Tyson. Just a few minutes later, he scored an 8-yard rushing touchdown, flexing his mobility before halftime. Then, in the third quarter, that’s when the game started turning ugly. After grabbing a goal-line pick on defense, the Sun Devils cashed in by knocking through a 26-yard field goal from Jesus Gomez, tying the score at 17-17.

Even though Gomez missed 2 field goals earlier, he redeemed himself when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson once again proved why they are one of the best QB-WR duos in America by clutching up for a touchdown. Then came Gomez, stepping up big time with a 23-yard field goal to secure Arizona State’s second Big 12 win of the season with just 1:14 left on the clock.

Sam Leavitt finished the game with 278 passing yards, completing 26 of 38 throws with 2 touchdowns. Jordyn Tyson caught 8 passes for 126 yards and 2 scores, while their running back, Raleek Brown, was stomping all over the field with 147 rushing yards. The night couldn’t have ended better for Year 3 head coach Kenny Dillingham.

With the AP Poll releasing at 2:00 ET on Sunday, there’s a good chance ASU (30th in the Poll with 30 votes) could sneak back into the bottom of the rankings. However, it’s still too early to say, as Saturday football is yet to be played. Teams like Auburn, Mississippi State, and South Florida, who sit on the edge of the AP Poll at 25, are also fighting to sneak in.

After the game, Kenny Dillingham started his post-game press conference, giving props to the ASU ground staff for their pre-game efforts. Leading up to the game, heavy storms had rolled through, putting the playing surface at risk of being waterlogged and unsafe. Instead of simply letting conditions deteriorate, the crew worked around the clock to repair damage, drain excess water, and restore the field to game-ready condition.

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Props to the Sun Devils defense

The Arizona State Sun Devils defense was a real game-changer. They pulled off a fantastic turnaround, overcoming a 17-0 deficit. The defense especially shone late in the game, when it mattered most, pulling out stops and getting the ball back for the offense. The Sun Devils defense was pretty solid against the run, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry so far this season. That’s some good work in the trenches.

They piled up 13 tackles for loss, showing they were not messing around. They also registered six sacks (a season high) and won the turnover battle 3–1, forcing two interceptions and one forced fumble, one of those picked off by Martell Hughes in the final two possessions. However, their pass defense has been a bit of a work in progress, giving up eight passing touchdowns on the year – the most in the Big 12. Despite this, they came up big when it counted against TCU. The defense’s heroics included forcing three turnovers, which is just clutch football. The biggest plays were a couple of interceptions in TCU’s final two possessions. One of those, by Martell Hughes, sealed the deal and sent the Sun Devils faithful home happy. You gotta love it when the defense makes those game-winning plays!

Looking at the individual players, linebackers Keyshaun Elliott and Jordan Cook were key, getting sacks and tackling well. Clayton Smith was also a force, bringing the heat with 2 sacks, 

according to Fox Sports. Defensive lineman Prince Dorbah stood out with three sacks, four tackles for loss, and a strip sack that set up the game-winning field goal. Even with some defensive backs out injured, the Sun Devils’ defense dug deep and made plays, proving they’re a tough bunch.